From ‘The Guardian’, London – brilliant as always.

Our (WAV) recent posts on this:

EU sends sick cattle to Libya – World Animals Voice

Togo: ‘Elbeik’ Livestock Carrier – 2 Months at Sea. Currently Moored Off Cyprus – Why ? – World Animals Voice

Thanks to Jane for the latest.

Regards Mark

Calls for vets to be sent to cattle ships stranded at sea since December

Concern mounts for welfare of more than 2,500 livestock on two vessels off Italy and Cyprus after bluetongue outbreak

Calls for vets to be sent to cattle ships stranded at sea since December | Animal welfare | The Guardian

Thousands of cattle remain stranded at sea on two livestock ships that left Spain in mid-December, as campaigners desperately seek veterinary support for the animals.

The two vessels were bound for Libya but owing to an onboard outbreak of the bovine disease bluetongue were refused entry at multiple ports, said Maria Boada Saña, a vet with Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), which has been tracking the ships via maritime websites.

On 19 February the website myshiptracking.com showed one of the ships, the Elbeik, anchored off the coast of Cyprus, and the other, Karim Allah, off the coast of Sardinia. The vessels left the Spanish ports of Tarragona and Cartagena on 18 December respectively.

A spokesperson for Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said the ships’ situation had “nothing to do with the actions of the Spanish administration” and had left the country with health certificates and had come from areas free of bluetongue.

They added that officials were monitoring the vessels’ movements and were in contact with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the European commission “to find a solution to the situation”. A spokesperson for the commission said the Spanish authorities were willing to receive both ships back.

Boada Saña said marine traffic websites indicated that the Elbeik had about 1,700 cattle on board and the Karim Allah almost 900. The Spanish authorities did not respond to questions about animal numbers.

Given the Karim Allah’s proximity to Italy, Manuela Giacomini, a Genoa-based lawyer who works with AWF, said she filed a request with the Italian health ministry asking it to perform an urgent veterinary inspection of the ship in collaboration with Sardinia’s port state authority in Cagliari.

Olga Kikou, the head of Compassion in World Farming EU, lodged a similar request that asked the Cypriot authorities to arrange an urgent inspection of the Elbeik.

Cyprus’s chief veterinary officer said the Elbeik was being monitored, adding that when the vessel approached Cypriot waters, the country’s authorities would “proceed accordingly with checking this case”.

Kikou, who is in Greece, said the most immediate priority was that veterinary services boarded the ships to “check the animals and euthanatise any that are suffering. The conditions inside the ship cannot be good after two months. And then a solution needs to be found between the different authorities to determine next steps for any animals that can be saved.”

An email from the the International Maritime Organization said its seafarer crisis action team was aware of the situation and that it was concerned for the “wellbeing of seafarers and the safety of navigation [and] in this case also the livestock”.

Asked for comment on the two ships, the OIE said in an email that it was “in contact with the concerned member countries and also with our regional offices” to “minimise negative impact on animal welfare during transport operations and emphasise the joint responsibility of all people involved in the different stages of the transport”.

Tilly Metz, the Luxembourg MEP who chairs the European parliament’s animal transport inquiry committee, said this was “yet another live animal transport scandal involving ships. After the 2019 tragedy of the [Queen Hind] ship, which capsized with 14,000 sheep on board, now allegedly over 2,600 bovines [are] stuck on two vessels wandering from port to port in search of help. How can it be that there is no contingency plan in case of diseases or other unforeseen events?”

Metz said a key animal transport problem was that time spent on the ship was considered “resting time” and not “transport time”.

“This means there is no limit as to how many hours animals can be on these ships: days, weeks, even months. Many consider this to be a legal anomaly and a loophole in the rules on the protection of animals during transport,” she added.

This case, she said, “proves again a ship is not a floating stable. It is an unnatural, often stressful, overloaded and understaffed environment, with inherent risks such as disease outbreaks, feed shortages and refusals to unload”.

Attempts to contact the ships owners and operators by phone were unsuccessful.

 

New Film Details Animals’ Harrowing Journey to Slaughter

• Hannah Bugga
• February 12, 2021

The new short film Moving Animals documents the excruciating journey animals face in their transport from factory farms to slaughterhouses.

Produced by We Animals Media, the film follows the work of award-winning photojournalist and author Jo-Anne McArthur. McArthur has spent over a decade documenting the horrors animals endure around the globe. She welcomes viewers into her world:

Join me as I climb transport trucks, and stay quietly and diligently with animals as they go to slaughter. Join me in the dusty roads and at my little hotel room editing desk, as Miguel and I discuss animals, animal photojournalism, and ultimately, kindness.

