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UK's trade in breeding chicks may not be covered by planned live export 'ban'

<span>Photograph: Michele Tantussi/Reuters</span>
Photograph: Michele Tantussi/Reuters

The export of tens of millions of chicks every year from the UK may not fall under a promised “ban” on live exports, as the majority of the trade is for breeding stock.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told the Guardian that the new rules would include poultry, but specified that they would be applied to animals being sent abroad for slaughter. A spokesperson said: “The government has committed to ending excessively long journeys for live animals, including poultry, going for slaughter and fattening. We will shortly launch a public consultation outlining our plans to improve animal welfare in transport, and encourage as many people as possible to share their views to help shape future policy.”

Asked whether chicks sold to other countries for breeding purposes would be included, the spokesperson said: “We aren’t able to pre-announce what specific proposals this consultation will be putting forward.”

About 25 million chicks (including turkeys) and ducklings were sent out of the UK in 2018, in an industry worth £139m to the UK, according to HMRC data. Most of the trade is for high-value breeding stock for both egg layers and broilers, from chickens with sought-after genetic characteristics.

The biggest destination is Ireland, where about 7 million chicks were sent in 2018, with a further 9 million going to other EU countries. The remaining 9 million travelled to far-flung countries including Malaysia, the Philippines and Bangladesh. The chicks are flown out almost as soon as they are hatched, when they are, according to industry figures, pretty robust. The EU trade was worth about £72m in 2018, while the non-EU trade was worth a proportionately higher £67m.

Britain has become a “global hub for high value genetics”, in the poultry industry, thanks to breeding programmes carried out over many years, said Richard Griffiths, the chief executive of the British Poultry Council.

“What we are talking about here is exporting high-value breeding stock – day-old chicks and hatching eggs – we aren’t talking about exporting live poultry for slaughter,” he explained. “The UK has the skills, expertise and infrastructure to export high-value stock to meet the specific market requirements of our trading partners across the world.

“Our world-class genetic and breeding programmes are supplying consumers both in the UK and abroad, while contributing to global food security and international development,” he told the Guardian. “Our well-established genetic selection programmes consistently promote improvements in robustness and overall health, while providing the birds with the highest quality care and welfare standards.”

At least one of the UK’s biggest chick exporters does not believe it is likely to be covered by the government’s new rules. Aviagen, which exports an undisclosed number of day-old grandparent and parent stock chicks to customers in more than 40 countries, told the Guardian: “We are not likely to be affected by the government’s plans to bring in new regulation on the export of live animals.”

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A spokesperson for the company said it complied with all relevant regulations, including the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Live Animals Regulations (LAR) guidelines. “IATA’s Live Animals Regulations (LAR) is the worldwide standard for transporting live animals by commercial airlines,” Aviagen said.

HiBreeds International said it did not export live animals, only surplus eggs from the UK. “We are not therefore expecting to be affected by new regulations on the export of livestock,” said a spokesperson.

Joice and Hill, another breeding specialist, said it dealt only with clients in the UK but took transport very seriously. A spokesperson for the company said that its clients rely on them “to deliver healthy and viable stock, so transport conditions are a hugely important part of the work” the company does, adding that “conditions are constantly monitored during transit and regularly audited by UK industry bodies, retailers and welfare organisations, such as the RSPCA Farm Assured Scheme.”

Other companies, including Cobb-Vantress and Hy-Line, did not respond to the Guardian’s questions.

Additional research by Kunal Solanky.