Memories – a personal experience.

Many years back; 20 or more; the live animal export trade from the UK via English ports such as Dover, was at its peak. I used to travel down to Dover and other ports several times a week and do (undercover) monitoring of the (live animal export) trade. There were several of us at Dover and we all got together to wait for the livestock truck carrying ship(s) to arrive at the harbour late in the evening. They were special ships which had to be chartered because we had made some massive wins in getting the normal ferry companies to stop taking live animals to the continent. Animal transporters were banned from normal passenger ferries – people did not want to share their holiday crossing experience with animals going to their deaths; so those same people spoke out and the ferry companies buckled. That was a big win; but the trade did not stop entirely. The industry was forced to charter its own ships to take the trucks; along with the financial overheads that came with it.

The special (livestock transporter) boats usually arrived late in the evening; like 11pm or midnight. From our vantage points on the cliffs, we watched them arrive a few miles off the harbour at a section of the English Channel which is known as ‘The Downs’. From there they had to get a pilot to bring their ship into the harbour; that was fine with us – ship charter; paying for a pilot etc; all extra costs to the industry involved with live animals.

I took these following photos many years ago – some time on the odd occasion when the livestock ships had no choice but to dock during the daytime.  In both you can clearly see the livestock transporters.  This operation was normally undertaken under the cover of darkness in the middle of the night – away from the eyes of the public.

So late at night we (campaigners) congregated in a region up on the famous Dover White Cliffs which overlooked the harbour; at a place known as ‘Langdon’. We watched the ship come into the harbour under pilot control until it berthed at the far end (left pier) of the harbour. You can see the kind of view we had from the cliffs in this video:

On the left hand side of this video you can see the Eastern arm at which the ship photos above were taken.

At night, with all the lights in the harbour, it was impressive to say the least. A sort of ‘Close Encounters’ situation. Once the ship had docked on its usual left hand pier; we then had to hang around and wait for the rear doors on the ship to open and the ramp be lowered. Then was the first real signs of the nights trade for us – how many empty livestock trucks were going to discharge from the ship and make their way up to the local lairages to collect the animals; which had been specially brought down to these farms ready for export. Usually, most nights, we counted somewhere between 6 and 9; sometimes more, sometimes less.

One of the local farms (or ‘lairages’) where the animals were kept ready for export was also operating a business on the side as a caravan park. So, what do you do in such situations ? – you buy a caravan and place it in the farm caravan park; right next to the old pathway which the trucks used to get down to the animals sheds. With people there having a great nights caravanning !; and the use of mobile phones and a kettle for a cup of tea ; we could keep each other informed exactly of the trucks, their registration numbers; haulier, and type of animals they were carrying. Observers literally within a few feet of the transporters as they arrived empty, and left loaded with animals. It was a well organised arrangement; livestock trucks monitored from the minute they arrived at the harbour on the ship; all the way up to collect the animals at the lairage; and then still monitored at all times on the to their return to the harbour; where they were always greeted by a ‘reception group’ even at 2 or 3 in the early hours of the morning; who had been informed who exactly was on their way down. We never let up; they were monitored and tracked from the moment they arrived until the moment they left. Our system was good; very good.

Eventually, and to get a good view of the loading of the trucks onto the ship, we returned from our reception duties at the docks to Langdon up on the cliffs. Up there it was wild, dark and bleak; with the forever Dover cold wind blowing in off the English Channel. We kicked around; talked, drank hot tea and waited for all the trucks to load back onto the ship ready to head over to France and god knows where else. Sometimes the odd ‘lady of the night’ would appear and offer her services to some of the blokes. They were never taken up as we were decent folk and there was much more important things to do !

The whole exercise from unloading the empties off the ship, to driving up to the lairages, loading, and then getting back to the harbour to load the full animal transporters that had come back from the lairage usually took about 3-4 hours. It was always in the darkest of dark times of the night; the trade did not want to be seen by the general public – but they were; we watched their every move; and we always followed up with reports and publicity on what was happening in those ‘dark hours’.

Once all the full livestock trucks had loaded back onto the same ship that they arrived on; we sat and watched as the rear ramp and doors closed up; the signal that the ship was ready to leave the harbour once again with all the innocents on their final trip to god knows where.

Watching the loaded ship sail out of the harbour destined for France with what, 6, 8, 10 animal transporters loaded was always a difficult time for me personally. We had done everything we wanted to do each night; gathered the information and let the industry know that even at that time we were around; but for me also, we had failed the animals by allowing them to sail away to their deaths. Saving and stopping all the trucks was impossible; we knew it; but witnessing the situation always made you feel like you had let the animals down by not saving them. I was quite a big ‘U2’ fan at the time; and I always sat in my car up on the cliffs and played ‘Exit’ from the ‘Joshua Tree’ album – the haunting Bass and a time of real despair; as I watched the ship sail out of the harbour with its cargo of death. The music; the experience yet again; everything seemed to come together at that moment in time.

‘Exit’

 

Music has a real power – often to be the right track at the right time to hold memories –‘Exit’ was right for the betrayal of animals that I witnessed so regularly at those cold, dark; upsetting nights at the docks. Even now; 20+ years later, that track (Exit) always takes me back to those cold and windy nights up on the cliffs watching the livestock carrier departing for France. That track always brings back that situation to me of being there and witnessing the suffering for a few pennies more. Sometimes I would stay on longer and watch – from high on the cliffs you could watch the ship sail across most of the Channel almost until it had arrived in Calais; what, some 23 miles away. Sad times, bad times, but in the end we stopped it completely at Dover. It felt good to be of the crew that did that !

