AsiaOperations

Livestock carrier goes missing with 43 crew onboard

Japan’s coastguard is searching for 2002-built livestock carrier Gulf Livestock 1 after receiving a distress call from the vessel early this morning.

The livestock carrier had 43 crew members onboard and was loaded with over 5,800 cattle.

The vessel was headed from Napier, New Zealand to Tangshan, China when it ran into trouble in the East China Sea. At the time of the distress call, it was around 185km off Amami Oshima, and likely encountered bad weather caused by Typhoon Maysak.

Both aerial searches and four coastguard vessels could not locate the vessel, and all communication has been lost.

The vessel is owned by UAE shipowner Gulf Navigation and prior to conversion in 2012 was a 630 teu boxship.

In 2018 livestock carrier Jawan, also converted from a 630 teu boxship, was detained by Australian authorities after it suffered stability issues while departing Portland carrying 4,300 cows.

Grant Rowles

Grant spent nine years at Informa Group based in London, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore. He gained strong management experience in publishing, conferences and awards schemes in the shipping and legal areas, working on a number of titles including Lloyd's List. In 2009 Grant joined Seatrade responsible for the commercial development of Seatrade’s Asia products. In 2012, with Sam Chambers, he co-founded Asia Shipping Media.

Comments

  1. With 43 people on board and how many thousands of poor animals?
    The livestock carrier business should be halted immediately, after the umpteenth report of loss, accidents or cruelty.

    1. Agree Martyn, no mention of the 1000’s of animals lives that have been lost. Live export is unnecessary, it is 2020 eat some plants, leave sentient beings off your plate.

  2. OMG . Flag authorities and police must check all his business.Does he owned some other ships ?.Shipping can’t operate like this.Money ok.But no place for brutal actions _accidents.

  3. New Zealand China ??????Disgusting humans barbaric cruelty to these animals humans are evil KARMA

  4. Absolute disgrace. It is a floating prison. I pity the poor employees. But even more I feel for the truly inhumane environment these animals were exposed to. Often denied the very basics of live such as water, yet being exposed to all weather conditions. What a terrible way to die in a floating prison, condemned to drown with no escape. WHY ? for financial gain nothing else. Time this stopped for good.

  5. The Greedy cruel people who organise this brutal unnecessary CRULTY OF LIVE EXPORT SHOULD BE HEAVILY FINED AND BANNED FROM EXPORTING LIVE EXPORT EVER AGAIN AND NAMED AND SHAMED. THIS IS ABSOLUTLEY HORRIFIC!! WHAT THESE ANIMALS HAVE TO ENDURE BEEN COOPED UP WITH NO FOOD OR WATER IN CRAMPED CONDITION’S AND STANDING IN THERE OWN FEACES FOR DAYS AT A TIME WITH NOR EVEN ANY HEAD ROOM TO STAND UP STRAIGHT…
    #THE PORT ATHORTIES AND POLICE SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE ALSO.

    TOTALLY BARBARIC FINE THE EXPORTERS SENDING LIVE EXPORT IN UNFIT SHIPS IN UNSAFE WEATHER.

    1. You shouldn’t comment on something you’ve no idea about the cattle have plenty of room on these ships, feed and watered and the pens hosed out. No mention of the 43 missing people in you rant

      1. We all feel terrible for those people, Bill. And those poor people unfortunately chose that profession and opted to be on that ship. The animals did not. So yes, Denise’s “rant” as you call it, is apt, even perhaps restrained. And not sure what qualifications you have to say that the animals have “plenty of room”. Have you been on the ships to eye witness this? There is plenty of evidence to the contrary with media expositions of immense cruelty time and time again.

        1. I am an ex ship’s captain, and have sailed on several liestock vessels. If you want the facts, and not the ignorant rants running from various socalled animal rights groups. Then here they are.
          1: Ships sailing with livestock, are subject to strict regulations regarding livestock, condition, space, sea worthiness etc etc. I can asure you no one involved, are the slightest interested in any mishaps whatsoever.
          2: They are usually met by Port state controls, prior to loading and departure, as well as quarantine, classifications surveyors. Just for the ones who think this might be possible. NO briberies.
          3: There is more than amble food and water on board for the duration, as well as to counter any delays to the voyage. This is verified by port state control officers
          4: The livestock areas are cleaned daily.
          5: Vetenarians accompany the livestock. That would be the 2 NZer on board. They together with the ship’s crew, inspect the livestock daily, and attend to any and all occurences.
          6: Vessels are not allowed to stay in port during Cyclone or very strong wind conditions, even if they wanted to. They for the sake of the vessel, and the port are required to depart for deeper waters.
          7: I have been in cyclones, and I can asure you, no one wants to be in one, unless they have no options.
          8: The animal rights groups, did have a valid case decades ago, when the regulations governing livestock was minimal or non existent. However this is deffinitely not the case now a days. The slightest non regulation adherence, would prevent the vessel from departing, until all requirements have been complied with, and yes they include amble space, fodder, water, vetenarian medications etc to be fulfilled. Stability criterias must be complied with, as well as the vessels condition, certification etc.
          9: More regulations, requirements etc goes into livestock transport, than most people even can imagine.
          10: The reason Livestock transport exist, is not because the country of origin wishes for it, but the receiving country, either does not have the finances to buy slaughtered meat, or have a different policy on slaughtering (usually religious), or wishes to breed the livestock, or wishes to establish a dairy heard to provide dairy products for their citizens. Those reasons, have of cause created an industry, where there are many participating, from the buyer, seller, veterinarians inspecting, quarantine people, farmers, stockmen, customs, port state inspectors, classifications surveyors, ship owners, crew, various port staff. as well as various business making a living selling their services and products to the ones involved. You would be amazed just how many benefits from this trade. You could be one of them, either knowingly on unbeknowst.
          11: Sadly the animal rights groups can not accept the livestock transportation, as they need to get people upset etc, so they can receive needed finances, so as to pay for their saleries. I asume no one thinks they do it free, but have made a possible interest in animal welfare their job, and means of income. I wish I would be paid for fishing or any of the other interest I have.

