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'Ship of death not headed for Iraq'
Jordan Times, Sunday, September 28, 2003
SYDNEY (AFP) — Australia's agriculture minister Saturday denied reports that a shipload of live sheep stranded in the Persian Gulf for two months would be offloaded in Iraq. Warren Truss said government and industry officials were still trying to strike a deal with the war-torn nation, among about nine others, but negotiations had been put on hold for 24 hours to observe the holy day in Muslim countries on Fridays. "Reports that a deal has been done and that the Cormo Express will dock in Iraq ... to unload its cargo of live sheep are incorrect," he said.
"The Australian government and industry continue to be involved in a number of sensitive negotiations with a number of countries and organisations in an endeavour to arrange a suitable destination for the sheep as soon as possible."
Canberra is desperately searching for a solution to an issue that has drawn protests at home and abroad and is proving to be a public relations disaster for the controversial live trade worth one billion dollars ($680 million) to Australia annually.
The shipload of 57,000 live sheep left Australia almost two months ago for Saudi Arabia but was rejected because an excessive number were suffering from the disease scabby mouth, a claim dismissed by onboard Australian veterinarians.
The sheep have since been stranded on the Dutch-owned Cormo Express in the Gulf in sweltering conditions, which have led to around 6,000 deaths, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) said.
Canberra has so far failed to find a taker for the sheep in negotiations with 10 countries despite offering them for free.
Melbourne's Age newspaper reported Friday the government had struck a secret deal with Iraq for the sheep to be slaughtered for Ramadan.
Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said Australian livestock exporters would buy back the surviving sheep and give them away. It said the deal would cost the national live trade industry up to $10 million and could lead to a levy on live exports.
Truss said the Australian vet aboard the Dutch-registered ship reported the sheep were in good condition and had adequate supplies of food and water.
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| Earth, a planet hungry for peace |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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| The Israeli apartheid (security) wall around Palestinian population centers in the West Bank (Ran Cohen, pmc, 5/24/03). |
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