Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE) · leave the area around the Scania griffin transporter. 0908 hrs. The Irish ‘HUNTER’ vehicle (No. 5) with the calves, now loaded onto

Sheet 1BAN LIVE ANIMAL EXPORTS

Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE).All rights reserved. No part of this publication, including any photographs,

may be reproduced for commercial purposes using any means whatsoever, without prior written permission from KAALE.Contact – Mark Johnson – EU Correspondent and Press / Media; or Valerie Cameron – Official KAALE Photographer.

Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE)

“I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell.”President Harry S Truman

Photos by Jane and Valerie on the day – unless from KAALE archive as detailed.

Patrons:Carla Lane: http://www.carlalane.com/

‘The Black Spurs’: http://www.theblackspurs.com.au/Contents.htmMaria Daines: http://www.maria-daines.com/

Website: http://www.kaale.org.uk/

Mailing Address: The Sheiling, London Road, Sholden, Deal, Kent, CT14 0AD England; Uk.Newsline: 01304 – 204688

(Newsline normally updated each Sunday evening; more regularly during every shipment as data gathered)

Contacts: Chairman: Mr. Ian Birchall – Mobile 07968 134489EU / Press Officer: Mr. Mark Johnson – Mobile: 07947 997110

Wednesday 25th July 2012

‘J58’

KAALE REPORT on the LIVESTOCK SHIPMENT on Wednesday 25th July 2012 fromRAMSGATE, Kent, England, to Calais, France.

VESSEL: M.V. ‘Joline’. Small Ro-Ro with limited capacity up to 7 livestock transporterscarried on a single, open (to all elements) deck.

CONDITIONS: Very slight breeze from the East. Calm sea. Full sun with temperatures up to29C. Today is formally the hottest day of the year recorded so far.

ATTENDING: KAALE and TALE monitors and members. DEFRA ‘s ‘Animal Health’ andKent Police. The RSPCA unable to be present.

0730 hrs. Vessel ‘Joline’ berths in Ramsgate Commercial Port.

http://www.carlalane.com/

http://www.theblackspurs.com.au/Contents.htm

http://www.maria-daines.com/




Livestock Transporters Arriving at Ramsgate Harbour on this, the Hottest Day of the Year.

0805 hrs. (No. 1) - Registration: (front and rear) DK55 RMX.Nationality: ENGLISH. No name displayed but this is Trevor HEAD, a livestock dealer

based near Canterbury, Kent. Carrying sheep in 3 tiers.

DK55 RMX - KAALE Archive Photo




0805 hrs. (No. 2) - Registration: BV XF 22 (front) / 03 WG NF (rear).Wagon and drag (i.e. drawbar configuration). Nationality: DUTCH.

Name: SWIER - VEEHANDEL. Carrying sheep – which looked very crowded on the top tierof the drag trailer.

SWIER – VEEHANDEL - KAALE Archive Photo

SWIER – VEEHANDEL Drawbar Configuration - Web Photo




0838 hrs. (No. 3) - Registration: BN GV 01 (front) / (monitors unable to obtain rear as thenext vehicle was too close). Nationality: DUTCH.

White cab with grey trailer carrying sheep in 3 tiers.

No name displayed on vehicle but it is known / has been known for a very long time tobelong to one J. Onderwater of the NL; the actual operator of the vessel ‘Joline’.

On Monday 5th July, at Folkestone Magistrates Court, Kent; Onderwater Agneaux BVpleaded guilty to six offences under the Animal Health Act 1981 of causing the transport of

sheep in contravention of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006.

On this date, the company was fined £1,000 for each offence, totalling £6,000, and furtherordered to pay prosecution costs of £4355.00 and a £15.00 victim surcharge.

Total fines and costs of £10,370.

This prosecution in the UK was an additional one to that which was undertaken in theNetherlands by the Dutch authorities (who worked with both KAALE and the Netherlandsbased animal welfare organization ‘Eyes on Animals’ - http://www.eyesonanimals.com/ )on the very same company for the very same offences. In the NL as a result of prosecution

actions, Onderwater was given 2 out of 3 possible ‘strikes’ to his company.

And still at this present time, the hottest day of 2012, UK Conservative Minister Jim Paiceseems to ‘work within the law’ (?) and approve the live animal exports of fully fleeced sheep

to be undertaken from Ramsgate harbour by this very same criminal.Is this working ‘within the law’ ?

