Media Release
19 December 2009
Disaster on the high seas – live animal export ship sinks
A former Australian-owned live export ship sank near Lebanon on Thursday –
drowning almost 18,000 cattle and over 10,000 sheep. More than half the 83 crew
members are still missing. The MS Danny F II was on its way from Uruguay to Syria.
The Danny F II, formerly owned by Elders, transported Australian sheep from Australia to the
Middle East until several years ago.
Animals Australia Executive Director Glenys Oogjes reacted with horror to the news –
"The live export trade has a history littered with disasters. One can only imagine the terror
for both the crew and the animals as the Danny F II went down. Attempts to rescue the crew
were hampered by floating animal carcases, providing a stark image of the scale of the
suffering and death caused.
"This disaster should provide a further wake up call to the Rudd Government that there are
inherent and unacceptable risks every time these huge livestock vessels take to sea. When
something goes wrong – such as fire, ventilation breakdown, or extremes of weather such as
the storms that hit the Danny F II, thousands of lives are lost.
"Whilst such disasters occur sporadically, the routine loss of life resulting from live animal
export is equally appalling. Almost four times the sheep death toll on the Danny F died on
Australia's live shipping fleet in 2008. Each year some 40,000 sheep die on 'our' ships due
to their failure to eat the pellet food provided, from salmonella infections, and from injuries or
heat stress.
"The sinking of the Danny F II is a tragedy, but our unethical trade in live animals is a daily
disaster for the animals involved," concluded Ms Oogjes.
Background:
For a listing of major disaster in the Australian live export trade over the past 3 decades -
Media comment:
Glenys Oogjes 041 431 2552
Animals Australia Inc. 37 O’Connell Street, North Melbourne 3051
NEWS 
