Thursday saw the first live Q&A session on our new interactive forum, Splash Chat. Dr Lynn Simpson, the Australian vet who has done so much to highlight malpractices in the livestock trades via this site, was our debut interviewee and questions rained in.
The whole future of the livestock trades was thrown into doubt with an argument that animals do not need to be transported to start herds overseas – embryos and semen can be far cheaper and without the controversy.
“Australia already exports embryos and semen, so the live export stress of a sea voyage could be avoided and a herd developed in another country at a much lower cost than exporting live animals,” Simpson said.
If livestock is to continue, then with the average age of the global fleet now at 34 years of age, the question remains who will pay for fleet renewal.
“I’m not sure we will ever meet the growing public pressure for increased welfare standards and gain a financial profit for traders,” Simpson said.
Simpson reiterated a point she has made in her articles for Splash to date – the anguish onboard is not just with the animals, but also the seafarers too.
“The animals produce tons of sewerage that must be dealt with every day. Large animals have caused many injuries at sea. High ammonia levels are a big problem also.”
Simpson also questioned the stability of many animal carriers, especially larger double-tiered sheep ships.
Concluding, Simpson maintained: “I personally think that public pressure for increased welfare will mean live export of mass numbers of livestock from first world countries will meet an end in the not too distant future. The meat trade will increase and countries will get their protein requirements. Some trade may move to countries that work at more challenging standards and the delivered product may be questionable.”
Stay tuned to Splash Chat for another Q&A with a leading shipping figure soon.
Thank you Dr Lynn Simpson,
This industry is a chain of cruelty, and to make matters worse, it is very risky to the crew. It is not needed, and it should be halted, the longer it does on, the more it undermines viability of the livestock industry in both the exporting and the importing countries involved.