The Case Against Live Animal Shipments: A Call for Ethical Treatment

Ethical Farming Ireland and several other NGOs have sent an open letter to the European Commission and Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, Olivér Várhelyi, after the breakdown at sea of the livestock carrier Express M.

The Express M departed Romania for Haifa on February 22 with 2,400 cattle and 460 sheep on board. Ethical Farming Ireland and Israel Against Live Shipments tracked the voyage.

Shortly after departure, the vessel stopped and went to anchor for several days before resuming its journey at an abnormally slow speed of 3–4 knots. This was followed by several days of stopping, going to anchor for a while, then setting off again at a very slow speed. At one point, the Express M seemed to be heading back to Romania before changing course again.

After nine days, Ethical Farming Ireland contacted the Romanian authorities who confirmed the vessel had mechanical problems. The captain was instructed to return the vessel to port to load more fodder. However, the transporter’s representative contacted the captain who confirmed that the necessary repairs were carried out and that sufficient feed was onboard, supplemented in Istanbul.

Ethical Farming Ireland subsequently observed that the vessel went to anchor on two more occasions and that the voyage took 15 days instead of six. The condition of the animals arriving at Haifa port was very poor, says the organization, with animals completely caked in manure and many cases of nasal discharge and ringworm.

The Urgency of Phasing Out Live Animal Transport by Sea

Caroline Rowley, Director of Ethical Farming Ireland, says the case once again demonstrates that live animal transport by sea is inherently unsafe and must be phased out as a matter of urgency. “These sea journeys are too risky and should be banned. We cannot guarantee the safety of animals once they have left our shores and time and time again serious incidents occur, where thousands of animals are stranded at sea, suffering appallingly.”

The movement against live export by sea has already seen the trade abandoned in the UK and New Zealand. Australia has a ban pending for the live export of sheep.

The Environmental and Ethical Concerns of Live Animal Export

The Australian live sheep export industry by sea has historically been criticized for breaches to animal welfare standards, but not-for-profit organization Stop Live Exports also highlights the environmental impacts of the trade.

An EU report published by Europe by Human Behaviour Change for Life in 2023 concluded that live export voyages have significant environmental impacts, including that CO2 emissions are six times higher for live export compared to chilled meat, and fuel consumption is seven times greater.

“Although this is an EU report, the fundamentals apply to the Australian trade, and Stop Live Exports is keen to draw attention to the environmental issues inherent in live export, a trade which has also been mired in horrific cruelty and abuse over the decades, as borne out by many investigations,” says Stop Live Exports spokesperson, Ruth Gourley.

Recent Livestock Carrier Issues

Some recent livestock carrier issues include:

• Greece: 6,800 sheep and lambs; Lady Maria. Ship stranded off the coast of Greece after running aground.
• Indonesia: Ship capacity for 2,200-4,500 cattle; Brahman Express. More than 150 cattle die en route between Australia and Indonesia.
• South Africa: 19,000 cattle; MV Al Kuwait. Overwhelming stench prompts inspection revealing diseased and injured animals and extreme build-up of feces and urine.

These incidents highlight the urgent need to reconsider the practice of live animal shipments by sea and to prioritize the ethical treatment and welfare of animals in the agricultural industry.