Legislation ending the export of live cattle, sheep, goats, horses and pigs for slaughter and fattening from Great Britain has passed through the UK parliament.
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The new laws were a response to a long and increasingly vocal animal welfare campaign demanding that all animals raised in the UK were slaughtered domestically "in high welfare UK slaughterhouses" to stop the chance of animals "enduring stress, exhaustion and injury on long and unnecessary export journeys".
The Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Act received Royal Assent on May 20 - UK time - after passing through both Houses of Parliament with cross party support, while enabling regulations will be made shortly to bring the ban into force.
The UK government's environment secretary Steve Barclay said in a statement that "we are proud to have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world".
"Our new Act makes use of post-Brexit freedoms to deliver one of our manifesto commitments and strengthen these standards even further by preventing the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening, which we know causes animals unnecessary stress and injury," he said.
Up to 2.5 million sheep and calves are currently exported annually from the UK to Europe or beyond for slaughter or fattening.
The UK government press release announcing that the legislation had passed included comments from animal welfare groups, but carried no farming voices.
RSPCA chief executive Chris Sherwood said he was "thrilled" that live export of animals has been banned from Great Britain.
"As one of the first countries in the world to abolish this practice, this vital step for animal welfare sends an important message globally and we hope to see other countries follow suit soon," he said.
Compassion in World Farming global chief executive Philip Lymbery also gained a call-up, saying it was "a day to celebrate... for decades to come".
While Roly Owers, World Horse Welfare chief executive, said the Bill would stop both legal and illegal export of equines from the country.
The news follows the federal government last week announcing the end date for the live export of sheep by sea from Australia would be May 1, 2028.
An axe has been hovering above the industry since Labor first announced the policy in 2018.
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Murray Watt said the government's $107 million industry transition package struck the right balance between industry and animal welfare concerns.
"This is a comprehensive package that will assist to strengthen supply chains, develop market opportunities and improve animal welfare," he said.
However, livestock leaders have told ACM-Agri that they are fed up with the amount of say the Albanese Government affords groups that represent a tiny fraction of the Australian population and with the beef and sheep industry being used as political currency to buy fringe votes.
Peak industry groups also expressed disappointment that the government's briefing on the 2028 date was delivered to them with animal activists also on the call, cheering on the move.
The Australian government has consistently said that live cattle exports by sea are safe, while animal welfare groups seized on the live sheep announcement to continue its calls for the government to ban the shipping of all live livestock by sea.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's Labor government banned live animal exports from April last year with an animal welfare amendment bill that the then NZ government said "protects the reputation of not just our farmers now, but the farmers of the future" as consumers become more socially-conscious.
Although there are moves over the ditch to roll-back the ban after the election in October 2023 of the conservative centre-right National Party, led by Christopher Luxon.
Despite the ban in the UK, live exports will be allowed to continue in some specific circumstances, for example, for breeding and competitions, provided animals are transported in line with legal requirements which protect their welfare.
This Bill follows a public consultation that led to a government manifesto commitment and Action Plan for Animal Welfare pledge to ban the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening.
Mr Barclay said the Act was "just one part of a wider Government effort" to enhance animal welfare standards.
This includes new statutory welfare codes for pigs, laying hens and meat chickens, banning the use of conventional battery cages for laying hens and making CCTV mandatory in slaughterhouses.
The UK government also recently introduced new laws to recognise animal sentience.
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