Regards Mark

 

In the UK people have always detested the live animal export trade.  Part of our national way towards being an animal welfare nation I guess.  Here are a few scenes from around Dover in the past of what good, decent folk will do to stop animal abuse with the animal exports:

 

 

For Jill – never forgotten:

 

 

 

Suffering of calves on 1700km road journey to Israel

Calves being transported from Lithuania to Israel have been found in extremely overcrowded conditions on the trucks, lying in a thick layer of manure and suffering from heat and extreme thirst. 

These conditions – suffered on a journey of two weeks for a distance of 1700km – caused the death of some animals, but also made others so exhausted that they had to be dragged by their legs from the trucks. 

The investigation by Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and Israel Against Live Shipments (IALS) trailed the calves along their journey and called Road Traffic Inspection in Poland when they spotted evidence of suffering on the trucks. Official veterinarians were called and found multiple violations of Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005, which states that animals shall not be transported in a way likely to cause injury or undue suffering.

“This was the most tragic sight I have seen in all my years working as an investigator in animal transportation,” says Maria Boada-Saña, investigator and project manager of AWF. “It is incomprehensible how official veterinarians in Lithuania approved these transports.” 

Polish officials immediately decided to unload the suffering animals and started administrative proceedings against the Polish transport company Konrad. However, after a 24-hour-long rest at a stable, the animals were carried in three trucks instead of two to Slovenia, where investigators from IALS found terribly weak and exhausted calves upon arrival at Koper. 

From here, the transport continued by sea, and the animals were loaded onto the livestock vessel Holstein Express, destination Israel. The calves spend four days at sea without any authority to assess their welfare, or ensure they are treated in compliance with EU legislation. 

“Our experience shows that sick animals are usually left untreated, and their dead bodies are regularly dumped into the Mediterranean Sea,” says Yaron Lapidot, spokesperson of IALS. “Investigators have repeatedly found European cattle and calves washing up dead on the beaches of Israel, having been thrown overboard from livestock vessels.” 

After arrival in Haifa, the journey of these animals is not over yet. The calves are loaded onto small trucks in which the temperature can exceed 37°C and carried on to quarantine stables where they are kept for a month before being sent to fattening farms. 

“By removing the live import tax in 2014, the Israeli government sealed the fate of hundreds of thousands of animals going through hell on the journey to Israel. Ever since then, promises by our agriculture minister to reduce the numbers have not materialized and essentially the public continues to subsidise the imports,” says Yaron Lapidot. “This year we expect that Israel will import about 850k live animals, an increase of 400% since 2014.” 

 

The two organisations have sent a film highlighting the suffering of these animals to EU Commissioner Andriukaitis, and are calling on the European Commission to stop the long-distance transport of live farm animals to Israel and other Third Countries. 

“AWF and IALS are the latest of many organisations which are constantly revealing serious welfare problems in the long-distance transport of animals,” says Reineke Hameleers, director of Eurogroup for Animals. “The suffering of animals on such journeys is inevitable, and the European Union must stop this cruel and archaic practice.”

Live export footage shows Australian cattle dragged by ropes before slaughter in Indonesia

Exclusive: An investigation is under way after cattle were allegedly sold illegally outside supply chain

The Department of Agriculture is investigating a live export company after it received footage showing Australian cattle being pulled to the ground with ropes and slaughtered without being stunned in a carpark underneath an Indonesian mosque.

International Livestock Exports has suspended all supply to one of its Indonesian abattoirs over the breach, which was reported to the department by Animals Australia.

ILE identified itself as the exporter after the department shared the footage it received from Animals Australia with all relevant exporters, in an attempt to identify the cattle.

The footage, seen by Guardian Australia, shows about a dozen cattle in an underground carpark near the grand mosque in Medan City in North Sumatra. They were killed as part of Eid al-Adha last month and a complaint was lodged with the department on 13 August.

Four of the cattle were identified as Australian. The footage shows them being pulled to the ground by ropes around their legs and rope halters, then being dragged by their tails. The slaughter happened in full view, and sometimes within metres, of other cattle.

Ear tags had been removed but a combination of ear notches and brands identified them as cattle produced on a station in the Northern Territory and shipped to Indonesia by ILE.

The slaughter was reported to the department as a breach of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (Escas), which was introduced after a 2011 Four Corners investigation. Exporters dealing in Australian animals can sell only into an approved supply chain

Read more

 

A director of ILE, Mike Stanton, told Guardian Australia the cattle had been illegally sold outside the supply chain from a facility in Indonesia, and ILE had suspended the facility it believed was responsible. “We did that as soon as we were able to work out where the leak has been,” he said.

The department told Guardian Australia it did not comment on investigations that were still in progress.

Legislation to appoint an independent inspector general for live exports passed the Senate on Tuesday.

Stanton said there were 140 facilities in Indonesia approved as part of ILE’s supply chain. “If you’re exporting a lot of cattle there’s going to be issues along the line,” he said. “We do our best. “I know a lot of people think we don’t, but it’s bloody hard.”

