Animal Friends Jogja Joins Global Call to End Live Animal Exports

RRI.CO.ID, Yogyakarta - Yogyakarta-based NGO Animal Friends Jogja (AFJ) has joined international animal protection groups in urging a global ban on live animal exports, highlighting the suffering endured by millions of farmed animals each year.

Led by Compassion in World Farming, the coalition pressed the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to update outdated transport standards. The appeal coincides with Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day and WOAH’s ongoing review of global guidelines.

AFJ also called on Indonesia’s representative at WOAH--the Director General of Livestock and Animal Health Services--to actively engage in consultations. The group stressed that live transport is unnecessary, with safer alternatives such as meat, carcass trade, and genetic material for breeding already available.

Recent tragedies underscore the urgency of reform, including the deaths of 4,000 sheep and goats off Oman’s coast last month. Beyond animal suffering, live transport poses public health risks, as overcrowded and unhygienic conditions heighten the spread of zoonotic diseases.

AFJ campaign manager Dwi Octavia emphasized the moral imperative for change. “Every year, millions of farmed animals are forced into long journeys that cause immense suffering. This practice can no longer be justified, especially when safer alternatives exist," she said.

"Revising WOAH’s transport standards is a crucial moment to strengthen global animal welfare protections and push for the gradual end of long-distance live exports,” she added.

Echoing this, Deputy Global Campaigns Director at Compassion in World Farming, Charlotte Reid, said that animals are sentient beings with awareness and the ability to feel, not mere cargo.

"With WOAH now revising transport standards, this is the right time for member states to end this cruel practice. Strengthening guidelines is essential, but ultimately, live animal exports must be banned entirely so this troubling trade becomes history," Reid added.

With millions of animals continuing to suffer annually, AFJ insists that reform can no longer be delayed. The revision of WOAH’s transport standards offers a pivotal opportunity for member states--including Indonesia--to advance animal welfare and take decisive steps toward ending live animal exports. ***