Category: Live Transport

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

England: Ex Environmental Minister (Defra) Paid Over £100,000 To Act As Lobbyist For Meat Processing Company.

WAV Comment:

Owen Paterson always did what he could to allow the continuation of live animal exports from the UK.  He was a big opponent character to us, the anti export protesters, when we campaigned for an end to live animal exports around the ports of Southern England.

Paterson was the government environment secretary between 2012 and 2014, a time when live animal exports were being fought hard against by animal welfare campaigners.

Although not relating to live exports, it does show the influence that major political people can have in the ‘lobbying’ corner, especially, as in just one case here, Paterson was being paid around £100,000 to act as a consultant for Randox, to seek contracts.

This was exposed by the brilliant ‘Guardian’ in the past:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/07/mp-owen-paterson-lobbied-government-for-firm-he-worked-for

Now that all these issues have come to the front, including the issue of how much he was paid as a ‘lobbyist’; his contacts via government and Defra, for whom he was the top person, (Environment Minister between 2012 and 2014), we can now see why the common man protester at the docks was fighting such a battle.  If he (Paterson) was paid big sums of money in the past to lobby for the meat industry, then it has possibly been happening in the past relating to other organisations.

We hope there will be further investigations and revelations regarding exactly what Paterson did for the meat industry which resulted in him getting such big financial rewards.

Regards Mark

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Ex-Tory minister ‘should be suspended’ for lobbying on behalf of two companies

26/10/21

A former Conservative minister should be suspended from the Commons for lobbying on behalf of two companies, a standards body has ruled.

Owen Paterson was found to have “repeatedly used his privileged position” to benefit Randox, a clinical diagnostics company, and Lynn’s Country Foods, a meat processor and distributor.

The MP, who was environment secretary from 2012 to 2014, was a paid consultant for Randox from 2015 and for Lynn’s Country Foods from 2016. The allegations relate to his conduct between October 2016 and February 2020.

Following a two-year investigation, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards said he had breached the rule prohibiting paid advocacy by making multiple approaches to government departments and ministers for the two companies.

She recommended he be suspended from the Commons for a month. This will have to be voted on by MPs and usually occurs within five days.

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Mr Paterson was found to have breached the rules on lobbying on behalf of Randox by making three approaches to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) about the testing of antibiotics in milk in 2016 and 2017 and approaching ministers at the Department for International Development four times about its blood testing technology in those years.

On behalf of Lynn’s Country Foods, Mr Paterson breached the rules by making seven approaches to the FSA in 2017 and 2018 and failed to declare his interest as a paid consultant to the FSA in four emails between 2016 and 2018.

He was also found to have breached the rules on using parliamentary facilities by using his parliamentary office 16 times for business meetings with clients between 2016 and 2020, and sending two letters relating to his business interests on House of Commons headed notepaper.

The MP acknowledged he should not have used the headed notepaper and apologised but maintained he had not breached the code of conduct in any other respect.

https://news.sky.com/story/ex-tory-minister-should-be-suspended-for-lobbying-on-behalf-of-two-companies-12444841

… and from ‘The Guardian’, London:

MP Owen Paterson faces suspension for breaking lobbying rules

Ex-minister could be suspended from Commons for 30 days for working as a consultant with two firms

The Tory MP Owen Paterson faces a 30-day suspension from the House of Commons for an “egregious” breach of lobbying rules, raising the possibility he could lose his seat if enough constituents trigger a byelection.

The former cabinet minister was found to have breached paid advocacy rules, two years after the Guardian published documents revealing how the former environment secretary helped lobby for two firms he was paid to advise – Randox and Lynn’s Country Foods.

Paterson claimed the investigation by Kathryn Stone, the parliamentary standards commissioner, did “not comply with natural justice” and had played a “major role” in the death of his wife, Rose, who took her own life in June 2020.

Stone’s investigation, which was launched in October 2019, found Paterson had worked as a consultant to Randox, a clinical diagnostics company, since August 2015, and Lynn’s Country Foods, a processor and distributor of meat products, since December 2016.