BN GV 01- KAALE Archive Photos

http://www.eyesonanimals.com/




0838 hrs. (No. 4) - Registration: BZ HX 63 (front) / OF 68 RN (rear).Nationality: DUTCH. No name displayed. Dark blue Scania cab with Red / Gold ‘Griffin’

logo on side. The grey trailer was loaded with FOUR tiers of sheep which looked as if theirheads were touching the roof of the top tier; thus having virtually no space at all.

‘Griffin Scania’ - KAALE Archive Photo (Note Red / Gold Griffin on cab rear)

‘Griffin Scania’ - KAALE Archive Photo




1038 hrs. (No. 5) - Registration: 07 MN 37 (front and rear).Nationality: IRISH REPUBLIC. Name: HUNTER INTERNATIONAL - registered in 2007 in

County Monaghan in the Irish Republic. Carrying Calves in 3 tiers.

KAALE Archive Photo

After these vehicles were parked and the drivers alighted, two young boys were seenrunning around the hardstand; presumably they had travelled with one of the drivers -

maybe it is a “take your child to work” day ?

The RSPCA inspectors were not present (through no fault of their own) for this shipment.As a result, not every animal carrying transporter was inspected by people (DEFRA / AH)

allegedly competent to spot anything that is not right – see following para. This is adifferent approach to that of the RSPCA, who inspect every single vehicle and very often

find faults with many of them (as detailed in our previous reports); especially in relation tonon working fans and drinker nipples; which one could say is rather essential today, it

being the hottest day of the year.

DEFRA were the only organisation present in body, and some sort of inspections of someselected vehicles took place; but we are not sure exactly which vehicles got the AnimalHealth’s policy of just “1 in 3“ (vehicles inspected) attention. Whatever; obviously not

enough –considering that on such a hot day like today, the minimum that should have beendone is that EVERY single vehicle should have been given a thorough inspection (as per

RSPCA policy) to ensure that it complied with regulations and that suffering animals in theextreme heat were provided with at least some bare essentials.




However, something did need attention on the Scania truck (with the griffin logo).The driver climbed fully up the side if the trailer and crawled across the roof to near theend; then laid flat and lent over the side, reaching down with his hand to the slats below;attempting to adjust something. Maybe an attempt to even get more air to the animals on

this terribly hot day.

Whilst he was doing this, the head of ‘another person’ was seen on the opposite side of thetrailer, he having also climbed up the side to adjust something. This trailer is very old and

the roof is never flat, undulating wildly – known to observers as the ‘roller coaster roof’.Now it appears to have been altered at the front end of the top tier, with the fitting of solid

panels of metal.It is always noted that the vents of this trailer are set very narrow.

0850 hrs. The SWIER drawbar loaded onto the ‘Joline’; reversing on and parking at thestern of the ship; where it was observed that the vehicle driver then raised the roof of the

drag trailer; creating a better atmosphere for the sheep. After the drivers modifications, thegap almost looked large enough for the sheep to jump out of !

0852 hrs. Trevor Head’s small transporter loaded onto the ‘Joline’ and he also raised theroof on the top tier. A real ‘roof raising day’ was seen by all observers and monitors.




0852 hrs. The Dutch transporter with the white cab (Onderwater) also loaded onto the‘Joline’.

0905 hrs. The red inspection ladder on wheels (best facility at the harbour) was seen toleave the area around the Scania griffin transporter.

0908 hrs. The Irish ‘HUNTER’ vehicle (No. 5) with the calves, now loaded onto the vessel‘Joline’ after a shuffle or two down the link-span which runs from the dock to the ship.




The recorded timings of events mean that the calves had only had just under HALFand hour standstill on the docks; totally non-compliant with previous promises made by

Conservative Minister Jim Paice.




0915hrs. Last to load is the Scania (Griffin) truck. The trailer roof as observed from thesides looks uneven; and in fact the whole trailer looks very battered. In our opinion, it

should have been scrapped along with this animal trade years ago.

Extra thought - And how do we know if the fans all along the length of the griffin trailerkeep working (if they even were) when the engine of the tractor unit is switched off once onthe ‘Joline’ ? - given that the trailer air vents are set very narrow it has to be asked; is thereenough air coming into the trailer, especially in the heat today; the hottest day of the year ?

