Cattle Cull Controversy
No alternative but to euthanise cattle, says minister
The agriculture minister claimed there was “no reasonable alternative” to euthanising 51 cattle who were shot dead in a field in County Tyrone at the end of June, the BBC reported.
‘The incident attracted widespread criticism after claims emerged that some of the cattle had been culled by Department of Agriculture staff in view of some members of the public in a field near Fivemiletown.
In a statement the agriculture minister said it was “generally preferable” for the animals to be removed from the premises and euthanised remotely.
Andrew Muir said that in this case it was the assessment of veterinary staff that “this option was simply not possible”.
The minister said they used the most suitable areas within the field to “minimise exposure to public view”.
Accounts from the public and neighbours received wide speared media attention after local people said they were distressed after witnessing some of the cattle being culled.
DAERA said it was following a previous animal welfare conviction of the cattle owner. A department spokesperson said the court directed that the defendant be deprived of the ownership of all farmed animals and ordered their destruction.
In an urgent written statement to the assembly, the minister outlined further details on the circumstances surrounding the incident that he said had been provided to him by his officials who attended.
The Ulster Farmers’ Union called for the independent review to be completed without delay. UFU president John McLenaghan told the BBC: “As a union we have been shocked, angered and deeply distressed by this incident.
“The strength of feeling across our membership is unlike anything we have witnessed for many years.”
Muir outlined that the original herd owner had been given three weeks to sell or dispose of the animals following his conviction. He said that when his staff arrived at the farm, 51 cattle remained and that his staff were “unfortunately left with no reasonable alternative to comply with the court order, other than to euthanise the animals”.
The minister added: “Euthanising the animals remotely was not possible due to the lack of suitable, safe facilities on farm to gather up and contain animals to protect both the animals and staff; the temperament of the animals; the additional stress of handling and suitability of the animals for transport e.g. some of the cattle were horned; and the reality that it was simply not possible to transport all of the animals away from the location.”
The statement also confirmed that 50 of the cattle were euthanised on 29 June with one animal euthanised by the team the next morning.
The minister said efforts had been made to undertake the cull in parts of the fields which would “minimise exposure to public view”.
He added: “Although complete screening from all possible vantage points could not be guaranteed, efforts were made to keep the operation out of public view.”
The minister also outlined that a local farmer approached Daera staff at the scene to indicate a potential interest in purchasing some of the animals and that “operations were halted”.
He added: “The local farmer seeking to purchase some of the animals, another individual and the herd keeper were facilitated to remove the animals from a field into a lorry. They chased the animals for a significant period of time and released them onto a public road which created further health and safety risks.
While those actions delayed the completion of operations, ultimately, Daera staff had to intervene as the individuals were unable to detain the animals which by that stage were stressed. At this time there was a small number of protesters at the site, but operations did not recommence until they had left the scene.”
The minister outlined that the remaining cattle were moved from the road and were “subsequently euthanised”.
Muir said it was a “complex and distressing case” for his staff and condemned threats and online abuse that had subsequently been made against DAERA staff.
DUP MLA for Fermanagh South Tyrone Deborah Erskine said it is “clear that significant questions remain” and called for an apology to those who saw the animals being culled.
“There remains a need for greater transparency around the options considered before the decision was taken to euthanise the remaining animals. We also need the precise legal basis for those decisions and the operational planning surrounding the exercise,” she said.
She added that it is welcome that an independent external review is taking place but said it needs to be “genuinely independent” and that “the public deserve clear answers”.
DUP Deputy Leader Michelle McIlveen MLA called on the Agriculture Minister to publish the full court order relating to the Fivemiletown case, saying further transparency is essential if public confidence is to be restored.
Ms McIlveen, who sits on the Agriculture Committee and is a former Minister, said:
“The Department’s credibility is on the line. The Minister’s Written Statement provides additional information, but important questions remain. In particular, there needs to be complete clarity about the legal basis upon which DAERA carried out this operation.
The Minister should now publish the full court order so that there can be no ambiguity about what the court directed and what operational decisions were subsequently taken by the Department.
If the court expressly directed that the animals were to be destroyed, the public deserve to see that. Equally, if DAERA sought such an order, the Department should explain the evidence that was presented to the court to justify it.
Publishing the court order would help establish the facts and ensure that the forthcoming independent review is informed by complete transparency rather than a continuing drip feed of information.
Given the serious questions that have been raised about the veterinary aspects of this operation, I also believe there is a case for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to consider whether an independent professional investigation is warranted. Such a process would allow the clinical and veterinary decision-making to be examined independently of the Department and help provide confidence that the highest professional standards were applied throughout.
I have written to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and asked for the Fivemiletown case to be investigated.”