She said he made three approaches to the Food Standards Agency relating to Randox and the testing of antibiotics in milk; seven approaches to the same agency relating to Lynn’s Country Foods; and four approaches to ministers at the Department for International Development relating to Randox and blood testing technology.

Following her investigation, the standards committee – which contains MPs from different political parties, including several Conservatives – launched its own investigation, and the results of both were published on Tuesday.

The committee revealed Paterson had failed to declare his interest and used his parliamentary office on at least 16 occasions for business meetings with his clients between October 2016 and February 2020, and sent two letters relating to his business interests on taxpayer-funded Commons-headed notepaper.

Paterson was also found to have committed “an egregious case of paid advocacy”, “repeatedly used his privileged position to benefit two companies for whom he was a paid consultant”, and brought the Commons into disrepute. It said: “No previous case of paid advocacy has seen so many breaches or such a clear pattern of behaviour in failing to separate private and public interests.”

The committee recommended Paterson be suspended from the Commons for 30 sitting days.

Under a law introduced in the wake of the MPs’ expenses scandal, any MP suspended for more than 10 days can face a trigger ballot where their constituents decide whether to force a byelection by supporting a recall petition. Ten per cent of the electors in Paterson’s seat would need to support the petition for a byelection to be called.

Paterson, who is also a former Northern Ireland secretary and prominent Brexit campaigner, claimed the investigation was biased and “offends against the basic standard of procedural fairness that no one should be found guilty until they have had a chance to be heard and to present their evidence including their witnesses”.

He said Stone did not speak to him to get his side of the story until after she had “made up her mind” and did not seek oral evidence from 17 witnesses who wanted to testify in his support. “I am not guilty and a fair process would exonerate me,” he added.

Last summer, Paterson’s wife of 40 years killed herself. “We will never know definitively what drove her to suicide, but the manner in which this investigation was conducted undoubtedly played a major role,” he said in a statement responding to the commissioner and committee’s ruling.

“Rose would ask me despairingly every weekend about the progress of the inquiry, convinced that the investigation would go to any lengths to somehow find me in the wrong. The longer the investigation went on and the more the questions went further and further from the original accusations, the more her anxiety increased.

“She felt beleaguered as I was bound by confidentiality and could not discuss this inquiry with anyone else. She became convinced that the investigation would destroy my reputation and force me to resign my North Shropshire seat that I have now served for 24 years.”

However, the standards committee said there was no evidence Stone had shown any evidence of bias and called it “completely unacceptable” for Paterson to have made “unsubstantiated, serious, and personal allegations” against the work of his scrutineers.

Questions were raised about Paterson’s business dealings in April 2019, when the Guardian revealed he was being paid nearly £100,000 by Randox to act as a consultant, while helping lobby the government to seek contracts for the same multinational firm.

 

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

UK: Chicken farms breaking law millions of times a day, say animal rights groups.

Chicken farms breaking law millions of times a day, say animal rights groups

Animal advocacy groups are urging the UK Government to enforce laws that prohibit chickens from being carried by the legs, which they say leads to pain and distress before slaughter.

Chicken farms breaking law millions of times a day, say animal rights groups (newfoodmagazine.com)

Today a joint letter signed by 14 animal protection charities has been sent to Zac Goldsmith, UK Minister for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) calling on the Government to properly enforce regulations designed to protect chickens at the time of slaughter.

Handling chickens by the legs is illegal under The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006, which transposes Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 from the EU. However, despite this it is referenced as a possible way of handling in the official Government Codes of Practice, which farmers use to guide their operations. Consequently, the signatories say catching chickens by their legs is standard industry practice in the UK.

“At an already distressing and often painful time for these chickens, they are grabbed by their legs and flung upside down, with producers often carrying six chickens per hand,” said Pru Elliott, Senior Campaigner at The Humane League UK.   

