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Yet another live export disaster
Another livestock ship, the 34 year old former car transporter the 'Danny F II' has sunk off the coast of Lebanon in the Middle East, with the loss of all the animals on board.
Category: General
Posted by: Admin
Animals Australia Media Release 19 December 2009
Disaster on the high seas – live animal export ship sinks
A former Australian-owned live export ship sank near Lebanon on Thursday – drowning almost 18,000 cattle and over 10,000 sheep.
More than half the 83 crew members are still missing. The MS Danny F II was on its way from Uruguay to Syria.
The Danny F II, formerly owned by Elders, transported Australian sheep from Australia to the Middle East until several years ago.
Animals Australia Executive Director Glenys Oogjes reacted with horror to the news –
"The live export trade has a history littered with disasters. One can only imagine the terror for both the crew and the animals as the Danny F II went down.
Attempts to rescue the crew were hampered by floating animal carcases, providing a stark image of the scale of the suffering and death caused.
"This disaster should provide a further wake up call to the Rudd Government that there are inherent and unacceptable risks every time these huge livestock vessels take to sea. When something goes wrong – such as fire, ventilation breakdown, or extremes of weather such as the storms that hit the Danny F II, thousands of lives are lost.
"Whilst such disasters occur sporadically, the routine loss of life resulting from live animal export is equally appalling. Almost four times the sheep death toll on the Danny F died on Australia's live shipping fleet in 2008. Each year some 40,000 sheep die on 'our' ships due to their failure to eat the pellet food provided, from salmonella infections, and from injuries or heat stress.
"The sinking of the Danny F II is a tragedy, but our unethical trade in live animals is a daily disaster for the animals involved," concluded Ms Oogjes.
Background:
For a listing of major disaster in the Australian live export trade over the past 3 decades -
http://www.liveexport-indefensible.com/facts/litany.php
Media comment: Glenys Oogjes 041 431 2552
STOPTAC note: The 'Danny F II', operated by Rachid Fares Enterprises in Australia, was one of a number of livestock carriers which failed Australian Maritime Safety Authority Standards a few years ago, and its operations were moved to South America.
Amongst defects found during one AMSA detention in Australia were:
'Bulkhead between fuel oil tank and water ballast tank holed, Bulkhead between stern tank and steering gear space corroded and holed, Navigation lights and shapes unserviceable, VHF radio equipment defective, Weathertight door and deck air pipe closing arrangement defective'.
The 'Danny F II' had been used to transport Tasmanian sheep to the Middle East.
Disaster on the high seas – live animal export ship sinks
A former Australian-owned live export ship sank near Lebanon on Thursday – drowning almost 18,000 cattle and over 10,000 sheep.
More than half the 83 crew members are still missing. The MS Danny F II was on its way from Uruguay to Syria.
The Danny F II, formerly owned by Elders, transported Australian sheep from Australia to the Middle East until several years ago.
The 34 year old former car transporter 'Danny F II'
Animals Australia Executive Director Glenys Oogjes reacted with horror to the news –
"The live export trade has a history littered with disasters. One can only imagine the terror for both the crew and the animals as the Danny F II went down.
Attempts to rescue the crew were hampered by floating animal carcases, providing a stark image of the scale of the suffering and death caused.
"This disaster should provide a further wake up call to the Rudd Government that there are inherent and unacceptable risks every time these huge livestock vessels take to sea. When something goes wrong – such as fire, ventilation breakdown, or extremes of weather such as the storms that hit the Danny F II, thousands of lives are lost.
"Whilst such disasters occur sporadically, the routine loss of life resulting from live animal export is equally appalling. Almost four times the sheep death toll on the Danny F died on Australia's live shipping fleet in 2008. Each year some 40,000 sheep die on 'our' ships due to their failure to eat the pellet food provided, from salmonella infections, and from injuries or heat stress.
"The sinking of the Danny F II is a tragedy, but our unethical trade in live animals is a daily disaster for the animals involved," concluded Ms Oogjes.
Background:
For a listing of major disaster in the Australian live export trade over the past 3 decades -
http://www.liveexport-indefensible.com/facts/litany.php
Media comment: Glenys Oogjes 041 431 2552
STOPTAC note: The 'Danny F II', operated by Rachid Fares Enterprises in Australia, was one of a number of livestock carriers which failed Australian Maritime Safety Authority Standards a few years ago, and its operations were moved to South America.
Amongst defects found during one AMSA detention in Australia were:
'Bulkhead between fuel oil tank and water ballast tank holed, Bulkhead between stern tank and steering gear space corroded and holed, Navigation lights and shapes unserviceable, VHF radio equipment defective, Weathertight door and deck air pipe closing arrangement defective'.
The 'Danny F II' had been used to transport Tasmanian sheep to the Middle East.
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