He said the treatment of the cattle shown in the footage, particularly the long minutes taken to drag them to the ground, was “awful”.

“We are in the business of selling animals for slaughter but we want it done in an appropriate manner,” he said.

ILE shares an office in West Perth with Emanuel Exports, the company responsible for the 2017 voyage of the Awassi Express in which 2,400 sheep died of heat stress.

An investigation by the department into allegations Animals Australia paid for the footage from the Awassi found no evidence to suggest the footage was manufactured or illegally obtained.

ILE was issued a show-cause notice in October because of its association with Emanuel and another sister company, EMRS Rural Exports, which both had their export licences cancelled. ILE handles 70% of live cattle exports from Broome.

The Australian Live Export Council chief executive, Mark Harvey-Sutton, said the slaughter was “unacceptable” but had to be put in context of the industry’s broader track record.

“Let’s not forget that exporters are also very proactive in this space and often actions are undertaken by exporters ahead of what the regulator looks to do, and that was the case this time,” he said.

Harvey-Sutton said Australian exporters had “very good systems in place” and the council worked “very closely” with both producers and exporters to keep them informed in cases of Escas non-compliance.

There have been 172 complaints of non-compliance since Escas was established in 2012 – 70 by Animals Australia.

Its strategy director, Lyn White, said: “It is deeply concerning that Australian cattle have once again been subjected to roping slaughter in Indonesia, and that the only reason this has become known is because of the efforts of a charity.

“Escas was established to prevent such horrific treatment. The fact that it can still occur speaks to the ever-present risks of exporting animals and losing control of their welfare.”

White said Escas breaches should result in the automatic suspension of an export licence.

A review conducted by Guardian Australia of the first five years of reports found only three cases in which punitive action was taken against exporters.

Self-reported breaches by exporters are not publicly listed and investigated if they are made and rectified within a set timeline.

The chief executive of the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association, Ashley Manicaros, said the slaughter involved just four of the 400,000 cattle exported from Darwin to Indonesia each year.

Manicaros said exporters should be given more credit for the work they had done to reform after the crackdown in the live sheep trade.

“Those operators that don’t meet those standards will be the ones that have to get to the standard if they want to remain in business,” he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/sep/11/live-exports-footage-australian-cattle-dragged-ropes-slaughter-indonesia

 

 

 

WAV Comment – Theresa Villiers has always spoken in defence of the animals; especially calling for a live export ban.  As the (now) Minister at Defra, she now has the chance to take this issue further and get a ban.  Please follow the links below and add your voice.

Minister Theresa Villiers

 

The live export trade causes immense suffering for animals and must be stopped. During journeys of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles, animals frequently experience exhaustion, overcrowding, stress, pain, hunger and thirst – in many cases, simply to be slaughtered on reaching their destination.

Worse still, once these sheep and young calves are exported, we have no control over the conditions in which they are kept and then killed – conditions that would often fail to meet UK standards.

Live exports are not only cruel, but unnecessary. The vast majority of British farmers find UK markets for their products, or export meat instead of live animals. There is simply no excuse for this trade.

Theresa Villiers has consistently supported the campaign against long distance live transport, most recently by joining our 2019 Stop Live Transport event in London. The new Secretary of State has also worked to raise the profile of this issue in Parliament: in 2017, she tabled a Bill calling for a ban on live animal exports for slaughter and fattening after the UK leaves the EU.

Now, Theresa Villiers is in the perfect position to deliver on that demand by making sure that the Queen’s Speech includes a Bill that will end the suffering of thousands of British animals each year.

Compassion supporters like you have always been on the frontlines in the fight to end live exports. Now, with such vocal support for our cause from the new Secretary of State, this could be a landmark moment for our farm animals. But it’s crucial that we call on Theresa Villiers to act now to end the export of live farm animals for fattening and slaughter.

Now is the time for change – let’s unite our voices to end the needless, cruel UK live export trade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Venus currently taking a holiday, we have not been producing as many posts for the site each day as we normally do.

Instead, for the last few days I have been writing and preparing a letter to SE England Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on the issues of Romanian sheep exports and also the use of ‘box’ trailers to carry live animals on EU roads.

LETTER

To all MEP’s for the constituency of South East England.                 6/9/19.

Dear Sir / Madam;

I write to you as the co-founder of ‘World Animals Voice’ (WAV) – an English / German organisation – https://worldanimalsvoice.com/ and also as the founder of ‘Serbian Animals Voice’ (SAV) – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/ – organisations which deal with Serbian stray animals and also global animal welfare issues.

I would like to bring to your attention a couple of issues which I would like a response on; especially regarding the EU perspective; how these issues are viewed with regard EU legislation, and what, if anything, the EU intends to do about each. To date we have seen no action; and yet here in the UK, some political parties are ramming it down our throats how wonderful EU membership is. So here is the chance to rectify wrongs that have been happening for years, as you will be shown on the issue of box trailers. If the EU is great, then maybe they enforce their own Regulations, rather than simply ignore them.

• Romanian Sheep Exports to the Gulf.

There has recently been an issue in the last few months regarding 70,000 live sheep which were exported from Romania to (a final destination of) Iran in the Gulf. Requests by EU Commissioner Andriukatis to Mr Petre Daea, the Romanian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, to stop the cruel shipment, was ignored and the consignment from Romania went ahead in the middle of Summer.