“Chickens don’t have a diaphragm like us, so being carried upside down causes their internal organs to crush their lungs, and on top of that intensively reared chickens have very fragile legs and joints. Carrying them like this is causing huge amounts of suffering and the Government isn’t doing anything to stop it.”

According to The Humane League, 3.1 million chickens are transported to slaughter every day in the UK. Animal protection groups claim all commercial-sized farms practice catching chickens by the legs, which they say means the law is being broken millions of times a day.

The legislation states that animals should not be lifted or dragged by the head, ears, horns, legs, tail or fleece, or handled in such a way as to cause them unnecessary pain or suffering. A recent case in The Netherlands ruled that the Dutch authorities must investigate companies handling chickens by the legs after accepting that it is prohibited under the same law that applies to the UK.

“This legislation was created to protect animals and minimise any stress caused during a very stressful activity. The fact that the law is being broken so widely is unacceptable. The Government guidance is currently encouraging unlawful activity,” said Edie Bowles, solicitor at Advocates for Animals.

Companies elsewhere in Europe have started to adopt a progressive catching method developed by Dutch animal charity Eyes On Animals known as the Upright Catching Method. Rather than being caught and carried by the legs, chickens are caught one-by-one with both hands placed around the body, holding the wings closed, and the chickens are carried to and placed in the transport crate while upright.

“The Upright Catching Method is common sense. It’s how the public would want and expect animals to be handled, and how anyone with a pet chicken would pick them up. It’s not complicated, but it is voluntary so it’s a question of how committed companies are to the wellbeing of the animals and it will stay that way unless the Government starts to enforce the law.” said Nicola Glen, UK Inspector for Eyes on Animals.

“For other animals the law is enforced, and if we do see cases of animals such as pigs and sheep carried by the legs people are outraged, but it’s not the same for chickens.”

Regards Mark

Live Transport

Animal transports – the EU`s shame

An Animals ‘Angels team accompanies a transport of bull calves to Turkey.
The animal children come from the Czech Republic. They are still transported across the Bulgarian-Turkish border in an EU-approved truck.
At the border, however, they are loaded onto a Turkish truck. This truck does not meet the requirements of the EU for animal transport by a long way.

There are neither drinking troughs on board nor sufficient ventilation or litter for the 60 calves.

They have to stand or lie on the bare, slippery metal floor for the next 17 hours.
We accompany the young bulls from the Turkish border to their destination near Kirsehir in Central Anatolia.
During a longer stop, we watch them roll their tongues in despair – a typical sign of hunger.

Many thirstily lick the metal walls of the truck.
The last time they could have a drink at the Turkish border. The last time they ate was in Bulgaria.
That was more than a day ago.

Many of the calves have clearly sunken flanks.

Erwin, who previously blinked at us with one eye (his other eye is infected, maybe from a blow or kick in the eye while driving), is now curled up on the dirty floor, exhausted.
Overall, according to our observations and calculations, they are at least 19 hours without water and almost 30 hours without food before they arrive exhausted at their destination the next morning.

There they will be fattened for the next few months before they make their last trip to the slaughterhouse.

This madness has to stop!
Animals are sentient beings – and the EU recognizes them as such.
But only on paper, because Erwin and all the other ‘farm animals’ do not notice any of this on the transports.
This transport also shows once again that control outside the EU is not possible.

Who on site is interested in whether the animals are loaded onto unsuitable vehicles?
Who will check and punish it accordingly? (!!!)

For us it is clear: The long animal transports to countries outside the EU must finally be banned!

With a detailed report on our observations on this transport, we continue to campaign for this export ban in the EU and its member countries.
Everything about our projects and missions: http://www.animals-angels.de
Time to Act: For a better law to protect animals during transport

https://www.animals-angels.de/neuigkeiten/beitrag/kaelbertransport-aus-der-eu-in-die-tuerkei-tiere-19-stunden-ohne-wasser-30-stunden-kein-futter.html

And I mean…The transports to third countries make up only a small part of the animal transports in the EU.
Because the grievances are particularly large and the images of them are particularly cruel, they keep making headlines in the media.