Animals suffer long, grueling journeys to slaughter, up to 28 hours in the United States, with no food or water. And transport trucks are not built to protect animals from harsh weather. During summer, temperatures in the trucks rise to well over 100°F. Many animals suffer heat stress, asphyxiation, and heart attacks.

In winter, farmed animals endure below-freezing conditions and are exposed to snow, rain, and frigid winds. Some die from hypothermia, and others even freeze to the floors or sides of truck beds. McArthur stated:

We have enough photos in the world of beautiful wildlife. We get it. It’s time to show the harsh reality of how the rest are living.

Shot and produced by filmmaker Miguel Endara, Moving Animals focuses on the plight of cows. The film documents cows so weak from long journeys that they can’t even lift their heads. McArthur captures heartbreaking images of desperate cows sticking their tongues through the bars of a truck in an attempt to eat the leaves off a nearby tree.

According to McArthur, when she started documenting farmed animals 10 to 15 years ago, no one was interested in her stories. Now, she is seeing concern for animals making its way into mainstream newspapers around the world.

We can all help spread awareness of animal suffering. Share this powerful film with your friends and family, and follow We Animals on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Of course, the best thing we can do for animals is choose plant-based food. Download our free Vegetarian Starter Guide to learn how.New Film Details Animals’ Harrowing Journey to Slaughter (chooseveg.com)

Regards Mark

16/2/21 –  We have been spending a bit more time today looking into the ‘Elbeik’:

17/2 – Current status – at anchor.

EU sends sick cattle to Libya – World Animals Voice

Here are some things we have found:

The Elbeik is currently moored just off Famagusta on the East coast of Cyprus.

The vessel ELBEIK (IMO: 6718427, MMSI 671002100) is a Livestock Carrier built in 1967 (54 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Togolese Rep.

Togo is located in Africa:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo

IMO / MMSI	6718427 / 671002100
Callsign	5VFM7
Length / Beam	–
Current draught	5.4 m
Course / Speed	116.7° / 0.1 kn
Coordinates	35.19049 N/33.92441 E

It was originally built in 1967 – making it now 54 years old !

In those days it was called the ‘Tyro’ and was operated by the Dutch.

We are currently cooperating with other European welfare organisations to see if we can obtain any more current info as to why the Elbeik is moored off Cyprus. 

Further updates to come when we have more.

WAV Comment – Northern Ireland (NI) is part of the United Kingdom, although located in the North of the island of Ireland. Ireland is a located in the South and is an independent nation, still a member of the EU.

Thousands of unweaned NI (Northern Ireland) calves face ‘cruel’ exports of up to 30 hours without food, say charities

DAERA has admitted that 5,863 weeks-old calves were exported last year

Thousands of unweaned calves from Northern Ireland are ‘cruelly’ going without food for up to 30 hours as they are shipped live for slaughter abroad, animal welfare charities claim.

They say some are just weeks old when they are packed into lorries and shipped to ‘suffer’ long journeys from Antrim and Armagh to Spain via Wexford’s Rosslare Port.

 

Read the full article at:

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/northern-ireland-unweaned-calves-export-19830127

Check out a lot of our older posts (and videos) relating to the dairy business and the suffering of dairy calves at:

Search Results for “dairy calves” – World Animals Voice

Also, check out our latest articles relating to dairy, calves and Vegan milk alternatives at:

13 Best Vegan Milk Alternatives to Dairy Milk. – World Animals Voice

Regards Mark – It bums me off big time – Its a pretty simple message really:

Check out past work I have undertaken on this by visiting About Us. | Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) – scroll down until you see the calf photos re investigations. 2 shown here for example:

Here is a link to just one of the investigation reports as presented to the EU – Microsoft Word – JH.04.03.2010_REPORT on NON-COMPLIANCE with RESTING TIMES in relation to CONTROL POST at F-HEAUVILLE.doc (wordpress.com)

The calves have always been given a really bad time in transport; it is not new news. Pity that someone does not take the action they should. Any suggestions who that should be DEFRA and the EU ?

 

 

The Scottish government have joined England and Wales in hosting a consultation regarding live animal exports. Animal Aid would like to see a complete ban on the needless live export of animals, however this brings an opportunity to improve conditions for some of the victims of the animal farming industry.

Please join us in responding to the Scottish consultation. We have provided some example responses to the consultation questions below to help you, although greater consideration may be given to responses in your own words, rather than exact duplicates.

The deadline for responses is 26th February 2021.

