Sir, - The Mad Cow Disease crisis has caused beef consumption in the EU to fill. This means that all markets outside the EU both for live cattle and beef will be encouraged. At present, Egypt has reopened the market for Irish cattle and beef, and the Irish Government is attempting to re open markets in other non EU countries.
Exports of both live cattle and beef to non EU countries are subsidised by an EU grant. The grant on live cattle is paid to the exporter from EU taxpayer's money, and is currently about £300 an animal. Livestock exporters are at present asking for the EU grant on live cattle to be increased, saying that they cannot compete with Australian cattle exports. Already the grant has been increased by 12 per cent. CIWF fears that in an effort to get cattle sold as demand in the EU falls, the livestock exporters may succeed in getting the grant raised. This would give a major boost to the live cattle trade from Ireland to non EU countries.
There are serious welfare problems in the export of live cattle to non-EU countries. Long sea journeys are stressful to cattle. If storms are encountered (which are common in the Bay of Biscay), then injuries and deaths can result. Once animals leave Irish waters, their welfare is totally outside our control.
In 1995, the deaths of 479 cattle in three separate tragedies came to light. In February 1996, Ivan Yates, Minister for Agriculture, put in place new Irish legislation in an attempt to solve the welfare problems on these journeys. Weeks later, five shiploads of cattle got into difficulties on arrival in Libya and Egypt.
CIWF calls upon Minister Yates to show that he is serious about protecting the welfare of Irish animals by banning live shipments to non EU countries immediately and indefinitely. What further proof does the Minister need before he is forced to accept that the trade in live cattle to non EU countries is inhumane and uncontrollable, and is becoming increasingly unacceptable to the public both in Ireland and abroad.
CIWF says that this trade should be in meat and not in live animals. In this way, jobs in the meat industry are kept in Ireland and the welfare of Irish animals is under our control. - Yours, etc.,
Campaigns Officer, Compassion in World Farming, Princes Street,
Cork.