Keywords:
animal welfare
Bubalus bubalis
legislation
meat quality
transport
water buffalo

  • Abstract

    Transport is considered a stressful period for livestock that can cause economic and biological losses if inadequate handling procedures exist. Several manuals and guides include recommendations for common domestic species based on scientific evidence. Still, the legislative freedom of each country means that they are not mandatory worldwide, nor do they cover all species, such as the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). This review aims to analyze the legal strictures currently applicable to the transport of this species. Critical aspects of the legislation that address the pre-transport, transportation, and post-transport stages are discussed, focusing on Asian and Latin American countries and the European Union. Areas of opportunity to improve the norms and laws that impact public policies, civil aspects, and water buffalo welfare in production systems are elucidated.

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Rodríguez-González, D., Napolitano, F., Legarreta, I. G., Mora-Medina, P., Ghezzi, M. D., José-Pérez, N., Domínguez-Oliva, A., & Mota-Rojas, D. (2022). Critical aspects of legislation and their impact on the welfare of water buffaloes during transport. Journal of Animal Behaviour and Biometeorology, 10(4), 2232. https://doi.org/10.31893/jabb.22032
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