Page 8 - The STAT Trade Times August 2024 for Website

coverstory

on improving the welfare of big cats by
providing shelter and rehabilitating preda-
tors to their original habitat.

Standardising processes
While planning needs to be comprehen-
sive and thoughtful, the same is the case
with execution. There are several processes
defined by the regulators and associations
to make it obvious. For instance, de Boer in-
formed that they perform a physical check
when the animals are delivered to one of
the stations from which they fly.
“This is done per IATA LAR (Live Animal
Requirements) and our LAAC (Live Animals
Accepting Checklist),” he said.
IATA LAR provides the minimum standard
for transporting live animals by air, while
LAAC is a standardised checklist that helps
verify all necessary requirements.
“During this check, the handling com-
pany acting on our behalf will verify that
the animals are in good condition, that the
documents are correct, and that the crate
or kennel meets the requirements set out in Air France KLM Martinair Cargo transported
the IATA LAR,” added de Boer. lions Vasylyna and Nikola on a B747 freighter
from the Netherlands to South Africa for
Adhering to international regulations and FOUR PAWS in April 2024.
standards, such as the LAR set by IATA, is
necessary to maintain consistency and safety welfare during air transport and talking
across different jurisdictions and airlines. about them, Robson said, “IATA has recently
Majeres informed that IATA has now updated its Live Animals Regulations, which
finished authoring the 51st edition of include new guidelines on container design,
the LAR (2025) which has been species-specific handling procedures, and
completely revamped. mandatory training for staff.”
“This edition comes with a handling sec- He also reported that they are also
tion which now follows the recommended seeing a trend towards stricter biosecurity
Master Operating Plan (MOP), the 19 door- The handling measures to prevent the spread of diseases,
to-door steps from shipper to consignee, which now often includes mandatory
describing the processes in the journey of a company will verify health checks and certifications prior to
shipment,” he said. transportation.
“IATA, with the partnership of the Con- that the animals are in These updates reflect a broader effort
vention for International Trade in Endan- good condition, that the to align global standards and ensure that
gered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora animal welfare is prioritised across all
(CITES), has significantly raised the bar of documents are correct, regions. One recent key development was
compliance by updating 2000 entries in the the upgrade of South Africa for the export
list of species,” he added. and that the crate of horses directly to Europe without lengthy
CITES is an international agreement that or kennel meets the quarantine periods and transit through
aims to ensure that international trade in Mauritius as the World Organisation for
specimens of wild animals and plants does requirements set out in Animal Health (WOAH) has approved direct
not threaten the survival of the species. exports from South Africa to Europe.
de Boer also informed that they verify if the IATA LAR. “We hope to see direct exports to the
the animals are accompanied by CITES doc- Bernard de Boer Middle East which opens new markets,”
uments. “CITES, based in Geneva, is the only Air France KLM Martinair Cargo Robson added.
organisation that approves the transport of Biosecurity measures adopted by dif-
protected wildlife. They coordinate with lo- Growing scrutiny ferent countries in isolation can affect the
cal offices around the world to manage this There have been several important regula- movements of live animals by air and create
process,” he said. tory updates aimed at enhancing animal adverse operational situations for airlines,
6 | AUGUST 2024 www.stattimes.com