Insist that Edmonton stop allowing live horse shipments out of Edmonton International Airport EIA. They must make the ethical choice to not support live export!
Edmonton Airport supports this industry by allowing Korean Airlines and other live shippers such as Nippon Air and Atlas Air to operate out of it's facility. Edmonton Airport is complicit in this violent and unsavoury industry by making money from the take off and landing fees paid by these air cargo companies and airlines.
Canadian Horse Defence Coalition has been working to expose the horse slaughter industry and the live shipment of horses to Japan from Canada. Work by animal advocates and investigators have been helpful in exposing this practice which is abhorrent and not supported by the majority of Canadians and other countries around the world.
It has been revealed that the shipments occur out of Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg International Airports. What has also been revealed is the lack of adherence to shipping regulations put forth by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Images and video footage captured at Calgary and Edmonton Airports fully support the allegations of non-compliance. Horses overcrowded in crates, crates that are often too small for the height of the horses and lack of food and water for many hours. The horses are permitted to be denied food and water for up to 36 hours within Canada and the time begins when they are loaded at the feed lot. Horses spend many hours in transit by truck and then in crates at the airport waiting to be loaded and then being loaded into the aircraft; shipments happen in all kinds of weather. Unfortunately, the Canadian regulations cease to be in effect when the horses leave Canada. Their confinement and lack of food and water can continue for much longer than the prescribed 36 hours as they face at least another 10 to 13 1/2 hours of flight time and add to that, ground transfer time in Japan.
The Canadian government continues to do nothing about the infractions and is actually working to remove the regulations that have been put in place to protect these horses.
Since horse slaughter is unfunded in the U.S.A. and has essentially ended there, horses from the racing, rodeo and pet trade as well as feral horses who have been sent to auction are purchased by kill buyers who ship them to Canada for the meat and live export trade. Canadian horses are also exploited and slaughtered in this industry. This is a lucrative, secretive industry worth upwards of 80 million dollars in Canada.
Buyers in Japan purchase the animals, strongly preferring draft horses for a delicacy called basashi, thinly sliced raw horsemeat, eaten like sashimi. Our horses are being turned into a food fetish.
Insist that Edmonton stop allowing live horse shipments out of Edmonton International Airport EIA. They must make the ethical choice to not support live export!
Targets -Tom Ruth - EIA President and CEO, Traci Bednard - VPMarket Development, Myron Keehn - VP Commercial Development, Rob Malli - Strategy/Financial Officer, Maureen McCaw - Board of Directors Chair, Norm Richard - Director of Air Service Development, Alex Lowe - Mgr of Cargo Business Development.
Update #25 years ago
Sadly, another 747 full of horses was loaded and flew out of Edmonton International Airport this morning. If you haven't shared this petition yet, please do and if you have already, please do so again. This petition is doing very well thanks to all of you. We will keep up the pressure until this vile 'industry' is stopped.
Update #16 years ago
You folks are all INCREDIBLE! Almost 170,000 signatures on this petition to Edmonton International Airport! Voice for Animals attended the Annual Public Meeting and made the airport executive aware of the petition and they raised their eyebrows when they heard the number of signatures. We have just mailed them a letter asking what they plan to do going forward.