And yet! The animals also suffer terribly when they are transported within the EU and even within Germany.
Four million cattle, pigs, sheep and goats are transported from the EU to third countries every year and slaughtered there. These include 70,000 cattle from Germany.

For the entire EU, the numbers increase to 360 million pigs, cattle, sheep and goats and four billion poultry – every year!
In Germany, only one percent of all animal transports are checked on the road.

Article 3 of the EU Animal Transport Regulation states:
“Nobody may carry out or arrange for an animal to be transported if the animals could be injured or unnecessarily suffered in the process.”
Everything fits on paper!
The EU legislation has no time limit for Animal transport. With certain breaks, animals are allowed to go endlessly
be transported.
For horses and pigs, for example: 24 Hours of travel – 24 hours break in a supply station – 24 hours of travel – etc

That might still be bearable if the animals had as much space as in a stable.
But a full-grown fattening pig has to get by on half a square meter in a truck; 1.6 square meters are provided for a cattle.

Animal welfare organizations have been calling for the requirements to be tightened and the transport time to be strictly limited to eight hours for years.
We still remember the 1.2 million votes of EU citizens for the 8hours campaign in 2014.
But the EU Commission has so far shown no willingness to realize it.

We have had anger about animal transport with Brussels for at least 10 years.
It is too naive to believe that it can be done with good words and showing them what is going on.
Those responsible know exactly what is going on during animal transport – they just don’t care.

It is an incredible crime, it is barbaric to treat animals like that in the 21st century and to preach an animal transport law that is not even worth the paper.
Worse still, we are allowing an incompetent, disinterested oligarchy to work in the service of the meat and dairy industry and constantly refuse to respect EU citizens’ desire for better animal welfare.

My best regards to all, Venus

Live Transport

Animal welfare transport regulation of the EU is not able to protect animals

The animal welfare organization Animals ‘Angels published its report “100 Reasons to Revise Council Regulation EC 1/2005 on the Protection of Animals during Transport” this week.

The report combines Animals ‘Angels’ more than 20 years of experience in animal transport controls in the EU and worldwide with the results of scientific studies.

In “100 Reasons” Animals ‘Angels specifically uncovered the weaknesses of the EU Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and made over “100 specific demands” on the revision of the regulation that is currently taking place.

The existing EU laws are unable to adequately protect the animals being transported.

The main flaw of the regulation: it does not impose an absolute limit on the transport time.
Their implementation fails on many levels. Despite positive approaches, it cannot curb the suffering of the animals on the transports.

In 22 chapters, Animals’ Angels criticized parts of the ordinance on topics such as transport duration, loading density, transportability, temperature limit values, official controls, the sanction system and much more.
In addition to scientific findings, the report draws on countless empirical examples and first-hand information from actors such as veterinary and police officers, transporters, animal owners and drivers.

Animals’ Angels calls for a detailed revision of Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 with the aim of ensuring the best possible protection for the animals being transported.

But above all, Animals’ Angels is calling for a rethink.
EU Treaties recognize animals as sentient beings.
It is high time to do justice to this recognition.
The revised Regulation on the protection of animals during transport has to reflect a morally acceptable treatment of animals that respectfully considers their life and their suffering as sentient beings.

Continue reading “Animal welfare transport regulation of the EU is not able to protect animals” →

General News, Live Transport

Behind The Scenes – Trailing Live Exports.

Other videos; older, but has anything really changed ?

Ask the EU.

We did UK horse export investigations during 2001 -2004; see more on it and our other live export work at:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/

Its Time To Decide – The World Wants Change; So Lets Have It !

Regards Mark

Enjoy – something good for a change – one of the best bands ever !:

Live at Ally Pally, London:

General News, Live Transport, Stray Animals

Indonesia: Dog meat traders to be prosecuted for the first time in Indonesian history after truck with 78 dogs intercepted by police.

WAV Comment – Hopefully that will start to send a message. A major turning point as the article says.

