DEMANDS were growing last night for a ban on the shipping of live animals from Ireland to North Africa following confirmation that a boatload of cattle had been stranded with limited food off Tripoli port in Libya since Sunday last.
Two of the 1,130 animals on board died as the Guernsey Express awaited permission to land them in Tripoli because the vessel did not have enough fodder on board to bring the animals to another port.
The vessel, which is under charter to a French shipper, CED Viandes in Paris, left the Louth port of Greenore on February 22nd but did not arrive in Tripoli, its original destination, until last Sunday.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the vessel was delayed, by storms and did not make port in the normal eight days. But, it said, the vessel had been carrying sufficient supplies to cover a delay of three days.
The Libyan authorities ordered the ship to Derna, 750 miles further east because the cattle lairage in Tripoli was full.
"We know the vessel arrived on Sunday but we had no inkling that there were difficulties until Thursday. We arranged that the animals be watered and they were taken off the vessel today," the Department spokesman said.
The spokesman added that all the regulations put into place to monitor the shipment of cattle to non EU countries had been met.
"There was extra food and water aboard and this ship has a very good track record in exporting. We see no reason to suspend the trade. The bad weather caused this problem," he said.
But last night Compassion in World Farming in Ireland and the Green Party called for the end to the live shipping trade and said the regulations introduced by Mr Yates last year were clearly not working.
Ms Mary Ann Bartlett of CIWF said that the last full ration given to the cattle was when they arrived in Tripoli last Sunday. She claimed the animals were given half rations on Monday and Tuesday and were given no food on Wednesday and Thursday.
"In February Minister Yates put into place new welfare legislation covering cattle shipments to non EU countries. This is obviously failing abysmally to protect Irish animals."