It seems that the Kuwaiti exporter who would normally export live sheep to the Gulf from Australia, has instead turned to Romania as a source of sheep due to restrictions / bans being imposed by the Australian authorities regarding the shipment of sheep in the Summer months; primarily due to the extreme temperatures in the Gulf.

‘Animals Australia’ (AA) had undercover investigators on standby in Kuwait to meet the arrival of the first Romanian sheep exporting ship and film the resulting cruelty. They witnessed and reported on Romanian animals suffering and dying from heat stress, being shoved into car boots and facing crude fully conscious slaughter. AA has since made a legal complaint to the EU declaring that such shipments to the Middle East breach their regulations. We understand that a Bill is going before the Romanian Parliament which would replicate the summer ban currently in place on Australian shipments.

Animals Australia investigators found Romanian sheep languishing in feedlots, in soaring Middle Eastern summer temperatures.

As an organisation, we (WAV) also tracked the entire movement of the vessel carrying the sheep, the ‘Al Shuwaikh’; from the time it left Romania through to its arrival in the Gulf. We gave daily reports of the position of the ship; a couple of posts which you can see here:

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/08/03/al-shuwaikh-sheep-transporter-vessel-expected-in-qatar-today-3-8-19/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/08/01/romanian-sheep-ship-update-1-8-19-1020hrsgmt-vessel-now-entering-kuwait-city-expected-to-dock-0300hrs-local/

From the start, we (WAV) had concerns about this shipment and the temperatures that would be endured by the animals. Our concerns further increased when we also found out a bit later that Romania intended to export approximately 200,000 live sheep to Iran per month for a least 6 months during the European Summer period.

As you can see from our reports published on our site, on many days during the sailing, temperatures in the Gulf averaged around 46 degrees; some 16 degrees higher than the maximum permitted by the EU in Regulation 1/2005 for the ‘protection of animals during transport’. In effect, Romania; which held the EU Presidency at the time; completely ignored the regulation of the EU by allowing this consignment to take place. Concerns were also expressed by Netherlands (Dutch) MEP Anja Hazekamp, who personally witnessed the consignment leave Romania, and who has since called on the European Commission to launch an infringement procedure against Romania. We reported this: https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/07/17/eu-live-export-latest-mep-demands-action-against-romania-and-is-the-new-president-elect-of-the-commission-committed-to-making-a-change-for-animals/

We would like to thank Anja Hazekamp for her concerns and work in relation top this issue.

On 29^th August 2019, the ‘Eurogroup for Animals’ published an article on their website relating to this same consignment. It was called ‘Nightmare comes true for Romanian sheep exported to Persian Gulf’ and can be viewed at https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/nightmare-comes-true-for-romanian-sheep-exported-to-persian-gulf .

Along with many international animal welfare organisations, including ourselves, Eurogroup for Animals and Animals International had a meeting with the EU Commission last week (August), during which they presented some of the distressing footage from the Middle East. Both organisations are calling on the Commission to start infringement proceedings against Romania, which is an EU member state.

We (WAV) request the following information from our representatives (MEPs) :

• Is anything being done with regard to the EU commencing infringement proceedings against Romania ? – If ‘yes’, what are they ?

• Is this issue being made aware to members of the European Parliament ? – if not, then it should be. If it is, then can we rely on the support of MEP’s throughout Europe to replicate in formal EU wide legislation the summer ban currently in place on Australian shipments of sheep due to extreme temperatures ?

• Has the Bill which is supposed to be going before the Romanian Parliament which would replicate the summer ban currently in place on Australian shipments actually produced any results within Romania ? – we suggest contact is made with Romanian MEPs for up to date responses.

• What amounts of sheep animals have been exported to the Gulf region by Romania since the initial shipment described above ? – we remind that Romania intends to export approximately 200,000 live sheep to Iran per month for a least 6 months during this European Summer period. Approximately 1 million sheep in total.

2. ‘Box’ Trailers

Box trailers are common within the EU for the transportation of live animals. The following photo shows a typical box trailer loaded with live sheep, entering Dover harbour.

Here is another photo of a box trailer carrying livestock photographed at Ramsgate harbour.

In July 2013 I wrote a report for the EU on the issue of how livestock transporters using box type trailers were able to ‘hide’ the fact that they were carrying live animals from the general public and emergency services. A copy of this report was provided to Bernard Van Goethem, Director responsible for animal welfare in the DG for Health and Consumers, Brussels.

The Report:

Front Page

TEXT

On Tuesday 14th May 2013, I was subsequently provided with a written response to this

(same) letter from Mr Bernard Van Goethem, In his letter, Mr Van Goethem makes it very clear that (Page 1, Para 3):

“You alert us to the fact that transports, often do not display notices warning that live animals are being transported. This is indeed contrary to the terms of the legislation, according to which road vehicles carrying live animals “shall be clearly and visibly marked indicating the presence of live animals”.

“The main reason for this rule is to ensure that controlling authorities, and, in the case of an accident, rescue staff, are aware there are animals in the vehicle. This is of course of great importance to ensure the welfare and safety of the animals on board”.

Mr Van Goethem continues on page 2 of his letter that:

“the Commission sees that it is important that the Regulation is properly implemented. It is Member States that are primarily responsible for the daily enforcement of EU legislation”.

