At least 20 livestock ships caught in Suez canal logjam

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

At least 20 livestock ships caught in Suez canal logjam

Concerns for animals’ welfare if Ever Given blockage crisis is protracted

Sophie Kevany and Michael Safi
Fri 26 Mar 2021 17.40 GMT

At least 20 of the boats delayed due to a stricken container ship in the Suez canal are carrying livestock, according to marine tracking data, raising concerns about the welfare of the animals if the logjam becomes protracted.

The 220,000-ton Ever Given is causing the longest closure of the Suez canal in decades with more than 200 ships estimated to be unable to pass, and incoming vessels diverting around southern Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.

Georgios Hatzimanolis, a spokesperson for the tracking website Marine Traffic, said while some livestock ships were waiting to enter the canal, three – the Omega Star, the Unimar and the Sea Star – “all appear to be stuck at various points in the canal”. Marine Traffic data showed 11 delayed livestock ships, while an NGO has identified others, bringing the total identified so far to 20.

Five of the ships identified had loaded animals in Spain, and nine had loaded in Romania earlier this month, according to the NGO Animals International.

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There were no immediate welfare concerns for the animals, but if the Ever Given has to be lightened to make it easier to dislodge, using cranes to remove enough containers could take weeks and the surrounding ships would need to leave and find longer alternative routes.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/mar/26/at-least-20-livestock-ships-caught-in-suez-canal-logjam

[underpants]

1. I hope they brought some charcoals!

[Kali]

2. I read somewhere the ships from Spain are having to dispose of the animals

over fear of bluetongue. nobody would take them and Spain wouldn't take them back.

[Eugene]

3. They were still out there as of Monday.

The Spanish government just ordered the animals to be slaughtered.

https://gcaptain.com/more-than-1600-cattle-on-second-spanish-livestock-ship-to-be-killed/

https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/news/world-news/more-than-1600-cattle-on-second-spanish-cattle-ship-to-be-killed-40228922.html

[Mosby]

4. The animals have been suffering for a while.

A report by government veterinarians uploaded to animal-rights group Igualdad Animal's website said 179 cows on the Elbeik had died during the journey and were thrown overboard.

Several of the remaining animals were malnourished and dehydrated, while some were barely conscious after being crammed into unsanitary pens without room to lie down, the report said.

An Agriculture Ministry spokeswoman declined to comment on the authenticity of the report.