August 23, 2021

Dog meat traders to be prosecuted for the first time in Indonesian history after truck with 78 dogs intercepted by police

Humane Society International

KULON PROGO, Indonesia—Indonesia’s first ever prosecution of dog meat traders under animal health laws is set to go ahead, officials have confirmed, in what the country’s animal campaigners hope will be a major turning point in the demise of the brutal trade. Kulon Progo District Police intercepted the gang in May this year when they were illegally transporting 78 dogs bound and gagged in the back of a truck. The dogs were headed for slaughter for human consumption throughout Central Java. This was the first ever such interception in Indonesia, and followed discussions with the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition which campaigns for a nationwide ban on the brutal trade.

The Kulon Progo District Attorney’s Office confirmed in a statement its intention to prosecute the traders who are considered to have violated Article 89 of Law No. 18/ 2009 concerning Livestock and Animal Health, with a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment or a maximum fine of 1.5 billion IDR (over $100,000 USD); as well as Article 140 of Law No. 18/ 2021 on Food, with a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment or a maximum fine of 4 billion IDR (over $275,000 USD).

The dogs in this case had all been stolen from the streets where pet dogs freely roam. Many were still wearing collars whilst bound on the truck to be transported from West Java on a gruelling journey lasting more than 10 hours. The traders illegally crossed provincial borders with the dogs, with no record of the animals’ disease or vaccination status. For example, Solo is an epicentre for much of Java’s dog meat trade, with 85 street stalls selling dog meat, brutally slaughtering an estimated 13,700 dogs each month in filthy makeshift slaughterhouses with no way of ensuring the meat is safe for consumers.

The Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition has conducted numerous investigations over the past several years, exposing the brutal reality of the trade in dogs destined for human consumption. Every month, tens of thousands of these dogs are taken from the streets and illegally transported in many parts of Indonesia. Many die during this horrific journey from heatstroke, dehydration or injuries inflicted during capture and transport. Those who survive are taken to slaughterhouses where they are beaten and strung upside down to bleed out while still conscious or beaten to death in public markets in some parts of the country, in full view of other terrified dogs who await their turn.

Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s dog meat campaign director, who is based in Indonesia, says: “There are thousands of dog trucks across Indonesia just like this one, illegally transporting terrified and disease-vulnerable dogs across provincial borders to slaughterhouses and markets. We have documented first-hand dogs being slaughtered in public alongside myriad wild and domestic species in markets in North Sulawesi. It is easy to see how this trade is not only utterly brutal, but also the perfect breeding ground for the next serious public health disaster. New pathogens could jump to humans in a number of ways – a dog trader wounded during the day’s slaughter, a local consumer eating cross-contaminated dog meat bought at a nearby stall, or a tourist breathing in microscopic blood droplets as they sight-see the markets. So in the face of such an obvious public health and animal welfare risk, it is good to see what we hope to be the first of many interceptions and prosecutions. We cannot allow the dog meat trade to thrive across Asia if we hope to protect the public from future pandemics.”

“We commend Kulon Progo District Police for setting such a good example for the rest of the country by taking direct action, and we congratulate Karanganyar and Sukoharjo Regencies and Salatiga City for explicitly prohibiting the trade in their jurisdictions on the grounds of public and animal health and welfare. We now need to see the same level of activity across Indonesia to stamp out this cruel, dangerous and unwelcome trade.”

Dog meat trade facts:

