(Au)14,500 sheep thrown overboard - have your say

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(You can scroll down and have your say on the cruel live sheep trade

on the Australian newspaper website above - see above link)

 

14,500 sheep die at sea

By Megan Saunders

September 03, 2002

 

 

ABOUT 14,500 Australian sheep have been thrown overboard from four vessels

en route to the Middle East after apparently perishing in the heat on the

Arabian Sea.

 

The deaths prompted federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss to order

three shipping companies, which he declined to name yesterday, to explain

why they should not have their export permits suspended.

 

As an interim measure, future live export loads on the four vessels in

question will be reduced by 15 per cent and a veterinary surgeon will

accompany animals on the journeys.

 

Mr Truss said a full investigation was under way involving the Australian

Quarantine and Inspection Service and the Australian Maritime Safety

Authority.

 

" We are taking immediate steps to endeavour to ensure that this does not

happen again, " Mr Truss told The Australian.

 

" We are taking very serious action about it. We are very concerned about it.

 

" It is almost certain that it is related, I think, to the hot weather . . .

(going) from a cold climate in southern Australia to the very hot weather in

the (Persian) Gulf. "

 

Last month, it was revealed that about 800 cool-climate cattle had died on

MV Becrux – prompting a ban on exports of such cattle during the Middle

Eastern summer.

 

About 6.8 million head of live sheep were exported last year in an industry

valued at more than $366 million a year.

 

The RSPCA yesterday called for live exports to be suspended entirely between

May and October when temperatures in the Middle East can reach as high as

49C.

 

The latest deaths – the highest number since a code of practice covering the

industry was introduced in 1998 – occurred on four ships leaving Portland,

Victoria, and Fremantle, West ern Australia, in July.

 

A shipping company must report to AMSA deaths of more than 2 per cent of

animals.

 

In this case, two ships lost 2.01 per cent and 2.03 per cent, while on the

other two vessels 6.8 per cent and 11 per cent of the sheep aboard died

during the voyages.

 

RSPCA national president Hugh Wirth said there was a " strong suspicion " that

the four boats were older vessels with poor ventilation.

 

Dr Wirth described the deaths as a " bloody disaster " and said the industry

would be crippled unless action was taken.

 

" It's about time the minister took some stern action about this instead of

just talking about it, " he said.

 

Animals Australia executive director Glenys Oogjes claimed that one of the

four boats had already reloaded at the weekend at Portland.

 

YOUR FEEDBACK

 

Shipments of cattle from southern Australia to the Arabian Gulf were

temporarily halted following the shameful deaths of over 800 cattle

recently. With day temperatures in this region ranging from 44 to 49 deg C

over the past 2 months, shipments of ALL live animals should have been

halted, but were not. The tragic deaths of so many sheep is the consequence.

Stop the live trade to the Middle East now, before the cruel toll escalates

even more.

Carole de Fraga

Melbourne, Vic

 

I belive this has highlighted a issue of great concern. The amount of

suffering that these sheep would have gone through is inhumane. For 14,500

to have died means that whole shipment would have suffered. I belive that

the shipping company should be allowed to transport sheep unless they meet

the correct standards. If the ships are old they need to replaced and take

the animals safety and care into account.

Ewan McConnell

Sydney, NSW

 

If another live sheep carrier has already reloaded and left for the Middle

East, how can we possibly believe the claim from Minister Truss that he is

" taking immediate steps to... ensure that this does not happen again? "

 

Why is a veterinarian not on every ship? Why are stocking densities not

lower on every ship? Why does this trade continue when temperatures in the

Middle East are so high? If 100,000 dogs died en-route to a country of

export every year, Warren Truss would be looking for another job. Good

riddance I'd say.

Wendy Parsons

Adelaide, SA

 

The thought of live sheep exports has always disgusted me. I ask myself what

is worse to be hauled such a distance in inhumane conditions in order to be

" blessed " and then put to death or to die en route in a heatwave, only to be

tossed into the sea because you are of no further use. Be ashamed Australian

Government for allowing it to happen, be ashamed farmers for participating.

Deni J Odlum

Adelaide, SA

 

This practice of exporting live animals for slaughter in another country

should never have commenced. It is inhumane in the extreme and yet the

government and general public just turn their back on it and pretend it

doesn't happen. As somebody once said - shame, shame, shame!

John Radford

Perth, WA

 

 

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