          1. What lies Erik says. Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6RKarFD8sY

            Sheep exported to the Middle East can lie in their own faeces. Some are literally cooked alive in the heat. Some cannot access food or water. I was disgusted to hear crew members ordered to slit the throat of newborn lambs on the live export ship.. They even export pregnant sheep. A whistleblower who worked on a live export ship revealed all this in 2018. He was horrified by what he saw. Actually it is even worse if they survive the journey to the Middle East. I have seen videos of animals having their throats cut several times while they are conscious. Sometimes, especially in the case of cattle half their heads are cut off. It is horrifying to watch. In Egypt they slashed the cattle’s tendons and stabbed their eye before they cut their throats at the Bassatin slaughterhouse. I am sure Erik has a nice salary courtesy of live export. No wonder he loves it and is defending it. In Australia the live export rules are not followed as revealed by the RSPCA and Animals Australia. The government does not care about this.

          2. Thanks Erik, for outlining your experience. But where there’s smoke there’s fire. Repeated news stories of ships capsizing and taking down thousands of trapped lives on board, animals being cooked alive, animals landing at the destination and dying horrific deaths – they can’t all be lying. And more specifically, in response to point 8, what use are regulations if they are flaunted. And in response to point 11, if animal rights groups are greedy, then so are those in the live export business.

      2. That’s because the article talks about the crew. Of course no one wishes them harm but there were also other lives on board which articles and such don’t even want (or think) to mention. That’s a disgrace. Those animals would have died in absolute terror. I don’t think it matters a single bit that they had “space” and food and water (which obviously should be expected, not glorified). It would still have been an awful experience. And for what? Is it worth the miles they travelled? Is it worth the risk of their lives and the crew? Is it worth the environmental cost?

      3. At least someone knows a bit about what it’s really like. Lot of people on here spruiking without any idea.

    2. Absolute lies – chances are the animals have better conditions than the 43 crew who are also missing and most comments appear not to give a damn about the human loss . Another excuse to jump on the vegan bandwagon- ill informed idiots

      1. Of course the animals suffer. Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6RKarFD8sY
        Sheep exported to the Middle East can lie in their own faeces. Some are literally cooked alive in the heat. Some cannot access food or water. I was disgusted to hear crew members ordered to slit the throat of newborn lambs on the live export ship.. They even export pregnant sheep. A whistleblower who worked on a live export ship revealed all this in 2018. He was horrified by what he saw. Actually it is even worse if they survive the journey to the Middle East. I have seen videos of animals having their throats cut several times while they are conscious. Sometimes, especially in the case of cattle half their heads are cut off. It is horrifying to watch. In Egypt they slashed the cattle’s tendons and stabbed their eye before they cut their throats at the Bassatin slaughterhouse. I am sure Erik has a nice salary courtesy of live export. No wonder he loves it and is defending it. In Australia the live export rules are not followed as revealed by the RSPCA and Animals Australia. The government does not care about this. Instead of abusing vegans she is the ill informed one.

  6. This subhuman cruelty to animals cannot be tolerated and must be stopped. Shipping animals across oceans in terrible conditions and poor weather for profit….shame on all who make this happen!!!!

  7. Who gives a care about 43 humans missing bloody karma fir killing all those poor animals I hope you all suffer up above

  8. The ideal vessels to convert to a Livestock carrier remains Tankers which can ballast under-deck and keep a positive GM and Righting lever.
    A Container vessel converted to a livestock carrier smacks of a slipshod job. They have no longitudinal bulkheads either in their hold so ballasting a hold even if it were ever made watertight and restrengthened for the loading is futile for stability. No small wonder AMSA had caught up with one such vessel.

  9. *** TRAPPED Animals with NO WAY OUT, NO LIFE BOATS, NO LIFE JACKETS, CRUELY and PAINFULLY DIEING! NOT Acceptable!
    *** Crew have access to life boats, free to move and evacuate as and when they need to – hope they are safe also.

  10. It was disgusting when that Romanian ship carrying over 200,000 sheep sank and nearly all of them drowned as not many could be saved in November 2019. The live export industry is all profit and no ethics.

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