  • Opinion polls show that only a small minority of Indonesia’s population (4.5%) consume dog meat and only a very small number of those involved in the trade rely on dog meat as their main source of income.
  • Rabies is a grave concern in Indonesia, with just eight out of 34 provinces declared rabies-free. Provinces such as Central Java are jeopardising their rabies-free status by allowing dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status to be imported from surrounding provinces to supply dog meat, despite opinion polls showing just 3% of Central Javans consume it.
  • The illegal movement of large numbers of dogs of unknown disease status into densely populated areas contravenes rabies control recommendations by leading human and animal health experts including the World Health Organization, the Pan American Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as well as national disease prevention legislation.
  • There are widely publicised reports directly linking the dog meat trade to rabies transmission in many parts of Asia where the dog meat trade operates, including Indonesia. Scientific reports have documented rabies-positive dogs being sold and slaughtered in markets in Indonesia, as well as in restaurants and slaughterhouses in China and Viet Nam.
  • Dog theft for the meat trade is a serious problem in Indonesia. Dog Meat Free Indonesia has interviewed many residents who have described their terrifying ordeal with armed traders stealing their pets at night. Despite the obvious law-breaking, thefts are rarely taken seriously by law enforcement, so the thieves go unpunished.
  • Across Asia, opposition to the dog and cat meat trades is increasing, with an ever-growing number of countries and territories (Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and two major cities in mainland China) banning the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs.
  • The Dog Meat Free Indonesia campaign has received support from global and Indonesian superstars including a letter to President Joko Widodo in 2018 calling for action to end the country’s dog and cat meat trades signed by Simon Cowell, Sophia Latjuba, Yeslin Wang, Nadia Mulya, Lawrence Enzela, Cameron Diaz, Chelsea Islan, Ellen DeGeneres and Pierce Brosnan.

Download Videos of Solo Investigations

Download Photos of Solo Investigations

ENDS

Regards Mark

Live Transport

The dirty tricks of the transport mafia

Report from the Animals ‘Angels organisation

Animals ‘Angels inspects animal transports during a heat wave in northern Greece. We meet an “old friend” – a transporter whom we have already observed repeatedly – and in whose transports we have repeatedly found the same violations: too many lambs cooped up on four loading areas, at far too high temperatures.

We are all the more astonished at the first moment when he drives over the Romanian border to Greece early in the morning.

The temperatures are still mild and the lambs are only loaded on three loading levels (as has been required by the veterinary offices in Romania since this year).
The lambs have more space above them, which should allow better air circulation.
But appearances are deceptive.

Our faint hope is soon shattered when the truck pulls off the freeway and parks on a remote street.
The drivers load additional animals in a stall.
The Romanian lambs are meanwhile being squeezed into four loading levels to make room for the new animals.

The Romanian arrangement is thus boldly bypassed, much to the suffering of the lambs: They are now standing close to each other on four loading levels, can neither lift their heads nor reach the drinking troughs, let alone regulate their body temperature. They suffer from enormous heat stress.

If this is not enough, the newly loaded sheep, lambs and goats are not even identified as required by law.
We immediately alert the authorities to have the transport checked.

After countless calls, he is stopped by the police at noon. Shortly afterwards, two vets arrive. We describe the incidents, the control by the authorities is quick.

Because at temperatures of 38 ° C, the confinement in the vehicle quickly becomes a death trap for the animals.
We accompany the animals to their destination and measure up to 40 ° C outside temperature.
The heat, combined with the narrowness, the accumulation of ammonia gases and the lack of access to water must have been unbearable for Raluca, Barbala and their fellows.

Our complaint is already written. We are committed to ensuring that this carrier is no longer allowed to transport animals.

https://www.facebook.com/animalsangels/

And I mean…Always new tricks to cover up their criminal offenses; this only shows that no transport company is afraid of the law.
A fine is useless, it could be paid from the postage account.
Professional ban for the transport company, that could be useful

My best regards to all, Venus

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

Australia: Live Exports – Update From Stop Live Exports.org.

Friday 13th August 2021.

Dear members and supporters

It’s been a while since you’ve heard from us, we know. There have been a few changes!

The current pandemic has made it challenging to hold the usual events we do, as we can’t accurately predict how many people will turn up, or if the event will be able to go ahead. We are still here though, monitoring situations at home and abroad, commenting on media and industry stories regarding yet more atrocities for Australian animals, this time in Indonesia, Jordan, and UAE.

Our other focus is on the up-and-coming federal election, now expected to be sometime from March to May 2022. We have also been busy developing new branding to maximise our effectiveness (it’s been over a decade since the last one.)

