2 months to slay sheep at sea

2003-10-09 10:08

Sydney - Australia admitted on Thursday it was examining the practicality of slaughter at sea for more than 50 000 sheep on a so-called "ship of death" in the Middle East, following demands by animal welfare groups.

But Agriculture Minister Warren Truss said that solution would pose formidable problems.

Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday that government officials had drafted a plan to kill the sheep on the MV Cormo Express, the Dutch-owned vessel on which they have been stranded since Saudi Arabia rejected them in August.

Truss told national radio it would take up to two months to carry out.

Two months to complete

"It would be an enormously difficult task, would take perhaps as much as two months to complete, would require crews to be moved on board. There are issues associated with the disposal of the carcasses," Truss told national radio.

"All of these issues are naturally being examined as a part of the fall-back options, should we be unable to find a place for the sheep. But the other option also, of bringing them back to Australia, is also under active consideration."

Prime Minister John Howard said current plans were still to return them to Australia if no country could be found to take them. Australia, which repurchased the sheep for A$4.5m (about R21m) from their Saudi owner, had made approaches to 27 countries, he said.

"The advice I have at present is that to slaughter all of them at sea is well nigh impractical," Howard said.

Animal welfare activists have called for them to be immediately slaughtered on board to end their suffering. They believe the government has only opposed it due to the negative publicity it fears would result.

A former government adviser on quarantine matters has said slaughter at sea would take only a week to complete and avoid the risk of introducing new animal diseases into Australia, which has the agriculture industry deeply concerned.

Saudi Arabia alleged in August the sheep had unacceptably high levels of the disease "scabby mouth". Independent veterinarians have since backed up the views of Australian vets, who say the sheep are not diseased. However, a series of other countries have followed the Saudi lead and refused to take them, even for free.

Heat and exhaustion

More than four thousand of the animals have died, mostly due to the heat and exhaustion of their ordeal.

Senator and sheep farmer Bill Heffernan told parliament on Wednesday the rejection of the sheep by Saudi Arabia had nothing to do with disease, and was with "some of sort of secret Saudi men's business".

"This was about some secret men's deal over there by persons unknown, probably a bunch of carpetbaggers on the other side," Heffernan said.

- AFP