Thousands of cattle dead at sea
Thousands of cattle are dead aboard a live-export cargo ship currently somewhere off the coast of Eritrea in the Red Sea after an engine failure led to a failure in the ventilation system. The Gracia Del Mar, which was en route from Brazil to Egypt, had lost 2,750 cattle as of Monday 5th March according to Compassion in World Farming (CIWF).
The Gracia Del Mar has been refused permission to dock at a number of ports, including those in Egypt, due to the risk of disease posed by such a great number of carcases. Until the ship is given permission to dock, it is effectively stranded without support or access to the necessary veterinary expertise to adequately respond to the situation.
CIWF is urging supporters to contact the Egyptian and Brazilian Agriculture Ministers and call on them by pre-prepared e-mail to fulfil their respective responsibilities in this case. “Not only is it their responsibility to do so, but they have the resources to provide the support and veterinary expertise so urgently needed. They need to get the ship docked, get treatment to any surviving animals and bring this disaster to a close,” said a spokesperson.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
