6


Issue 3 2013


///NEWS


Livestock traders in move to resume Dover sailings


In the latest twist on the long- running sage of UK cattle exports to the Continent, the Port of Dover has been asked for terminal facilities by Barco de Vapor, operators of the controversial livestock ferry, the Joline. The Joline, a small ex-Russian river ferry, has been operating sporadic sailings from Ramsgate, in the teeth of opposition from Thanet Council, owners and operators of the port, which has taken legal action to have the trade stopped. The port of Dover in its official


press statement, made it clear that it was complying with a recent High Court ruling which “has made it crystal clear that ports, and DHB in particular, must facilitate this legal trade.” DHB would take rigorous steps to demand that all aspects of animal health and welfare agreed with the authorities are fully complied with “and that the vessel meets all mandatory and operational requirements.” The Joline operation out of


Ramsgate, now the sole livestock carrying service from the UK to the Continent, has been heavily criticised for its poor animal welfare standards and lack of reliability. However, mainstream ferry companies now refuse to


touch the live animal trade (and Eurotunnel has never accepted live animals since its opening). Meanwhile, the sailings of the Joline have increasingly become a cloak-and-dagger affair as the operators run the gauntlet of protests by well-organised animal right protesters. As is normal for all new vehicle


ferries, DHB asked Barco de Vapor to bring its vessel for an initial trial to ensure that the moorings and vehicle loading bridge connections are fit for purpose prior to commencing any ferry operation. The ship will also be subject to stringent operational rules and a full evaluation of the berthing trial will be carried out before any final decision is made. Later, the port of Dover said that


the results of the trials had been “inconclusive”. The 1988-built Joline is run


by Netherlands-based shipping operator Barco de Vapor, which in turn is owned by animal trader John Onderwater. This ship, weighing under 300dwt and which appears to be a close cousin of the Woolwich Ferry, is not many mariners’ idea of a seagoing vessel. In fact, some argue that banning cattle lorries from the mainstream ferries has


actually worsened the plight of animals heading for the Continent as many of the Joline’s sailings have had to be cancelled and its speed of only 8 knots means that voyage times are much longer than on the scheduled services. Meanwhile, a government


report into the death of more than 40 sheep at the port of Ramsgate port following an incident in September 2012 has demanded a tightening-up of procedures. Six animals fell into the water and drowned aſter being unloaded aſter a floor on which they were being unloaded for inspection collapsed and 41 lame sheep had to be put down. The report called for all animals


passing through Ramsgate to be properly inspected and for better enforcement of welfare standards. It also called for a range of contingency measures to be introduced and for the Government’s Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) to improve its procedures. Three directors of Capel-


le-Ferne-based Channel Livestock - Thomas Lomas, Madalina Suslanescu and Peter Ziolkowskiand - pleaded not guilty at Canterbury Magistrates


Court in early April to charges of failing to provide a safe environment for sheep in a case brought by Kent Trading Standards. Two French lorry drivers failed to appear but also entered not guilty pleas. The case has been adjourned to 21 May. Livestock exporters are also


however suing Thanet


District Council in the High Court for lost earnings aſter the council imposed a temporary ban


on animal movements


through Ramsgate following last September’s incident. The ban was liſted in November following a High Court ruling. Earlier, the High Court rejected


a legal challenge by the RSPCA and, on 21 March, a subsequent appeal to stop the export of live animals to the Continent from the port of Ramsgate. However, the charity said it would fight on. The RSPCA had asked for


a judicial review aſter Thanet District Council was forced to liſt its temporary ban. The RSPCA had argued that AHVLA, which is responsible for checking animals passing through Ramsgate, was acting illegally and had failed to ensure that animals were not injured or harmed while being transported by sea.


NEWS ROUNDUP SHIPPING


UPS has extended its Preferred Less-Than-Container Load (PLCL)


expedited ocean freight service to include the UK to US trade lane, as well as other points in western Europe. According to the operator, PLCL offers journey times up to 40% faster port-to-door than UPS’s standard LCL service. Customers will also have access to the same visibility technologies used for package shipments.


Maersk Line will phase the first of its Triple-E 18,000teu giant


containerships into its AE10 service between Asia and Europe, the Danish carrier said in a statement on 15 March. The service currently calls at 13 different ports in Asia and Northern Europe but not the UK. The carrier admits that introduction of the largest container ship ever built comes at a challenging time with weak demand putting strains on all carriers. Maersk Line says it is monitoring demand closely and is ready to adjust capacity accordingly to avoid a repetition of the devastating rate wars of previous years.


Eurotunnel has made a formal response to the UK Competition


Commission’s provisional findings that its takeover of former SeaFrance assets to set up its MyFerryLink subsidiary would reduce competition on the Channel. It says that it “is surprised to find that, in order to maintain competition, it is first necessary that one operator disappear from the market”, pointing out that it took part in an open and transparent tender process for the assets of the defunct company, organized by the Paris Commercial Court and in which it put forward the best offer. Eurotunnel has meanwhile withdrawn its controversial bid to operate the ports of Calais and Boulogne. Existing operator the Cote d’Opale Chamber of Commerce was the only candidate to submit a bid before the deadline on 19 March.


The Low Carbon Freight Dividend project - launched by the


Haven Gateway Partnership a year ago to encourage smaller firms in the East of England to switch their containers from road to rail - has been extended to water transport. The European Regional Development Fund has augmented the original £3 million worth of funding with an additional £370,000 which, with match funding, makes the project worth just over £8.4 million. Eligible firms will be offered a Low Carbon Freight Dividend of up to 30%, capped at £75 per unit, for moving their freight from truck to train, or from truck to water, where traditionally they have only used road transport, for up to 90 container movements.


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