Some of you will be aware that I moved to Tasmania in May this year. I am still doing the job I have been doing for the past nine years, as much of the work is done remotely, and what can not be, is undertaken by our volunteers. The committee has some fresh blood, and a new president, Rebecca Tapp. They are dynamic, enthusiastic, and have some great ideas. Our committee continues to meet regularly, and I join in via Zoom.
Here is a photo of some orphaned lambs I recently adopted – Buster and Lucille. Unlike the tens of millions of other Australian sheep, they will have a long, safe, and happy life.

Sadly, we will not be holding a quiz night this year, as the planning is quite demanding and time-consuming, and with the situation in other states thanks to the Covid-19 delta strain, we just feel everything is too unpredictable to hold that event this year.

However, the Human Chain will go ahead on Sunday 17 October, unless there are any restrictions on attendance numbers or social distancing, in which case we will also opt to defer for a year. We have had over 1200 people attend in the past, which is not ideal for an event that requires a Covid Plan. Please keep an eye on your emails and our Facebook page for any last-minute changes.

You might have read in the media over the past month, that there have been yet more ESCAS breaches reported in Indonesia (thanks PeTA), Jordan (the one Middle Eastern country we export to where a royal family edict requires animals slaughtered in government facilities to be stunned first), and UAE (thanks Animals Australia for both exposés). There is also another complaint lodged by Animals Australia regarding cattle being leaked from the supply chain in Indonesia, but this has not yet been reported on by the media.

In this, the tenth year of reporting and investigations of Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) breaches, STILL we are seeing animals mistreated and being channelled out of supply chains and treated horrifically at slaughter. Surely, after a decade of ESCAS, a one-strike rule should apply to any country not strictly adhering to ESCAS regulations.

Fremantle has been quiet, with only four ships in total docking since the northern summer trade moratorium started on 1 June. Three ships loaded feed and continued to Portland, and one loaded cattle bound for Mauritius. Liberal MPs have recently called for a dramatic shortening of the 1 June to 17 Sept moratorium on live animal exports to the Middle East, stating that it can be done successfully. This is despite records from the last monitored shipment that left in that season, showing that sheep were subjected to days of wet-bulb temperatures of up to 34 degrees (sheep suffer from heat stress once wet-bulb temperatures exceed 28 degrees). So despite their claims that “only” 28 sheep died and the voyage was, therefore, a success, one can be assured that every single animal on board suffered to some degree with wet-bulb temperatures at that level.

In 2018, the Labor Party pledged to phase out live sheep exports in under five years. We urge you to contact your Labor MP and ask them to not go back on their word. With a federal election now expected in 2022, please remind them of what their constituents want – an end to all live export, but at the very least, a cessation of the live sheep trade; this would likely also see an end to any cattle being sent by sea to the Middle East, as it would no longer be cost-effective. Whilst the aim of our organisation is to end the trade in all live animals, we see the live sheep trade to the Middle East as the priority, both because of the length of the voyages, and the lack of stunning in all but one destination country. Animals Australia has made it easy for you – just click here.

We are so grateful for your unwavering support, which has been vital in helping us continue our important campaign to end the live export trade. Though we have experienced a drop-off in donations and memberships due to the global pandemic, we have a solid, strong community that stands steadfast and determined to stop this trade once and for all. Thank you for everything you do for the animals.

If you are unsure of whether your membership or monthly financial pledge is still current, or you wish to recommence membership or monthly donations or increase or decrease the amount, feel free to get in touch with me at  info@stopliveexports.org and I can assist. If you know you are no longer a member or have never been a member, sign up here, and if you wish to start or recommence monthly donations, which greatly help us fund our ongoing campaign, sign up at GiveNow here. You can pay via credit card or direct deposit; weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually, or make a one-off donation.

Follow us on Facebook for all the latest.

For the Animals

Katrina Love
Campaign Manager

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

9/8/21: Elbeik Fire Update and Videos.

