(Trinidad Express) There was outrage in Cedros yesterday after cattle “posing a life and death threat”, were killed by soldiers with rifles as part of a Ministry of Agriculture plan to rid the peninsular of stray cattle.
Cattle owners confronted and accused ministry officials of taking away their livelihood in an area where the fishing and coconut industries were failing.
The Ministry issued a notice last Sunday advising cattle owners to secure their animals, or they would be captured, slaughtered and disposed of.
The animals were said to be impacting on the agricultural sector in Cedros, damaging property and posed a health risk.
However, at Icacos Village yesterday, farmers argued with ministry officials near an area where cattle were being shot dead, or tranquilised.
The sedated animals were dragged onto trailers and carted off to the Cedros Breeding Unit. The dead cattle were taken to an unknown location.
“The people of Icacos are against this” said one cattle owner, who did not wish to be identified.
“I was given permission by an estate owner to have my cattle there.
But we cannot tie the cattle otherwise bandits will come for them”.
“There is no coconut (production) and no sea work. The only thing we have left is cattle and they taking that away too. What they want us to do? Form a gang and start robbing people? We have to buy books and send our children to school” the villager said.
The exercise began at Icacos around 5 a.m. with a team of some 40 persons comprising officials from the Emperor Valley Zoo, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Food and Animal Production and five soldiers with rifles.
Also on the team were veterinarian Dr Ann Marie Hosein, and several farmers from Icacos. The last cattle was brought out by tractor around 3.35 p.m.
Each cattle weighed between 800 to 1,000 pounds, and would sell at market for an average of $7,000.
One animal was shot near the Icacos Government Primary School.
Hosein told the Express that the ones that were shot dead were aggressive and charged at them. “When they threatened life and limb and could not be tranquilised they were shot”, she said.
The cattle owners said two of the dead animals were pregnant, but this was denied by ministry officials.
Some cattle owners also appealed to the ministry officials to sell them the tranquilizers so that they could secure their animals.
Communications specialist with the Food Ministry Yolande Agard-Simmons said the cattle owners of Cedros and Icacos were informed over the last three months of the exercise which began yesterday.
