THE so called "Herod" option of slaughtering millions of 10 day old calves in the EU to reduce stock numbers and beef production is meeting widespread opposition in Ireland.
The proposal is one of many being examined by the EU Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner, Mr Franz Fischler, who has said he will bring forward new policies on the EU beef regime in September Killarney.
While there has been a surplus of beef in the EU for many years, the BSE crisis has driven consumption down to a level where current policies are not sustainable.
Leading the opposition to the slaughter policy is Compassion in World Farming, the animal welfare organisation, which said yesterday it believes that such a policy is "ethically unacceptable".
"The scheme involves treating calves simply as the unwanted products of the dairy industry rather than sentient beings capable of feeling pain and suffering," said a statement from the organisation.
If this scheme goes ahead, it would certainly be slaughter of the innocent," said Mr John Tierney, a campaign spokesman.
Fianna Fail's deputy spokesman on agriculture, Mr Hugh Byrne, said the slaughter policy would irrevocably damage the Irish beef industry and impact more heavily on Ireland than any other member state. Such a policy would reduce throughput in future years, costing untold factory jobs as well as farm income the proposal, he said, ran counter to the Union's policy that promoted grass based production.
Mr Byrne said that the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, had failed to provide a policy lead in Brussels on reform of the beef industry and urged him to articulate a cogent farm policy to ensure that Irish interests were taken into account.