Report finds ‘insufficient consideration’ to impact of sight of slaughtered cows

An operation by officials from a Stormont department to shoot 51 cows in Co Tyrone gave “insufficient consideration” to the impact of dead animals being left in public sight in open fields, a report has found.The external review into the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) operation in Fivemiletown in June has said officials acted lawfully.Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has said he will implement all the recommendations in the report by former Irish chief veterinary officer Dr Martin Blake.The DUP has said the report makes “grim reading” for Daera while the Ulster Unionist party described the department operation as a “shambles”.Daera’s Humane Slaughter Team carried out the cull of the cattle on land on June 29 and 30 following a court order which resulted in a lifetime disqualification of the keeper and a deprivation order.Farmers protested at Stormont in the summer (Mark Marlow/PA)PA WireConcerns have been raised by some political representatives and farmers about the public nature of the incident, leading Mr Muir to order the external review.The minister also faced calls to resign from the Ulster Farmers’ Union and was also the subject of a failed motion of no-confidence brought by the DUP.The review said there was a “clear difference between the technical competence and the administrative governance of the operation”.It said from an animal welfare and veterinary science standpoint, culling of livestock at pasture using “free bullets was an appropriate method”.It said: “This avoided the additional fear, panic, and distress that forced yard-gathering and transport would have inflicted upon cattle unaccustomed to such handling.Read More“White the field operation was delivered in accordance with recognised technical protocols by trained marksmen, the subsequent tracking and accounting of livestock across sites identified a significant operational gap in site clearance protocols.”The review said there had been “visual and emotional upset felt by individuals relating to the event”.It said: “Witnessing the sight of animal carcases left exposed in open fields and hearing about farm animals being culled instinctively triggers a sense of disbelief, sadness, and public concern.“The operation’s planning gave insufficient consideration to this human and community impact.”The review found a “post-conviction procedural gap” characterised by a lack of specific guidelines for implementing deprivation orders and divided management oversight of the Humane Slaughter Team (HST).It added: “Furthermore, a disconnect in understanding led to carcasses being left in open fields, contributing to much public disquiet.”The report also said that a “well-intentioned” decision on June 29 to suspend the cull to attempt to facilitate a private sale of some of the cows “introduced unintended operational complications”.It said: “The decision introduced further operational and reputational risks which materialised later that evening when efforts by third parties to corral the animals failed in public view and animals escaped onto the roadway.”The review added: “The department’s traditional, reactive communication protocol did not anticipate a fast-moving conventional and digital media response.“By maintaining the traditional privacy-first messaging approach to protect individual privacy, the department left a space for a public narrative to form in the absence of official factual information.”The review has made 10 recommendations, including changes to the process for determining the best approach to enforcing court orders in future, how operations are planned and signed off and the way requests to dispose of livestock are handled.It has also recommended changes for planning of communications for operations that may be visible to the public and cause concern.Mr Muir said the events at Fivemiletown came about following after a court order following “one of the most shocking and sustained cases of animal cruelty that veterinary officials in the Department have ever had to deal with”.He said: “Whilst the review finds that the operation was lawful, appropriate and sadly necessary from an animal welfare perspective, it’s clear that operational shortcomings existed and planning gave insufficient consideration to the human and community impact.“As minister I did not authorise or direct the operation.“When I then saw the distressing photos and videos of animal carcasses and learned of the range of allegations that were circulating, I shared the genuine concerns expressed.”He added: “The report’s 10 recommendations are accepted in full with regular reporting and independent oversight put in place to ensure improvements are driven and sustained at pace.”DUP MLA Deborah Erskine (Oliver McVeigh/PA)PA ArchiveDUP MLA Deborah Erskine said the detail in the report was “damning”.She said: “I have been raising this case with the Minister since the day after the cull.“People in Fivemiletown were told to wait for the review.“Well, the review is here, and it makes grim reading for Andrew Muir and his department.“It finds there was no written policy for carrying out an operation of this kind.“Staff were left to rely on custom and practice.“Nobody properly considered a phased approach.“And when the plan was changed halfway through the first day, nobody stopped to assess the risks.“The result was cattle loose on a public road and distressing scenes in full view of local families.”She added: “The detail is damning.“Carcasses were left lying in open fields because the department’s own plan said one thing and senior leadership had been told another.“Ear tags were not all recorded. A site was declared clear when it wasn’t, and a calf was found injured on the roadside days later.“Three animals were shot after the decision to pause the cull, and the review still cannot say why.”Ulster Unionist deputy leader Diana Armstrong said: “This was a shambles from start to finish and it is a damning indictment of how that department operates.”