 

In closing, Mr Van Goethem declares:

“in accordance with the information available to us, the UK authorities have previously taken action against such infractions”.

As it was clear from our investigations and photographs taken at UK ports that many box type trailers were not identifying that live animals were being carried at all, we presented in the report some example signage which was thought would be adequate when fitted to all surfaces of a box trailer.

The graphic which is shown in the report shows what was presented by us as a draft suitable label in the letter from KAALE to Mr. Gavinelli on 7th February 2013. Note that in this example, the ‘live animals’ identification is written in both German and English languages. These were examples only for the production of this example graphic, and it was suggested to Mr. Gavinelli that maybe even three (3) ‘prime’ EU languages should be included onto each label. Sizes were not determined.

The example graphic provided to the EU shows an ovine (sheep or lamb); but it was suggested to the EU Commission that this could easily be amended to show either pigs or cattle / calves if required, depending on the animal species carried. Whatever, a graphic showing the picture of a farm animal was suggested to Mr. Gavinelli for inclusion into amendments for Regulation 1/2005 re the labelling / signage of trailers carrying live animals throughout Europe. As Mr Van Goethem states above; “This is indeed contrary to the terms of the legislation, according to which road vehicles carrying live animals “shall be clearly and visibly marked indicating the presence of live animals”.  By ‘legislation’, he is referring to EU Regulation 1/2005 for the alleged ‘protection of animals during transport’.

By not showing any signage of animals being carried on roads within the UK; the

transporter was thus ‘non-compliant’ with the requirements of EU Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 of 22nd December 2004 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations, which requires ‘clear and visible markings indicating the presence of live animals’ are shown.

Animals which are transported in ‘sealed box’ type trailers which do not even appear to show to a travelling public, and more importantly, as identified in his letter to KAALE by Mr Van Goethem, in the case of an accident, RESCUE STAFF are aware there are animals in the vehicle, should the vehicle be involved in an accident.

This is completely unacceptable under current circumstances, and back in 2013 we called for immediate changes to EU Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport to ensure that clear and permanent, non-removable signage was displayed on both sides, the front and the rear, as well as the roof and underside of ALL vehicles carrying live animals throughout the EU.

Box trailers are still used today; live animals are still transported in them today. Has any recommendations or changes been made to Regulation 1/2005 to comply with the legislation and state clearly for the emergency services that live animals are being carried ? – no.

2012 – Ramsgate harbour; a box trailer is the last vehicle in the consignment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7_7Aw1kl9g

We request the following information:

Image below from Eyes on Animals report – ‘Importance of Access During Transport’.

https://www.eyesonanimals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Downloads_Eyes_on_Animals_report_Importance_of_Access.pdf

EU Regulation 1/2005 on the Protection of Animals During Transport.

ANNEX I

TECHNICAL RULES

(as referred to in Article 6(3), Article 8(1), Article 9(1) and (2)(a))

CHAPTER I

FITNESS FOR TRANSPORT

4.  When animals fall ill or are injured during transport, they shall be separated from the others and receive first-aid treatment as soon as possible. They shall be given appropriate veterinary treatment and if necessary undergo emergency slaughter or killing in a way which does not cause them any unnecessary suffering.

Question – with a box trailer as shown in the photographs above or below; how is the driver / attendant even able to see that animals carried are falling or injured ? – the construction of the trailer with its solid walls does not allow the driver / attendant to even be able to view the animals. Is he provided with x ray goggles as part of his equipment ?

Please inform how a driver / attendant knows if animals carried in a box trailer such as those shown below fall ill or are injured.

CHAPTER II

MEANS OF TRANSPORT

1. Provisions for all means of transport

1.1 Means of transport, containers and their fittings shall be designed, constructed, maintained and operated so as to:

(f)  provide access to the animals to allow them to be inspected and cared for;

Question – with a box trailer; how is the driver / attendant able to gain access to animals carried at the front of a box trailer; in the examples shown below; where are the access doors at the front which allow him to do this ?

2. Additional provisions for transport by road or rail

2.1  Vehicles in which animals are transported shall be clearly and visibly marked indicating the presence of live animals, except when the animals are transported in containers marked in accordance with paragraph 5.1.

Question – in the box trailer photograph above – taken at Dover and Ramsgate harbours, Kent; please inform where the ‘clear and visible markings’ are indicating the presence of live animals ?

5. Additional provisions for transport in containers

5.1 Containers in which animals are transported shall be clearly and visibly marked, indicating the presence of live animals and with a sign indicating the top of the container.

Question – in the box trailer photographs above – taken at Dover and Ramsgate harbours, Kent; please inform where the ‘clear and visible markings’ are indicating the presence of live animals ?

Summary – Box trailers are no good and completely unfit for the purpose of transporting live animals. They are non compliant with existing EU Regulation 1/2005 for the protection of animals during transport. As such, these trailers should not be used for the carriage of live animals. Further, with no ‘clear and visible markings’ on them, as we have shown, yet supposedly as required by the EU Regulation, should the trailer become involved in an accident and overturn onto its side; how are emergency rescue services supposed to know that live animals are in transit; and thus make provision for their rescue and attendance at an accident ?

Our report in relation to box trailers was written in 2013.

It is now 2019; 6 years later, and we know that the EU has done nothing in any way to address our concerns from 2013.

