Thousands of animals stuck in the hulls of 10 ships

Up to 10 ships stuck in and around the canal are believed to be carrying livestock.

Of all the millions of tons of cargo that accumulate in the Suez Canal, none is more delicate than the animals crammed into the hulls of several ships.

Little information is available, with neither canal officials nor shipping officials willing to speak, but data compiled by Bloomberg indicates that up to 10 ships stuck in and around the canal could be carrying livestock. Considering the route from Europe to Saudi Arabia, they are most likely carrying sheep.

While much of the cargo transported consists of commodities such as petroleum which can be stored on ships for long periods of time, livestock need food and water, and these deliveries usually only carry a few more days. This could create a critical situation for ships to find food in a local port or force them to turn around. The dislodgement of the vessel blocking the canal may take at least a week, longer than initially expected, people familiar with the matter said.

“I wouldn’t expect right after a two-day delay that a problem would have developed,” said Peter Stevenson, policy director of animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming, who called for the end. of the living animal. the expeditions. “It is over time that the problems get worse. Sometimes there are real scandals when things go wrong, but it is an everyday horror.”

Cattle can also be transported by sea and ships would typically have at least two or three days of extra hay or feed on board, said Bob Bishop, president of the U.S. Cattle Exporters Association. If the power runs out, they might get more than one port while refueling. A vessel that cannot make it to dock could be fed by a barge in what is called “intermediate loading,” he said.

Weighing options

“If you run out of food, I would look to get into the harbor and provide additional food,” Bishop said by phone from New York. “If I were the owner of the sheep, I would try to find a country that needs sheep,” he added. “The shortest route would be back to Romania.”

At least 10 ships designed to carry animals are stationed near the shutter canal, and several appear to be en route between Romania and Saudi Arabia, according to ship data compiled by Bloomberg. Those leaving the European country are likely carrying sheep, which Saudi Arabia purchases so the animals can be slaughtered according to religious preferences. Those traveling the other way could be empty ships.

The Middle Eastern nation is by far the world’s largest importer of sheep, according to United Nations data. But the trade route has sometimes faced a disaster. About 14,000 sheep shipped from Romania to Saudi Arabia were killed when a ship partially capsized in 2019, according to media at the time. Rescuers were only able to save just over 200 animals.

Risks On The Road

Ships that fill thousands of sheep and longer journeys increase the risk of disease and stress, said Stevenson of the animal welfare group. Some ships used to transport animals have also been converted for other purposes and are not perfectly suited, he said. It can be difficult to change course after departure due to health rules.

Bishop said livestock death rates are generally no higher at sea than on land, with most ships having a veterinarian.

A US shipment of dairy cattle left the Texan port of Galveston late last year en route to Pakistan via the Suez, Bishop said. Another recent shipment of American cattle sailed from the west coast to Pakistan, avoiding the Suez due to tolls, he said.

“After this container ship, you might see more and more of it,” he said.