Stuck in Suez Canal

What’s happening in the Suez Canal? One of the world’s largest container ships, the Ever Given, became stuck in the Suez Canal on March 23rd, 2021, as a result of high winds and possible human error. Over 400 ships were waiting to be freed, some of which contained live animals. Livestock trade is driven by its use in food and drugs, which is potentially avoidable.

How does this affect you?

To put things into perspective, approximately 15% of the world’s trade passes through the Suez Canal. If vessels are unable to pass through the Suez Canal, they have to travel around the southern tip of Africa, which is not only a longer trip but a more dangerous one as well. This blockage has cost companies worldwide about $10 billion a day. Several of these ships carry oil, so oil prices are expected to increase over the next few weeks. Shipping prices are also expected to go up due to a decrease in supply.

What does this mean for the animals?

Thousands of animals are stuck on the ships waiting to pass through the Suez Canal. To make matters worse, cattle, sheep, and other livestock are already stuck in close quarters. Unfortunately, ships typically only carry three days’ worth of extra feed and water. So, if they run out of resources, this can make the situation much worse for the animals. The longer the animals are stuck on board, the greater the risk for starvation, dehydration, and potential build-up of dead carcasses, bringing about inhumane practices.

What can we do for the animals now?

Here at VeganMed, we strive to provide you with the resources to learn what’s inside your products and find alternatives that are animal-free. For example, from the thousands of available painkillers, we have curated the ones that do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. You now have the option to shop animal-free: Advil, Tylenol, and Bayer Aspirin.

Resources

1. Compassion in World Farming. https://www.ciwf.com/. Accessed March 29, 2021.

2. Hirtzer M, Durisin M, Chapa S. Bloomberg.com. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-26/stuck-in-suez-thousands-of-animals-packed-tight-in-ship-hulls. Published March 26, 2021. Accessed March 29, 2021.