Live animals are still being transported in trailers that are non compliant with EU Regulations that are supposed to give them some protection.

What are you as MEP’s and the EU Commission going to do about the situation ? – or do we wait a further 6 years with no progress ?

We and many other animal welfare organisations welcome your comments on the issues we have raised above.

Regards

Mark Johnson

Co founder – World Animals Voice

Kent, England.

———————————————————————–

Today, 6/9; I will try and get back to doing more regular posts for the site.

Regards Mark

 

 

WAV Comment – at this very moment we are putting together our own dossier on this Romanian situation, along with other EU transport issues which concern us. We will publish when completed.

Not everything that we want to hear about the trade, but some very positive news from Animals Australia. We know that they have been involved with the Romanian case; and together hopefully we can apply pressure to the EU and get yet more changes.

Regards Mark

 

Investigations Unit update:

Mark,

The recent Festival of Sacrifice confirmed for me just how critical the presence of our live export investigators has been over many years — and how grateful I am for your steadfast support in deploying them.

While our investigators returned home deeply weary from the extreme heat and the distressing cruelty they filmed across eight countries, their spirits were lifted considerably through witnessing the impact of our efforts on behalf of animals. When I think back to 2003, and the treatment I witnessed then, the change you’ve helped achieve is remarkable.

Previously the livestock markets were bursting with sheep, but this year, because of the shipping restrictions we achieved in the Australian live export trade, fewer animals were available for sale and sacrifice than on any earlier year, likely sparing around 500,000 Australian sheep from stifling summer conditions and fully conscious slaughter. It was incredibly heartening to know that our work has led to an overall reduction in animal suffering.

Importantly, we are also witnessing significant changes in how animals are being handled and treated. During my first years conducting investigations, gutters of livestock markets would be flowing with blood. Now, street slaughter is a rarity and authorities are enforcing rules that prohibit home slaughter in countries such as UAE. We have always known that shifts in attitudes are critical to lasting change for animals, and it seems our work is beginning to help achieve this.

Yet our investigations once more highlighted the uncaring cruelty of the live export business model, as the Kuwaiti exporter denied the opportunity to ship Australian sheep has turned to Romania – Europe’s biggest exporting country.

This company would have thought they were rid of Animals Australia by turning their sights on Romania. But again, they have underestimated us. Our Investigations Unit continued to monitor and follow their activities and we ensured our investigators were in Kuwait to meet their first shipment of Romanian sheep and film the resultant cruelty.

 

Our investigators found Romanian sheep languishing in feedlots, in soaring Middle Eastern summer temperatures.

Our evidence of Romanian animals suffering and dying from heat stress, being shoved into car boots and facing crude fully conscious slaughter is part of a powerful legal complaint being presented to the European Commission that such shipments to the Middle East breach their regulations. In addition, the evidence of sheep suffering heat stress will actively support the passage of a bill before the Romanian Parliament which would replicate the summer ban in place on Australian shipments. This would be a huge step forward for Romanian animals, as it has been here.

 

He was exported alive from Romania, only to be stuffed in a car boot and face a terrifying death while fully conscious. We are working urgently to protect other animals like him.

To ensure that the suffering of animals during our Festival of Sacrifice investigations received national attention, our EU Director, Gabriel Paun, released vision to major news outlets in Romania late last week. This sparked numerous stories and the resultant outcry has added urgency to political action on live export.

Evidence gathered by our investigators during the Festival of Sacrifice is also set to have implications on other continents as well. Earlier this week, our courageous Legal Counsel Shatha Hamade — who conducted investigations in Egypt, Kuwait and Qatar — flew to South Africa armed with evidence that will assist their leading animal protection group to protect their animals from the live export trade. She will provide an update once her work there begins. We are similarly working with a leading animal protection group in Brazil. More on that to come, too…

Mark, you can see that tracking and investigating the live export trade is taking us to all corners of the globe, to places we never expected to visit. Our investigators have on numerous occasions faced great tests of their courage and their resilience. But on each and every occasion they draw strength from the animals, from local advocates and from your committed support.

No one knows where or when this journey ends, but what I do know, is that every time we shine a light on this trade, progress is being made.

I could not be more grateful to you. Thank you for staying the course with us and allowing us to be where the animals need us most.

For the animals,

Lyn White – Animals Australia..

 

P.S. The power of publicly exposing live export cruelty achieved a historic milestone recently closer to home, with the Western Australian government launching criminal prosecution against the Directors of Emanuel Exports – the live export company responsible for thousands of Australian sheep “cooking alive” on live export ships. We know that live export can’t withstand open examination by an informed community, and we will pursue every avenue to replicate this progress elsewhe

 

Nightmare comes true for Romanian sheep exported to the Gulf.

 

 

WAV Comment – as some of you will be aware, we at WAV were tracking and reporting on this consignment throughout its time between Romania and Iran.

Here are just 3 of our links from the time:

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/08/01/romanian-sheep-ship-update-1-8-19-1020hrsgmt-vessel-now-entering-kuwait-city-expected-to-dock-0300hrs-local/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/07/25/25-7-romanian-sheep-exports-update-vessel-now-n-the-gulf-of-aden/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/07/23/al-shuwaikh-romanian-sheep-shipment-70000-animals-current-position-red-sea-has-departed-jeddah/

Well it seems that all of our concerns at the time regarding how the sheep would be treated, as well as the extreme temperatures which we reported on throughout the trip, have now surfaced. Please read the article below.