Helpful Links:

More details about the consultation are available here

The consultation is in response to this Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) report

 

To take part in the Scottish consultation on live animal exports, click here:

Farm Animal Welfare Committee – Opinion on the Welfare of Animals during Transport – Page 1 of 5 – Scottish Government – Citizen Space (consult.gov.scot)

 

For more information and advice on this consultation, including answer advice; please see the section at Animal Aid by clicking here:

Join us in taking action on live exports from Scotland – Animal Aid

 

Regards Mark

 

 

Live farm animal exports to mainland EU at a standstill post-Brexit

Lucrative live shellfish trade also hit hard, with consultation over further restrictions on live animal exports ending soon

Livestock and live shellfish exports from the UK to mainland Europe are at a standstill as producers struggle with post-Brexit transport conditions.

In 2019, excluding lamb and cattle traded between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a combined 31,000 cattle, sheep and goats were exported from the UK to the EU mainland. About 5% would have been exported for fattening for slaughter and the rest for breeding, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) estimates.

National Pig Association (NPA) data shows about 12,000 breeding pigs were shipped from the UK to the EU in 2020. The UK does not export pigs for slaughter, the NPA said, although 1,000 to 2,000 pigs are sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland each year when extra slaughter capacity is needed.

Since 1 January, no cattle, sheep or goats have left the UK for mainland EU markets, the NFU and NPA said.

“There have been no live exports of any [cattle, sheep or goats] since 1 January,” said John Royle, the NFU’s chief livestock adviser. “That’s because there are no border control posts [BCPs] for them at EU mainland ports.” Royle put the value of UK live food animal exports at between £20m and £30m in 2019.

Border control posts are where live animal paperwork and welfare is checked on arrival in the EU. Now that the UK is a third country for EU trade purposes, BCP checks are required.

Breeding pigs face the same problem. Up to 1 January, most UK breeding pig exports went from Dover to Calais on the P&O ferry, said Zoe Davies, NPA chief executive.

Now, post-Brexit, Davies said Calais would continue to take in UK horses, pets and chicks, “because they have a small BCP there that can cope with those. But they don’t feel its big enough to cope with pigs which come in groups of 200.”

“We flagged [the BCP issue] with Defra [the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] last year in June or July. But they basically said it was our problem,” Davies said. Since then, the NPA and NFU have been working together on finding EU ports willing to set up the control posts.

News of the live export standstill comes in the midst of a UK government consultation aimed at banning the export of live animals from England and Wales for slaughter and fattening. Areas outside the consultation’s remit include livestock for breeding, poultry and transport between England and Wales and Northern Ireland.

Royle added that the government consultation was having an additional chilling effect. He said it was “pretty clear” the UK government wanted to end the trade for fattening and slaughter.

Live mollusc exports from the UK have been hit equally hard. “Up to 31 December there was a trade in live mussels and other live bivalves like oysters, cockles and clams that was worth £20m to £30m,” said James Wilson, who farms mussels on the Menai Strait in north Wales, Britain’s largest mussel-growing area.

Since 1 January, bivalve exports have been suspended indefinitely, Wilson said, owing to EU water quality rules for third countries that now apply to the UK.

In Scotland, exports of male calves, which are of little value to dairy farmers, have also halted for a range of reasons unrelated to Brexit. The last shipment left in November 2019.

A Scottish government spokesperson said the trade had stopped because of a number of factors. Fewer male dairy calves were being born, owing to the greater use of sexed semen, for example, and more male dairy calves were being kept for rearing in the UK.

The Scottish government’s own consultation on restricting the live animal export trade is due to conclude on 26 February.

Responding to concerns about the collapse of live farm animal exports, Defra stated in an email that since 1 January consignments of cattle and equines have in fact been exported to the EU. Although the number of livestock exported was not given, Defra said the animals went from the UK to the Irish port of Rosslare, which has a BCP.

But Royle said that live export of farm animals to mainland Europe had “effectively been stopped because of Brexit, and can only resume if we establish BCPs on the EU mainland”.

Animal welfare can be severely compromised by live transportation, and the longer the journey the greater the risks. Compassion in World Farming’s chief policy adviser, Peter Stevenson, said he was “delighted” that the “inhumane” live export trade had “at least for now largely come to a halt”.

There have not, as yet, been any reported disruptions to the trade in day-old chicks, exported from Dover to Calais for breeding, a spokesperson for the British Poultry Council said. The UK exports tens of millions of chicks a year in an industry that was worth £139m in 2018.

Asked about live bivalve exports, Defra said it was in consultation with producers and the EU to ensure the trade could “continue securely”.

