Monday, January 03, 2011

Livestock exports to Mauritius threatened by Somali pirates

Livestock exports to Mauritius threatened by Somali pirates
Extract from http://www.nation.co.ke

Livestock farmers in the country are the latest victims of the growing piracy threat off the East African coast. The export of live animals to Mauritius will only resume when a bigger ship with sufficient room to hold more animals is available.



The new ship will reduce the number of trips to Mauritius through the East African waters, which have in the recent past recorded increased number of pirate attacks. The special ship that was previously used to deliver the animals was withdrawn this year when the rate of pirate attacks reached unprecedented levels, said Mr Mohammed Mursal, director of the Global Livestock Traders, the firm contracted to handle Mauritius exports.
“The small ship could only carry about 1,000 animals. But with a bigger ship that can accommodate about 5,000 animals, the importer would only require to make a single trip to Kenya and another single trip to South Africa to meet the demand,” Mr Mursal said. This could reduce the cost of providing security.