It was not only this shipment that has caused us concern. We were informed that Romania was planning on exporting around 200,000 live sheep to the middle east every month for the next 6 months or so. This is backed up in the report below which talks of 1 million sheep planned for export to the Gulf. We repeat what is said in the article:

“It is clear that sheep have suffered terribly throughout this entire journey, and that’s before we even mention the routine abuse and fully conscious slaughter they are subjected to when they arrive at their destinations,” said Gabriel Paun. “These sheep come from the green meadows and high mountains of the Romanian countryside, and the contrast in how they are treated in the live export trade is unimaginable.”

Now that sun kissed MEP’s have finally returned from their Summer holidays; probably mostly oblivious to what has been going on, we call on them to take action to stop the export trade from Romania. As we said recently we will be writing to our MEPs on this issue and also that of the ‘box’ trailers (see picture below of sheep transporter) which are used to carry live animals all over Europe.

Yes it is full of live sheep – a ‘box’ trailer as used in the EU.

 

Also, as we published, there have been major problems regarding cattle being shipped from Brazil to Turkey. What a terrible journey that must be for the animals; only to be religiously slaughtered once they arrive in Turkey, not even considering the carbon footprint which is left by a ship hauling cattle half way round the world. The massive fires in Amazonia just show that cattle ranchers there are burning the land to make yet more space for cattle to be raised; for export half way round the world !

These are all issues we will be raising with the EU in the next few weeks. We will publish our letters and concerns; and reproduce any correspondence we get back from the EU.

Regards Mark

———————————————–

From the Eurogroup for Animals Website:

https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/nightmare-comes-true-for-romanian-sheep-exported-to-persian-gulf

Animal protection organisations are calling for infringement proceedings against Romania, which allowed 66,000 sheep to be exported to the Persian Gulf in the middle of summer, despite the EU Commission urging authorities not to allow the vessel to leave.

In a recent letter to Animals International, Romanian authorities claim they required a 20% reduction in stocking density to mitigate heat stress. But the organization’s evidence, presented last week to the EU Commission, reveals that hundreds of sheep died by the time they reached their destinations, with an investigator describing the “piles of dead sheep” that were filmed at the unloading point in the Gulf.

They also saw surviving sheep being “beaten” as they disembarked in temperatures of over 40°C. While the initial destination was Kuwait, the vessel made 5 stops in the Gulf, increasing the risks of suffering and death from heat stress. Animals were unloaded in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Dubai, Qatar and Oman.

Romania’s daily reports were requested by the Commission after Commissioner Andriukaitis’s call on 10th July to Petre Daea, the Romanian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, to stop the cruel shipment was ignored. “These reports cannot be true. The vessel is a shipwreck that will not be allowed in Australia after the end of this year for being unable to have enough ventilation and access to animals. Even a single sheep on an empty deck will suffer severe heat stress once the temperature and humidity rises on the ship. The ship’s ventilation system is not able to reduce the heat and humidity below the ambient temperature, and in fact the temperature and humidity in the sheep pens will regularly be between 2 and 6 degrees higher than outside the ship. Even if stocking density was halved, the remaining sheep would still be subjected to unbearably high temperatures and would suffer heat stress during these months in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf,” said Gabriel Paun, EU Director of Animals International.

According to the Romanian authorities, this was just the first shipment. Over one million sheep are planned to be exported this year alone to the Gulf, in addition to a further one million animals to be sent to Jordan and Libya from Romania. Such journeys see heat and humidity combinations reach levels that cause heat stroke, resulting in sheep literally cooking alive in the holds of vessels. 

“It is clear that sheep have suffered terribly throughout this entire journey, and that’s before we even mention the routine abuse and fully conscious slaughter they are subjected to when they arrive at their destinations,” said Gabriel Paun. “These sheep come from the green meadows and high mountains of the Romanian countryside, and the contrast in how they are treated in the live export trade is unimaginable.”

There is one light at the end of the tunnel: a proposed law by the Romanian Parliament aims to follow the positive example of Australia and prohibit the sea transport of livestock during the summer months, which would make it the first EU Member State to have such regulations. But Animals International says that even if the law is rushed through in September, it won’t necessarily mean that no more sheep undergo such journeys in the future, as exporters have their eye on at least three other European countries as sources of animals.

Eurogroup for Animals and Animals International had a meeting with the EU Commission last week, during which they presented some of the distressing footage from the Middle East. Both organisations are calling on the Commission to start infringement proceedings against Romania.

 

 

I just came across this article today when looking around. As you know live animal exports is our biggest ‘hate’. With the recent issues we have covered re the 70,000 Romanian sheep to Iran, and the very recent troubles with the livestock ship carrying cattle from Brazil to Turkey not being allowed to dock in Spain, it seemed appropriate to get more facts. Here they are; with thanks to the RSPCA (Australia):

Regards Mark.

The gruesome history of the Bader III live export ship – which docks at Port Adelaide this week

https://www.rspcasa.org.au/live-export-bader-ship/ 

April 19, 2018

As Australians reel at sickening images taken by a whistleblower onboard several routine live export shipments, another vessel is due to dock in Port Adelaide this week to begin loading more sheep for the Middle East market.

