Following guidelines outlined in the animal legislation act, the Veterinary and Livestock Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture will be stepping up in scale for controlling stray animals along the island’s main roads.

The Veterinary and Livestock Division is issuing a final appeal to farmers before instituting the impounding of animals under the 2005 Animal Act. The additional emphasis on securing stray animals comes after months of sensitization and deliberation with farmers on the long-standing issue of unsecured animals posing hazards to pedestrians and vehicular traffic on the road network.

Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Charmine Melville-Edwin explains that whilst the sensitization efforts have been successful in the past, the stray and wandering cattle population remains a major issue.

“We understand the needs of our cattle farmers, we understand the challenges that they face, especially those who are not landowners. We understand the need for food security and food sovereignty and so we have been working with them, speaking with them, and discussing strategies and solutions to eliminate the wondering cattle and stray cattle on our highways who also pose a hazard to motorists pedestrians and

to property owners as well”

Several control measures have been implemented as part of the stakeholder sensitization campaign, including the tagging of animals in order to identify the animal’s location and owner.

As the next phase of the campaign continues, the Chief Veterinary Officer urges cattle farmers to follow the guidelines established by the act, and secure their animals in order to avoid having their animals impounded. Cattle farmers who fail to subdue animals commits an offense and are liable on summary conviction to a fine of $5,000 or to imprisonment for 2 years or both.

The Chief Veterinary Officer explains, “Cattle owners must take responsibility for their livestock, there has to be ownership especially in the absence of land ownership and barriers in terms of fencing, there has to be responsible ownership to protect our public and the animals. The Ministry of Agriculture is serving one last notice that in the absence of cooperation, we will look at the laws available to us which indicates that it is an offense to have these animals on the highway and these animals will be impounded “

While the Veterinary and Livestock Services department’s efforts to control stray livestock continue, public adherence to legislation enacted by the Government of Saint Lucia remains critical to preventing an increase in stray animals and maintaining security along with the island’s road network.