Animal Advocates Call For Humane Death For Stranded Sheep

by Sherry Morse and Patricia Collier

Animal rights advocates, appalled by the suffering of more than 50,000 Australian sheep who have been stuck on a ship in the Middle East since August 5, are calling for the surviving sheep to be killed at sea to end their misery.

The Australian government announced October 14 they are considering dumping the sheep at eight Australian ports and offshore islands for slaughter. But Australian farm groups are protesting the return of the sheep, saying they could threaten their existing livestock. They too want the sheep slaughtered at sea.

The animal advocates said the harsh conditions of the voyage amount to extreme cruelty to the sheep, which were originally bred and sold to Saudi Arabia for slaughter for the Islamic holiday of Ramadan.

According to the Australian Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Australian RSPCA), cramped quarters and temperatures ranging from 113 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit have been responsible for the death of over 6,000 sheep so far, with more dying every day.

The sheep were refused by the Saudi government for import because they said six percent of them, one percent more than the government allows, were suffering from scabby mouth disease.

Veterinarians on board have disputed the high percentage.

After failing to find another buyer, the Saudi importer offered to give away the sheep to another country. The sheep cannot be returned to Australia because of quarantine rules and the Australian exporters will have to cover the loss for $10 million.

The ship, named the Cormo Express, will be leaving the port in Kuwait once it has been resupplied and will head back to Australia.

"Those sheep cannot be allowed to suffer like this, and the only solution is an emergency slaughter," said Dr. Hugh Wirth, president of the Australian RSPCA.

"If such measures had been taken when recommended, those poor animals would be out of their misery by now - instead, they are still trapped on that death ship in extreme temperatures, extreme humidity and surrounded by a sea of their own excrement," Wirth said.

Exporters of live sheep from Australia to Saudi Arabia make about $195 million a year, but the trade is often criticized for inhumane treatment of animals.

It is estimated that each year, approximately 78,000 sheep die on their way from Australia to slaughter in the Middle East.

Last year tougher rules on shipments of livestock to Australia were imposed after 14,500 sheep died in just one month, from heat stress.

Live animals who are exported are particularly likely to contract scabby mouth disease because they typically undergo their journey in closely packed, cramped conditions which makes it easy for the viral infection to spread between them.

The infection is not fatal, and usually heals after several weeks.

© 2003 Animal News Center, Inc.