Like most live export carriers, the Bader III has an appalling record of extreme animal suffering and mass deaths. The phase-out of this cruel trade must start now.

The Bader III’s latest victims of this trade are also headed to the Middle East. Livestock Shipping Services knows and presumably accepts that a percentage of its cargo will not survive.

Questions are now being raised about the role of insurance in the live export trade. Just how much live exporters like Livestock Shipping Services receive per dead sheep from their insurers is unknown.

But if mortality rates are any indication, there appears to be little commercial incentive to achieve what is surely the main aim of this trade, to deliver sheep that – by journey’s end – are still alive.

RSPCA South Australia believes it’s high time our state’s reputation-damaging involvement in this inhumane and unnecessary trade ends. Please join us in demanding a phase-out of long-haul sheep shipments from SA. Add your voice here.

The Bader III’s latest victims of this trade are also headed to the Middle East. Livestock Shipping Services knows and presumably accepts that a percentage of its cargo will not survive.

Questions are now being raised about the role of insurance in the live export trade. Just how much live exporters like Livestock Shipping Services receive per dead sheep from their insurers is unknown.

But if mortality rates are any indication, there appears to be little commercial incentive to achieve what is surely the main aim of this trade, to deliver sheep that – by journey’s end – are still alive.

RSPCA South Australia believes it’s high time our state’s reputation-damaging involvement in this inhumane and unnecessary trade ends. Please join us in demanding a phase-out of long-haul sheep shipments from SA. Add your voice here.

Sobering reading: official reports of mass sheep deaths

When large numbers of Australian animals die on live export ships, Australia’s Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is required to investigate and produce a report. These reports make for sobering reading.

Ships belonging to one of the largest live export companies operating from Australia, the Perth-based Livestock Shipping Services, frequently feature in AQIS reports. The Livestock Shipping Services ship Bader III, due to dock in Port Adelaide on Thursday April 19, is no exception.

The Bader III is one of just three live export vessels that are two-tiered. This means animals are packed into two levels of pens on each deck, making welfare checks during the long sea crossings difficult if not impossible. This design also restricts the crucial ventilation needed to prevent heat stress.

AQIS’ Mortality Report Number 46 tells us that on August 17, 2013, nearly 45,000 sheep walked up the ramps on to the Bader III at Port Adelaide, along with an unknown number of camels.

The ship travelled on to Fremantle, where a further 30,795 sheep and some cattle were packed into pens onboard. The stocking density was in accordance with the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock.

Bader III ship holds awful record for highest sheep deaths

The hottest time in the Middle East are the middle months of the year. Data shows that sheep deaths spike on board live export carriers entering the region at this time. The mercury climbed as the Bader III crossed the equator bound for its first Middle Eastern destination, Qatar.

Something went terribly wrong on Day 21 of this shipment, when the Bader III finally arrived in Qatar’s port city of Doha. The temperature in Doha on this day – 7 September 2013 – hovered around 38C. As the crew began offloading sheep, a staggering 4050 died – one of the largest numbers of exported Australian sheep to die onboard a ship in a single day.

Almost 80% of the sheep that died were from the Adelaide consignment. Unsurprisingly, the live export vet reported that most died from heat stress.

Thousands of sheep deaths legally sanctioned every live export journey

Under Australian regulations, live exporters must report to the Federal Agriculture Department if the mortality rate of sheep onboard ships exceeds 2%. The official end of journey death toll of 4,179 sheep on this 2013 shipment of 75,508 sheep represents a mortality rate of 5.53%. For the sheep loaded in Port Adelaide, the mortality rate was 7.28%.

Under our Federal Government’s 2% rule, more than 1,500 sheep had to die onboard this particular shipment before Livestock Shipping Services were required to make a report that would trigger an investigation by the regulator, Australia’s Federal Department of Agriculture.

 

That is a lot of dead sheep.

If less than 2% of sheep had died – say, 1400 on this 2013 shipment – that would have been considered an ordinary part of the live export business.

Even sheep that don’t die suffer terribly on live export ships

However, the number of dead animals on its own is not a good indicator of animal welfare. The ones that don’t die equally suffer.

The latest images aired on 60 Minutes give a shocking insight of what mass death and extreme animal suffering on board a routine live export shipment during the Middle East’s summer looks like.

Sheep unable to reach food and water. Sheep unable to lie down for the entire three to four week journey. Sheep panting and frothing at the mouth from heat stress and collapsing on decks belly-deep in excrement.

Yet still our Federal Government keeps issuing export permits to companies that routinely breach regulations, and the animals keep being loaded in full knowledge of the suffering that inevitably awaits them.

Help end the cruel and unnecessary live export trade

The Bader III’s latest victims of this trade are also headed to the Middle East. Livestock Shipping Services knows and presumably accepts that a percentage of its cargo will not survive.

Questions are now being raised about the role of insurance in the live export trade. Just how much live exporters like Livestock Shipping Services receive per dead sheep from their insurers is unknown.

But if mortality rates are any indication, there appears to be little commercial incentive to achieve what is surely the main aim of this trade, to deliver sheep that – by journey’s end – are still alive.

RSPCA South Australia believes it’s high time our state’s reputation-damaging involvement in this inhumane and unnecessary trade ends. Please join us in demanding a phase-out of long-haul sheep shipments from SA. Add your voice here.