Animals Trapped In Ships Blocking The Suez Might Starve If Situation Lasts Longer

Among the ships trapped in the Suez Canal jam, there are many livestock ships. Concerns have been raised about these, with fears that animals that are being transported in them could starve to death.

Since the 23rd of March, Ever Given, Evergreen’s ship that’s 400m in length, has been lodged in the international shipping lane. This has caused delays for a lot of other ships and rerouting chaos for companies worldwide. Till this huge ship is relocated, all these problems will unfortunately continue.

Source – PA images

20 Out Of 200 Plus Vessels Are Carrying Livestock

However, rerouting issues and delays aren’t the only issues. Data from the charity and the Marine Traffic website states that out of the 200 plus vessels trapped in the blockage, around 20 are carrying livestock. If the situation lasts longer, animal welfare problems may also arise.

Gerit Weidinger is the EU coordinator for the Animals International charity. In an interview with The Guardian, she stated that it’s impossible to unload the animals somewhere else because of paperwork. She added that her greatest fear is animals running out of food and water. She states that risks like starvation, dehydration, injuries, building up of waste are always associated with getting stuck on board. When waste builds up, animals are unable to lie down. Also, it’s impossible to remove dead animal bodies from the canal. She further states: “It’s basically a ticking biohazard timebomb for animals and the crew and any person involved.”

Source – PA images

Concerning the livestock aboard, the Spanish agricultural ministry stated that till the blockage is cleared, animal transport ships bound for Saudi Arabia and Jordan should not be loaded.

So far, all attempts of dislodging the container ship have failed. On Friday evening, tug boats attempts were halted, and the US Navy is sending a team to help with the situation. Although the concerns about livestock aren’t immediate, they might arise if the blockage lasts for much longer.

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