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Earlier on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) said it was providing assistance to the families of two New Zealanders aboard the Gulf Livestock 1, which was reported missing off the coast of Japan during a typhoon.
The crew included 39 people from the Philippines, two from New Zealand and two from Australia, the coast guard said.
Strong winds and rain from Typhoon Maysak hampered rescue efforts as the storm advanced to drench the Korean Peninsula.
A coast guard spokeswoman said one person was rescued Wednesday night (local time) during the search for the ship.
The rescued Filipino crew member said the boat’s engine failed before a wave hit it and capsized it, a second Coast Guard spokeswoman said.
Footage provided by the Coast Guard showed a crew member in a life jacket being pulled out of a rough sea in the dark.
The 139-meter Panamanian-flagged vessel was built in 2002 and the registered owner is Amman-based Rahmeh Compania Naviera SA, according to data from Refinitiv Eikon. The ship’s manager is Hijazi & Ghosheh Co.
New Zealand’s animal rights organization SAFE said the tragedy demonstrated the risks of the live animal export trade.
“These cows should never have been in the sea,” said campaign manager Marianne Macdonald.
“This is a real crisis, and our thoughts are with the families of the 43 crew members who are missing with the ship. But questions remain, including why this trade is allowed to continue.”
Last year, the New Zealand government launched a review of the country’s live animal export trade, worth around $ 54 million in 2019, after thousands of animals exported from New Zealand and Australia died in transit.
A conditional ban on the export of live cattle is one of several options being considered, Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said.
Reuters / Newshub.
