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Pt Fortin MP condemns killing of stray cattle
Published:
Friday, February 3, 2012
Member of Parliament for Point Fortin Paula Gopee-Scoon has expressing outrage over the decision by the Food Production Ministry to capture and dispose cattle in the Cerdos/Icacos areas. Gopee-Scoon said while she agreed that the animals which sometimes strayed and threatened the lives of citizens, the Government should have explored other alternatives in the interest of the owners. The ministry issued notices last Sunday advising the cattle owners to secure their animals, failing which they would be captured, slaughtered and disposed of.
The animals were reportedly damaging agriculture, property and posed a health threat in the area. Soldiers were authorised to kill the animals because of the threat they posed to citizens. But Gopee-Scoon said rearing of the animals was the only means of employment for the people of those communities and the Ministry of Food Production should have explored other avenues to ensure the owners could continue to make a living. She said some fenced area could have been identified and made available to the farmers for the animals to feed without endangering life or limb.
She added that the level of unemployment in the area was very high and the owners should be allowed to ply their trade.
The cattle owners say the Government was taking away their livelihood. Meanwhile, a release issued by the Food Production Ministry yesterday said officials have pledged to assist the owners who requested assistance to corral their stray cattle. “We wish to reiterate the position that our first point of action is to tranqualise these animals with the assistance of the Zoological Society of Trinidad and Tobago,” the release said. “The felling of any animal is a last resort.”
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