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PT_BR 
Live cattle exports have returned to the center of public debate in Brasília after Brazil recorded its highest ever volume shipped by sea in 2025. From January to the end of November, 952,000 head of cattle were sent abroad, surpassing the total for 2024, when 948,000 animals left the country. If this pace continues, the volume should exceed one million head by the end of the year, consolidating the country as the world's largest exporter in this sector, according to data from Comex Stat.
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The sector's growth, however, reignites questions about its socioeconomic, sanitary and environmental risks. These issues will be at the center of the public hearing convened by the Environment and Sustainable Development Committee (CMADS) of the Chamber of Deputies, scheduled for this Thursday (11), at 10 am. The request is from federal deputy Duda Salabert (PDT/MG). Among the confirmed participants are representatives of the international organization Mercy For Animals and members of the Animal Working Group of the Environmental Parliamentary Front.
The session will discuss structural problems related to the maritime transport of live animals, including welfare conditions, environmental impacts, economic consequences, and potential risks to public health.
Criticism of the model gained momentum after another episode involving serious failures in the transportation of cattle. The ship Spiridon II, which departed from Uruguay on September 20th with three thousand cows, was prevented from docking in Turkey due to sanitary and identification irregularities. Without authorization to disembark, the vessel only obtained permission to unload the animals on November 23rd, in Libya.
During the waiting period, reports indicated poor conditions: accumulation of feces and urine, intense odor, carcasses on the deck, scarcity of water and food, and the presence of pregnant cows and newborn calves without veterinary assistance.
The debate also takes place amidst the advancement of two legislative proposals aimed at discouraging the export of live animals through differentiated taxation, aligned with the risks of the practice. Both have achieved recent victories in Congress: PLP 23/2024, authored by Representative Luciene Cavalcante, and PL 786/2024, presented by Representative Nilto Tatto.
The public hearing “Export of Live Animals by Sea: Impacts and Risks” will bring together various civil society organizations and experts, including Mercy For Animals, the National Forum for Animal Protection and Defense, Gaia Libertas, the Animal Rights News Agency, the National Movement Don't Export Lives, and researcher Maira Luiza Spanholi from the State University of Mato Grosso (UNEMAT). The meeting is expected to broaden the debate on alternatives and new guidelines for this activity in the country.
