A global network of 36 animal welfare and protection organizations around the world has issued an urgent call to the IMO to introduce binding international regulations for livestock carriers, warning that the
A global network of 36 animal welfare and protection organizations around the world has issued an urgent call to the IMO to introduce binding international regulations for livestock carriers, warning that the ageing fleet poses serious and escalating risks to human life, animal welfare, public health, and the marine environment.
In an open letter sent to the IMO Secretary-General, the organizations outlined systemic safety failures across the global live export shipping fleet, which is now the oldest of any ocean shipping sector, with an average vessel age of 40 years.
The call follows the recent disaster involving the livestock carrier MV Spiridon II.
“These disasters are not accidents. They are the predictable result of a system that allows substandard vessels to carry living animals without any specific international safety or welfare codes,” said veterinarian Dr Maria Boada Saña, project manager sea transport for Animal Welfare Foundation and Tierschutzbund Zürich.
“The reality is that livestock vessels have remained the most detained ship type globally since 2017, despite representing only a small percentage of the world fleet and ourselves and our coalition partners find this totally unacceptable which is why we have formally approached the IMO,” she added.
“No
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