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An investigation is currently underway following an incident where 51 cattle were shot and killed in a field, with the event visible to the surrounding public. This cull occurred last month on land near Fivemiletown in County Tyrone and was conducted by the Humane Slaughter Team of the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).
The operation followed a court order linked to a prior animal welfare conviction involving the cattle owner. A spokesperson for Daera explained that the court mandated the defendant to forfeit ownership of all farm animals and required their destruction. Despite that, concerns have emerged about how the culling was executed. At a recent Mid Ulster Council meeting, reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Sinn Féin councillor Eugene McConnell described the scene as resembling a “wild west” event, reflecting his experience at the site. McConnell acknowledged that while there may have been legitimate reasons for the cull, the manner in which it was handled was “disturbing.”
Additional details from a Daera representative revealed that during the operation, heightened local traffic and gatherings of people intentionally observing the activity occurred. The spokesperson noted, “Unfortunately, due to disruptions by a small number of members of the public, this operation took significantly longer than it should have taken.” Speaking to BBC News NI, McConnell expressed strong feelings about the scene, stating, “I have never seen anything like it. It felt very inhumane, and it was extremely upsetting for those who came across the scene.” He also raised concerns regarding the open nature of the cull, questioning whether alternative approaches could have been employed, especially since “Gun shots could be heard miles away.”
In response, a minister confirmed that a meeting had been scheduled with the police to “discuss the issues encountered in this case.” However, public reaction includes disappointment, with some, such as Erskine, expressing frustration that blame was partially directed toward members of the public. She said, “From the members of the public I’ve been speaking to who were there, they were there to say ‘please stop and think about you’re doing here, because this is causing major upset in a quiet part of the countryside.'” She further characterized the event as “pretty much a massacre in the countryside,” while welcoming the announcement of a formal review into what she described as a distressing incident.
Culling of farm animals in Northern Ireland is subject to strict regulation under Daera’s legal framework. Typically, such large-scale or individual culls occur only under conditions such as notifiable disease control, welfare emergencies, or licensed slaughter. Meanwhile, McConnell remarked on the lasting impact in the local community, stating, “I described it like a Wild West scene and raised it at council level because that is how the local community felt about it and they were angry and looking for answers.
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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