LIVESTOCK SHIPPING
The letter emphasised the human and environmental costs of inaction. Since 2000, at least seven major livestock carriers – including Gulf Livestock 1( 2020), Haidar( 2015), Queen Hind( 2019), Al Badri( 2022), and Danny F. II( 2009) – had been lost at sea, resulting in dozens of human fatalities and tens of thousands of animal deaths.
“ The failure to regulate these ships was costing humans their lives, devastating ecosystems and condemning millions of animals to suffering at sea every year,” Taberer adds.
The coalition highlighted that many vessels operated under flags of convenience and were routinely violating international pollution and safety standards, with weak oversight by regulatory bodies. Untreated animal effluent and carcasses were often discharged at sea, including in protected Special Areas such as the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and Persian Gulf.
The absence of specific livestock regulations has had severe welfare consequences. Animals endured extreme heat stress, overcrowding, disease, and prolonged confinement in waste-soaked pens during long voyages.
Seafarers faced unsafe working conditions, exposure to zoonotic diseases, and the physical risks of managing live and dead animals on unstable decks.
In their letter, the coalition outlined urgent measures for the IMO and proposed the development of a binding International Code for the Carriage of Livestock, enforceable standards for vessel design, ventilation, waste and carcass management, crew safety, and animal welfare. They also called for strengthened port inspections, investigations into violations of MARPOL pollution law, and contingency plans to prevent open-ended voyages.
Without international intervention, the wellbeing of both animals and crew will remain highly compromised...”
“ Without international intervention, the wellbeing of both animals and crew will remain highly compromised and at predictable risk by systematic neglect,” the letter stated.
The coalition also cited the growing momentum among certain countries to phase out live exports. These include India, the United Kingdom, and Australia, all of which plan to end live sheep exports by 2028. Yet globally, they said, around 110 livestock carriers continued to operate, many approaching the end of their operational lives, which highlighted the urgent need for coordinated international action.
The global network positioned the regulation of livestock carriers as a matter of extreme urgency. Lisa Baker, President of Stop Live Exports, concluded the letter by stressing the regulatory gap:“ No other sector of shipping would be permitted to operate under such low and dangerous standards. We urge the IMO to urgently prioritise closing this gap before another catastrophe ensues.” �
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