See the DEFRA publication attached to this report for more information on animalventilation requirements – “Livestock Transport Vehicles – A Guide to Best Practice for

Vehicle Ventilation”. Maybe some DEFRA operatives need to read it ?

0935 hrs. Vessel ‘Joline’ leaves the berth at Ramsgate harbour, bound for Calais.







Comment: The very fact that ‘certified’ drivers have raised their roofs on their trailers istestament to the very high temperatures encountered today. It will be even hotter on the

continent / mainland of Europe than it is here in England or out at sea.

Therefore KAALE has registered a formal complaint regarding this hot weather sailing andthe very sporadic checks made by ‘Competent’ Authorities (DEFRA AH) associated with

observations today at Ramsgate.




In Closing:

KAALE are in regular contact with officials at Legal Affairs, c/o General Affairs,EUROPEAN COMMISSION, HEALTH AND CONSUMERS DIRECTORATE-GENERAL,

Brussels. The Food and Veterinary Office (FVO); which forms part of this Commission,undertook and investigation mission to the UK back in (18th – 22nd) February 2008; after

specific correspondence from KAALE regarding the apparent lack of a specialist facility inKent county to which animals destined for export could be taken should it be necessary – ie.

In the case of an emergency; a delayed sailing etc.

Recent correspondence returned to KAALE from Legal Affairs and the FVO now inform usthat the EU FVO are going to make another follow - up mission to the UK during early 2013.

It is our current understanding that Ramsgate harbour; as the main current UK livestockexport port, has a legal requirement to ensure that facilities exist at the harbour or

certainly within Kent county, should it be necessary to take any animals there as a result of(animal export) problems encountered at Ramsgate. We know from our recent work withthe RSPCA that their inspectors at Ramsgate have experienced several events where theirofficers have shown a specific wish to remove some animals from transporters within theport recently; due to non-compliance with EU transport regulations; and as a result havewished to have these animals taken to the ‘Kent facility’. But the RSPCA have been unableto do this, as it appears some 4 years on from the FVO mission of February 2008, a Kent

facility for animals going from Kent ports still does not exist.As a result of not having such a (Kent) facility, the RSPCA have no option but to witness

these animals continue on journeys to Europe.

In one of their recent letters to KAALE, the EU Legal Affairs team in Brussels have said:

“Please rest assured that the Commission will continue monitoring animal transport issuesvery closely, also by ensuring appropriate follow up by the UK authorities of

recommendations issued by the FVO”.

Through their EU Correspondent, KAALE will now be formally writing to ask the EU FVOmission team to visit Ramsgate port as part of their mission to the UK in 2013 to investigatewhat exactly / actually exists in the way of Kent county facilities which are in place for the

removal and keeping of animals which may be deemed necessary (by the RSPCA forexample) prior to export sailings – this policy should also apply to DEFRA and AHrequirements; but from what we see, appears to be lacking now for over 4 years.

In our correspondence we will also ask the EU FVO to work specifically with DEFRA andobtain exact information as to the facilities which we have always been told ‘do exist’

within Kent county for same, and what exactly has been done by UK Competent Authoritiesto follow up the FVO recommendations associated with this very same issue since the

original FVO investigation of February 2008.

We trust that both DEFRA and Ramsgate harbour will have acceptable answers and will beable to provide both the EU FVO and the RSPCA with full details of where exactly animalscan be taken should it be necessary to remove them at Ramsgate harbour in accordance

with EU transport Regulation 1/2005 prior to any live transport sailing.

We also hope and trust that other UK farm animal welfare organisations involved in UK(Ramsgate) export campaigns will also write formally to the EU FVO to express their

concerns regarding the existence of a Kent county facility for export animals, and support




us in our call for all parties involved with live animal exports to now come clean andpresent the exact details of what can be done with animals which are deemed unfit to

continue their journey from Ramsgate.

The responses to these questions will again form part of our EU and UK election campaignsfor the future; discussions and procedures for which are now starting to be established.

This is KAALE report J58 compiled on Wednesday 25th July 2012(the hottest day of the year thus far).

Distributed on Thursday 26th July 2012.

On the hook, not the hoof.

Campaigning for Kent based emergency facilities for liveanimals.

Documents

Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE) · leave the area around the Scania griffin transporter. 0908 hrs. The Irish ‘HUNTER’ vehicle (No. 5) with the calves, now loaded onto