Animal rights activists from various organisations staged a protest against livestock exports in South Africa following the arrival of the live-export ship Al Messilah in East London.
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The protest, organised by animal rights organisation Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC), took place on Tuesday 2 April, at the intersection of Hertzog Boulevard and Christian Barnard Street in the city centre.
According to News24, Al Messilah arrived in East London earlier that day and was loaded with 58 000 sheep, 200 goats and 1 500 cattle destined for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for slaughter.
Protesters held placards with messages such as ‘Stop the cruelty, ban live exports’, ‘No ban, no vote’ and ‘Shipped to death,’ advocating for an end to live animal exports.
The docking occurs just two months after the arrival of the ‘death ship’ Al Kuwait, which carried 19 000 cattle, at Cape Town harbour.
Toni Brockhoven, chairman of BWC, declared that they would stage protests every time a livestock export vessel docks in South Africa.
‘This is about the dignity and respect we have for those animals that are going to be slaughtered. Putting them through such incredible misery and suffering, some of whom will die onboard or will suffer broken limbs because of the sheer number of animals present, is unacceptable.’
Brockhoven urged for universal condemnation of livestock exports.
‘Every decent thinking person should be saying no to live animal export. It is an embarrassment and a shame that our government cannot see beyond its own immediate want as far as finance goes. This can be creating jobs in South Africa. This could be creating new abattoirs.’
‘Our presence today is not going to change the government’s mind. But we hope that our presence is going to create an awareness for the public.’
Michelle Taberer, co-founder of Stop Live Export South Africa, an organisation dedicated to raising awareness about the cruelty of livestock export trade, emphasised their demand for an immediate ban on the practice.
‘We want more people to support us and our course. We call on people to support these kinds of protests. Because the more awareness we create the more pressure we put on the government and the Department of Agriculture to place a ban on live exports.’
Protester Sharon Fields said the live export of animals is a ‘money-making scheme’.
‘It is despicable that in this day and age live export is still taking place. It is just a money-making racket and it’s shocking. It can so easily be stopped.’
Gabrielle van Heesch, another protester on the day, described the live export of animals as ‘beyond cruel’.
‘There’s no concern for animals, it is just for money. What these animals go through just to be slaughtered is inhumane. They are on ships for weeks on end, they have feelings, they experience fear.’
‘I want live export to be scrapped worldwide. It shouldn’t be happening. People need to eat, but there are ways around it’, she added.
Meanwhile, the NSPCA stated that it welcomed the judgement from the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Makhanda, affirming the NSPCA’s authority to screen all animals on board Al Messilah.
This development follows an urgent application launched by the exporter, Al Mawashi, through the Page Farming Company, in the High Court on Friday 29 March. Their aim was to prevent the NSPCA from marking compromised animals to avoid their loading onto the vessel and from screening for pregnant ewes.
The statement read as, ‘Al Mawashi, however, withdrew the relief in respect of the pregnant ewes at the last minute, due to pregnant ewes being present in the feedlot and with at least one (at that stage) giving birth in the feedlot.’
‘This despite Bruce Page, from the Page Farming Company, deposing under oath that all ewes were screened ‘thoroughly’ for pregnancy and no pregnant ewes would be exported. However, NSPCA’s veterinarian, Dr Marock, as well as the state veterinarian, Dr Zondi, have confirmed that there are pregnant animals, some visibly pregnant, at the feedlot.’
The Court affirmed that the NSPCA has the authority, as endorsed by the Constitutional Court and under its warrant, to examine all animals in the feedlot and assess their living conditions.
‘The abhorrently cruel and hasty sheering of sheep which Al Mawashi has resorted to, due to their self-imposed, profit-driven timeline, was set out in the NSPCA’s papers and the evidence put forward was accepted by the Court.’
‘Al Mawashi now has a costs order for legal fees against it, although such costs do not include the enormous expense to keep our teams on the feedlot and harbour, to conduct the crucial screening and prevention of cruelty to animals,’ concluded the statement.
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