Federal Investigation Finds Cattle Suffered Slow, Cruel Deaths

Submitted by Kirsty Lawson on Tue, 26/10/2010 - 11:30

live animal exports shipAn investigation by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) has found that the 300 cattle who died on a February voyage from Fremantle to Egypt suffered slow, cruel deaths.

South Metro MLC Lynn MacLaren said the evidence revealed by the AQIS investigation into the first shipment since the trade with Egypt was re-opened, adds to the case against live exports.

The inquiry highlighted distressing details of the 22 day voyage, including reports that the animals were agitated, panting and gasping for air, suffering from heat stress and standing in their own waste.

Some of the cattle were in such a bad condition that they were slumped in the deck or hunched over and drooling.

The cattle that suffered the most were kept in enclosed lower level compartments.

More than 360 sheep out of 40,282 also died on the same trip. These mortalities did not trigger an investigation because the number of deaths were below the reportable level, at 0.9%.

Twenty-five animals had to be euthanased in the last three days of the voyage.

The animals were the first to be exported to Egypt since a ban was imposed in 2006.

For the full AQIS report, please click on the attachment below.

NB - The ship pictured above is stock footage and not the ship involved in the AQIS investigation.