LIVESTOCK SHIPPING
Repeated maritime disasters reveal a livestock shipping sector in crisis. A worldwide coalition is calling for binding IMO rules to prevent further human, animal, and environmental loss.
A global network of 36 animal welfare and protection organisations issued an urgent plea to the International Maritime Organization( IMO) to introduce binding regulations for livestock carriers, following a series of disasters that exposed systemic failures across the industry.
In an open letter addressed to the IMO Secretary- General, Arsenio Dominguez, the coalition outlined the mounting risks posed by an ageing fleet, citing the average livestock carrier age of 40 years, which is well above the internationally accepted safe operational lifespan of 25 years. Many of these vessels were converted older ships, compromising stability, ventilation, and structural integrity, while continuous exposure to animal effluent further accelerated deterioration.
“ These disasters were not accidents; they were the predictable result of a system that allowed sub-standard vessels to carry living animals without adhering to any specific international safety or welfare codes,” says Michelle Taberer, spokesperson for Stop Live Export SA.
The call to action came amid the recent MV Spiridon II disaster last year, which underscored the immediacy of the risks. The coalition argued that the transport of live animals by sea, unlike other hazardous cargo such as chemicals or radioactive materials, remained largely unregulated, exposing animals, crew, and the environment to what was essentially predictable and preventable harm.
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