Film of Irish cattle being loaded on to a ship in Waterford for Lebanon formed part of a film released in Brussels by the Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) organisation yesterday.
The film was screened as part of the CIWF campaign to end the live shipment of cattle to the Middle East with the aid of EU export refunds, and featured secret footage from a slaughterhouse in Beirut.
The CIWF film, launched by celebrity supporter Joanna Lumley, showed cattle being loaded on to a vessel in Waterford in October 2004. Some electric prods were being used to move the animals up ramps.
The company which was chartering the vessel at the time of the filming could not be contacted yesterday. It is no longer chartering the vessel.
The film also showed animals being driven in open trucks from Beirut port to a high-rise lairage in the city.
However, the most shocking part of the film which has been placed on the web was shot secretly at the government-run Karantina slaughterhouse in Beirut . "The pre-slaughter conditions were shocking: heavy cattle tied by one back leg on to a slaughterline whilst fully conscious. The terrified cattle were killed by having their throats cut without any stunning," said Mary Anne Bartlett, of CIWF (Ireland).
She said the film from the slaughterhouse was shot under very difficult conditions and did not feature Irish animals. However, investigators had produced a tag off a Kerry-born animal which had been exported and slaughtered at the plant.
She called for an immediate end to the live export trade to Lebanon, and said it was no longer necessary because there was a beef deficit now in the EU.
"It is time to end this cruel trade now which is being unwittingly financed by the European taxpayer to the tune of €230 per animal."
The Department of Agriculture last night defended its controls on the shipment of live animals to the Lebanon, and said it would investigate any alleged breaches of welfare requirements brought to its attention.
It said vets supervised loading at the ports, and on occasions vets travelled with the cattle. In the period 2000 to 2004, the mortality average was 0.08 per cent, and the department investigated any shipment where more than five animals died in transit.
It said Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan recently met with CIWF, where live exports was discussed without any major allegations of abuse.
Maireád McGuinness, the Leinster Fine Gael MEP, said the welfare of Irish cattle had to be protected. "I have viewed the video, and would have some concerns about footage shown of the slaughtering. However, I would dispute the contention that there is widespread abuse of animals at the lairages in Ireland or throughout the journey to the Lebanon - certainly the video did not show such abuse."
A livestock exporter who uses the vessel making the Lebanon run, but not on the occasion when the film was made, said loading was supervised by Department of Agriculture vets. Some shippers had vets of their own to ensure that no sick animals were allowed on board.