Ireland revokes license of livestock ship operator over low performance rating

Decision concerns two ships regularly transporting live animals to the Middle East, prompting questions about monitoring of fleetThe Irish government revoked approvals for the operator of two regular livestock carriers, the Atlantic M and the Express 1, last week, following questions from the Guardian and Irish farm animal welfare organisation Ethical Farming Ireland (EFI). Internal emails appear to show that Ireland's Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) was unaware that the performance ratings for the ships' operator was below the required standard until a campaigner from EFI got in touch last year. Continue reading...