\n <\/p>\n
3,265 horses were flown to Japan for slaughter in 2024\u2014up 30 percent from 2023.<\/h4>\n
In 2024, horse exports for slaughter surged to their highest levels in nearly a decade. A total of 3,265 horses were crammed into wooden crates, flown to Japan with a stopover in Alaska, and trucked to quarantine facilities before facing slaughter so their flesh can be eaten raw as sashimi. This marks a staggering 30 percent increase from the previous year, with 765 more horses enduring this cruel journey compared to 2023.<\/p>\n
Despite a pledge by the Liberal government in 2021 to ban the practice, a bill to end the exports died when an election was called. With a new Prime Minister and an election campaign we must act now to ensure this issue remains front and centre.<\/p>\n
The sharp increase in shipments is especially troubling given that exporters continue to break the law. Animal Justice\u2019s June 2024 expos\u00e9<\/a> revealed that most shipments exceeded the 28-hour legal time limit without food, water, and rest.\u00a0<\/p>\n Official records from the Canadian Food Investigation Agency (CFIA) showed the government stopped the clock after planes touched down in Japan\u2014failing to account for the additional four to six hours spent on trucks after landing in Japan. During our monitoring period, two thirds of shipments from Edmonton, and likely all shipments from Winnipeg, violated this limit.\u00a0<\/p>\n Although shipments paused for a couple of months last summer while the CFIA investigated our findings, the exports tragically resumed in September. Even with the temporary halt, 2024 saw the highest number of horses exported overseas to their death than any year since 2016.<\/p>\n \n
\n
<\/p>\n![\"Horses](\"https:\/\/animaljustice.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Canadian-Horse-Export-1.jpg\"\/)
![\"Horses](\"https:\/\/animaljustice.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Canadian-Horse-Export-1.jpg\")
Horse Shipments Increase Despite Exporters Breaking the Law<\/strong><\/h2>\n