WAV Comment – 9/8/1 – from what we know, the Elbeik was on fire for around 24 hours.  Very fortunately, there were no animals on board.  Hopefully the vessel has now met its demise, considering it is around 54 years old. It should have been scrapped years ago, along with the animal transportation business it supports. Karma.

An infamous livestock carrier has met a fiery end off Spain. The Togo-flagged Elbeik caught fire off Tarragona port on Friday afternoon.

All crew were evacuated from the burning ship and many firefighters were deployed to help put the blaze out. After 24 hours the fire on the 54-year-old vessel was extinguished. It is thought the blaze started in a lifeboat and quickly spread with the vessel widely tipped to be a total loss. Fortunately, there were no animals onboard – the ship had been waiting to take on its next shipment of livestock.

The 1967-built ship made headlines last December when 1,800 cattle onboard had to be put down after a horrendously long journey.

Livestock carrier meets fiery end off Spain

Our past articles relating to the Elbeik can all be found via the following link

:

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=elbeik

Regards Mark

General News, Live Transport

Spain-Tarragona: fire at the mobile coffin “Elbeik”

The Animal Equality Foundation has requested today, Saturday, August 7, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to withdraw the authorization to operate from Spain to the ship Elbeik.

Yesterday, August 6, a fire broke out on the Elbeik ship, in ballast, at the Tarragona anchorage, in which the crew members were evacuated by the Salvamar Fomalhaut. There were no animals because they hadn’t loaded yet.

In this new letter, Animal Equality attaches the report “78 EU-Approved Animal Transporters” by the Animal Welfare Foundation published in June 2021, which details the legal situation of ships operating from Europe.

Spanish ports receive and issue certificates for ships that are even on the black list of the Paris Memorandum and have been sold, such as Alfarouk, Anakin, Nabolsi I, Bruna, Spiridon II, Julia AK, Queensland and even the Elbeik ship.

The last, Elbeik, was expelled from the ports of the Paris Memorandum due to multiple functional defects and sanctions and due to poor condition, while in Spain, despite serious defects and despite the results of the inspection by the Guardia Civil on March 19, 2021, the ship was allowed to continue its operations.

Animal Equality has already denounced that in the case of maritime transport the infractions are mainly centered on the poor condition of the boats and the lack of care for the animals:

– The transport of animals is allowed to boats not considered suitable, of very low quality. 55% of approved livestock vessels in the EU are licensed in countries blacklisted by the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). They are considered high risk in relation to maritime safety.

– Transport of unfit animals, which are injured or sick. Animals are loaded even when inspections reveal deficiencies and violations of regulations are not penalized.

– The loading of the animals is carried out with violence. They are beaten, kicked and dragged even using electric batons. In cases where the animal cannot move, it is tied by one leg and lifted by a crane.

– Long waits before boarding under extreme temperatures and in the sun. European regulations and the Plan of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food state that a trip should not be authorized if the temperature inside the vehicle exceeds 30ºC and it must even be sanctioned if it exceeds 35ºC.

These infractions, on the part of transport companies, have been taking place for the last 30 years in Spain. While some Member States have improved their application, others, including Spain, continue to give little importance to enforcing Regulation 1/2005.

“t is very serious that after the latest scandal involving the Elbeik ship, the Government did not withdraw its permission to continue operating from Spain. The ship’s fire is a new example of the danger posed by these vessels and of the need to ban the export of animals” (Silvia Barquero, Director of Animal Equality)

Animal Equality has a petition underway to ban the export of live animals that has already been signed by more than 45,000 people.

Sign and share: https://igualdadanimal.org/actua/transporte-animales

https://igualdadanimal.org/noticia/2021/08/07/igualdad-animal-solicita-al-mapa-que-el-buque-elbeik-deje-de-operar-desde-espana

And I mean…No! It is not only “very serious” that mobile scrap still gets permission and is used for animal transport.
It is a crime committed by

-corrupt, unscrupulous politicians
-from the animal transport mafia
-of the authorities and the judiciary who look the other way
and, in this case, very likely insurance fraud.

My best regards to all, Venus