France Irish farm minister Joe Walsh has announced that his department will investigate reports of an incident in which cattle died on a ferry voyage from Rosslare to Brest in France. Walsh said officials had been told by the vessel operators that one of ten trucks carrying livestock had overturned during the voyage. A French veterinary surgeon attended the animals when the vessel docked, and seven are reported to have died. The ship involved had been inspected and approved for carrying livestock by marine inspectors employed by the department of agriculture. However this approval has now been revoked, and the ship will not be allowed to carry animals until the report is complete.
Live exports are vital to the agricultural economy.
Irish live cattle exports have been growing rapidly in recent months. Trailer carrying pigs overturned A trailer carrying approximately 100 pigs overturned on one of Northamptonshire's busiest roads at the end of July causing rush hour chaos on the busy A43 dual carriageway. Light was made of the accident by local press with emphasis appearing to be more on the chaos rather than the suffering of the injured and terror stricken pigs. Seven were destroyed. None of the pigs were injured.