Defra added that molluscs such as oysters, mussels, clams, cockles and scallops could continue to be exported to the EU if they were harvested from class A waters. Wilson said less than 1.5% of English and Welsh waters were currently classified as class A for live molluscs.

Earlier this week, Defra confirmed it was putting in place a £23m compensation package for firms exporting fish and shellfish to the EU that can show they have suffered “genuine loss”.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/05/live-farm-animal-exports-to-mainland-eu-at-a-standstill-post-brexit

And …

England and Wales to ban live animal exports in European first

Environment secretary hails ‘Brexit success’ for animal welfare, but poultry to be excluded and Northern Ireland exempted

• This article was corrected on 7 December 2020 because it referred to a UK ban. The planned live exports ban will only apply in England and Wales.

WAV Comment – Start February 21 – we have now submitted our comments to DEFRA (in January 2021) as part of the live export consultation.  When the consultation closes; all submissions will be reviewed and a final decision associated with live animal transport issues will be made over the coming months.

Plans to ban the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening from England and Wales are to be unveiled by the UK’s environment secretary, George Eustice, on Thursday.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the plans were part of a renewed push to strengthen Britain’s position as a world leader on animal welfare.

An estimated 6,400 animals were sent to Europe for slaughter in 2018, according to Defra. Many of those left through the port of Ramsgate in Kent.

“Live animals commonly have to endure excessively long journeys during exports, causing distress and injury. Previously, EU rules prevented any changes to these journeys, but leaving the EU has enabled the UK government to pursue these plans,” Defra said.

The eventual ban would be considered a Brexit success, seeing England and Wales become the first countries in Europe to end this practice.

The beginning of a joint eight-week consultation in England and Wales would mark “a major step forward in delivering on our manifesto commitment to end live exports for slaughter”, said Eustice. “Now that we have left the EU, we have an opportunity to end this unnecessary practice. We want to ensure that animals are spared stress prior to slaughter.”

It is understood from a UK government source that the joint consultation will be used as the basis for discussions with Scotland. Those discussions, and the consultation findings, will then be used to examine ways of harmonising the ban.

However, live exports look set to continue in Northern Ireland which “will continue to follow EU legislation on animal welfare in transport for as long as the Northern Ireland protocol is in place”, according to Defra.

Poultry exports also appear set to continue, Defra added: “The measure on live exports will not impact on poultry exports or exports for breeding purposes.” The UK exports tens of millions of chicks a year in an industry that was worth £139m in 2018.

Above – A Positive Person to Have on Your Side – UK Prime Minister (Boris) Partner Carrie Symonds – Animal Rights Campaigner.

Asked if the eventual ban might be an achievement that could be credited to the prime minister Boris Johnson’s partner, Carrie Symonds, the source would not comment. Symonds is a patron of the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) which has long lobbied for an end to live exports.

“We are hoping this consultation will lead to an end to live exports for slaughter and fattening, which has caused such enormous suffering, by 2022 or even next year,” said CAWF’s founder, Lorraine Platt. The foundation sent its latest research report on ending live exports to the UK government several weeks ago.

Compassion in World Farming’s chief policy adviser, Peter Stevenson, said the organisation was “delighted that Defra plans to ban live exports for slaughter and fattening. We have campaigned for over 50 years against the massive suffering caused by this inhumane, archaic trade, so this unambiguous proposal is very welcome.”

The RSPCA’s CEO, Chris Sherwood, was equally welcoming and said he looked “forward to seeing this happen as the RSPCA has campaigned on this issue for more than 50 years”.

In other parts of Europe, news of a planned British ban on live exports was welcomed by animal welfare groups. “This is great news, it is far too stressful to export live animals for slaughter,” said Iris Baumgaertner from Germany’s Animal Welfare Foundation, who added that the news followed a recent decision by the authorities in one of Germany’s largest cattle exporting regions not to approve the logs for 132 breeding heifers due to be exported to Morocco for slaughter, meaning the journey could not proceed. An appeal by the exporter was denied by the courts because, according to Baumgaertner, the judge said “whether it was today or in the future, the slaughter would still be inhumane.”

In September, the Dutch had already suggested the EU should begin to limit live animal exports. At an informal Agriculture and Fishery Council meeting, Dutch minister of agriculture, nature and food quality, Carola Schouten, asked the council to adjust animal welfare regulations and limit the transport of livestock for slaughter.

A special EU committee on animal transport has kept live export discussions in the spotlight this year. The European parliamentary committee on the protection of animals during transport began its hearings in October. MEPs critical of live exports have repeatedly asked the committee to consider bans on exports outside the EU, and suggested limiting transport times within the EU. The committee is due to sit again Wednesday afternoon.