BVA believes all exported meat should come from animals that have been stunned before slaughter.
But the veterinary organisation said there was “current ambiguity” around the details of the deal, which UK halal certification bodies it would involve, and whether the meat that is exported would come from stun or non-stun sources.
The UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has not yet clarified these points, the BVA said.
In April 2018, Defra stated that it did not hold data on what percentage of meat from non-stun religious slaughter was exported.
In the UK and Europe, all animals must be stunned before slaughter, but there is a derogation for animals killed for religious purposes.
The BVA is calling for an end to all non-stun slaughter, but while it is still permitted, it would like to see new laws to ban exports of non-stun meat, such as those in Germany, where the law states that produce from non-stun slaughter cannot be exported.
BVA strongly believes this derogation should only apply to meet the needs of the local community.
“We welcome new trade deals that demonstrate the quality of UK agriculture, but we absolutely must not compromise on animal welfare. Animals slaughtered without stunning suffer unnecessary pain at the time of death,” said BVA president John Fishwick.
“If non-stun slaughter is permitted under the derogation in the UK it should only be available for local communities and not for export.
“We have raised these issues directly with the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, and have asked for clarity on whether or not meat for export is stunned in accordance with the UK’s high animal welfare legislation.”