Open Letter: Please Stop Shipping Live Animals into War Zones

A group of animal welfare organizations have written an open letter to Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, asking her to stop the live export of cattle to war zones.

There have been over 100 shipments of cattle and sheep from Europe to Israel so far this year and an unknown number of livestock exported to Lebanon since the fighting expanded in that region.

Ethical Farming Ireland says sources at Haifa port have informed them that every day barrages of rockets fall on the port and surrounding areas where the quarantine centres and fattening farms are. The rockets are mostly intercepted by the dome, but some of the rockets also get through, risking injury and harm to the animals and port workers.

“It is beyond belief that any competent authority is still authorising shipments to Israel knowing these animals are being put at considerable risk,” says Caroline Rowley, Director of Ethical Farming Ireland. “The noise from the rockets and air raid sirens alone must be terrifying for them. Furthermore, the workers at the port are also scared and want to complete the unloading quickly. Our sources say this pressure is causing them to be more impatient than usual with the animals and electric prods are being widely used to get the cattle off the ships as quickly as possible.”

Local media reports indicate that dairy farms around Haifa have been hit by Hezbollah missiles in recent weeks, killing large numbers of cows.

The joint letter signed by 10 NGOs urges Kyriakides her to suspend all live export to Israel and Lebanon with immediate effect. Signatories were representatives from Ethical Farming Ireland, Compassion in World Farming, Animal Welfare Foundation, Eurogroup for Animals, Four Paws, Animals International, Eyes on Animals, Animals Australia and WELFARM – Protection mondiale des animaux de ferme and PATAV - Plataforma Anti-Transporte de Animais Vivos.

This is the second joint letter sent to the Commissioner in recent months. On June 25, a letter was sent urging shipments to the region to be suspended after reports of livestock vessel Shorthorn Express, a regular visitor to Ireland, coming under attack when transporting sheep from Portugal to Israel. The Commissioner responded that the attacks were unconfirmed and would not take any action.