Another evidence of how much live transport is hellish for animals can be easily perceived with the last episode occurring to nearly 2,000 bovines that have spent more than two months aboard two vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. Livestock vessels left Spain in December but then cattle were refused at their arrival in Libya due to bovine bluetongue virus suspects. From that moment, both vessels were spotted at different ports and rejected by several countries. The animals struggled for several weeks in very poor hygienic and sanitary conditions, worsening day by day their health state.

The vessel “Karim Allah” docked on Thursday 26 February in Cartagena (Spain), but Spanish government veterinarians declared the conditions of the 864 survived animals unfit for further transportation to third countries outside the EU, not even allowed the unload of bovines in the EU due to the consequences of the very long journey. Bovines were noted to have a wide range of skin, eye and leg diseases including alopecia, flaking, scabs and joint inflammation compatible with septic arthritis. The final sentence for them: euthanasia. The other vessel “Elbeik” docked at the port of Famagusta in Cyprus and after a fuel stop in Crete it is now heading to Kalamata (Greece). Some rumors state that the Elbeik vessel will come back to Spain.

OIPA International has written to the EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Mrs. Stella Kyriakides asking to investigate the conditions in which cattle have been transported for over two months aboard vessels Karim Allah and ElBeik and verify any contravention to the Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the Protection of live animals during transport since the inability to implement an emergency plan forced the poor animals to go through a hellish situation. Since the first reconstructions, many animals died of starvation and were thrown into the sea.

OIPA International calls the European Commission to urgently end live transport in the EU as incompatible with the Article 13 of Title II of the Lisbon Treaty that came into force in 2009 amending the ‘Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union’ (TFEU) and has introduced the recognition of animals as sentient beings.

Article 13 of the Lisbon Treaty states: “In formulating and implementing the Union’s agriculture, fisheries, transport, internal market, research and technological development and space policies, the Union and the Member States shall, since animals are sentient beings, pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals, while respecting the legislative or administrative provisions and customs of the EU countries​ relating in particular to religious rites, cultural traditions and regional heritage.”

Animals endure extreme suffering during the long journeys and the inadequate transport conditions often result in serious injuries and cruel deaths of animals. Animals suffer from heat or cold, thirst and hunger, stress and fear, disease and infections. Finally, last but not least, in many destination countries animal welfare standards are not even applied at a basic level.

These bovines had not only the misfortune to be born for being served on a plate, but they have been struggling for several weeks in very poor hygienic and sanitary conditions worsening day by day their health conditions.

It’s time for the EU to urgently reflect, look into the eyes of animals and END to the cruel practice of the LIVE TRANSPORT!

#STOP LIVE TRANSPORT