EU says all sheep and goats must be electronically tagged by 2010
By Nilay Patel 
posted Dec 20th 2007 3:28PM
posted Dec 20th 2007 3:28PM
We're not exactly sure why the EU feels the need to track sheep and goats across Europe, but it just voted to make electronic tagging mandatory by the end of 2009. The move comes after a two-year delay at the insistence of the UK, and it means that all sheep and goats will be implanted with a €1 ($1.43) tag that will allow anyone with a €200 ($286) handheld reader to get a complete history of the animal. We're pretty certain that infringes on sheep / goat privacy rights -- quick, someone start a petition![Via The Register]
The Scots have been tagging sheep for generations.
Ewww
Or should I say "Giggity giggity goo!"
First sheep & goats, then later we chip the children...
"And then . . . they came to chip me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."
This is definitely a BAAAAAAAAAd situation.
sorry.
Why did ewe go there?
I hope they don't try to pull the wool over our eyes.
It's one more step toward communism.
*tumbleweed rolls by*
Well, it seems Backlin just killed it.
And it was 'shear' perfection.
So branding isn't good enough? Ear tags? Ankle bracelets? And WTH is up with the bible extro there?
Great, now the "Left Behind" people are going to think the parable of the sheep and goats is another prophecy that points to our time as the end when all the good Christians get zapped out of the planet (watch out for falling airplanes!).
As if we needed more of this.
Of course, dairy farmers have been tagging cows for a long time without apocalyptic side-effects.
They will remove the chip if they kill them for meat right?
I'm not eating anything lamb in Europe just in case.
No, that's the beauty of it. The sheep are just a delivery system to humans.
i dont think my intestines absorb rifd chips
"Sheep" is metaphor for "European" here.
Your forgetting that in Europe the police actually need warrants to get information from telecoms companies - in the US they just ask ATT nicely and they fold.
You're forgetting that in Europe the police actually need warrants to get information from telecoms companies - in the US they just ask ATT nicely and they fold.
Here I thought it was a metaphor for windows users.
This is probably for keeping track of outbreaks of a disease known as Scrapie, which is basically "Mad Sheep Disease." If you find an affected animal, you can track exactly where it's been and what other animals it has been in contact with.
We should track Cows too then.
"I'd like a burger with no cheese, no GPS, thanks"
On the side it's patting the back of some other corporate interest. The cost of these tags will be directly thrown onto the shoulders of the consumer along with a little extra for good measure and "security". At the same time, the rancher gets an extra burden on their time. There's no savings and very little extra benefit that couldn't be done with a one cent metal tag with a number on it. Disease vectors are pretty easy to control if you just keep herds small and in the hands of individuals while keeping the carcases of dead animals OUT of the feed of your herd. You can't eradicate it completely. Diseases will always find a way in.
I'm guessing it is to monitor disease outbreaks and facilitate trade between countries. But I like the first comment better.
Actually I think it's for those reasons and more:
- tracing food back to it's source for consumers
- tracing food back to it's production country for governments
- accounting for production that's being subsidized by the EU
So it's pretty much consumer protection, ensuring free trade and limiting CAP fraud
My girlfriend has refused to get implants of any kind!
/is from New Zealand...
Put her on the ground and she won't be able to get up. Then you can do as you please.
Drum roll please...
It's a baacode!
*Rapturous applause and whistles*
Ithankyou.
It's the mark of the beast! Don't do it!
We are humans not borgs, dammit!
This is being done because Bama fans have been illegally ordering them as mail-order brides.
remind me again why we're in the EU
Readers will be built-in to rubber boots...
Nice. Note to EU: You're not helping Jesus separate the Sheep from the Goats here. THAT WAS A METAPHOR.
The way I see it, is the EU is testing these chips on sheep, so eventually they can be used on humans.
Or should I say "Giggity giggity goo!"
Damn broken comment system.
Big Brother tracking us! Wake up Sheeple!
Soylent mutton is made out of Sheeple!! It's SHEEPLE!
ooooh god, you there in the states dont get it at all.
it's simple. you tag the sheep, people eat them, aaaand then they eat the chip. simple as that :)
it could actually be in cooperation with US as well.
it's an evil masterplan to tag all men in the earth, i tell you!
"I ate lamb yesterday for dinner so now I have to go pass a chip"
To learn more about animal Tracking you can go to...
Liberty Ark Coalition, LibertyArk.net
NoNAIS "No National Animal Identification System" http://nonais.org
US Department of Agriculture. NATIONAL ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.retrievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/1/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2006%2F04%2F0120.xml&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NEWS_RELEASE
To learn more about people being ID you can read the Real ID. I think it takes effect in May 2008
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-418
Will the isheep also be tagged. In that case Sandisk is providing the chips for free
They should start doing that to some people. You know who you are.
As long as they leave us proles alone.
@Backlin
It's too bad your comment is rated so poorly, because you're right. More government meddling in the lives of private citizens. They're *forcing* people to do this. How that doesn't concern people is beyond me.
For the same reason I'm fine with the government *forcing* manufacturers to keep deadly/carcinogenic toxins out of their edible products. I'm not too fond of antifreeze in my tooth paste.
This is the same thing, but for tracking problems with farm animals. Now when they start chipping baby humans I'll start to show some concern.
This is to track them when they are abducted by aliens. They hope that when the sheep are kidnapped by the aliens, they will be able to track the movement of the UFO and nab the bastards and pwn them for ripping out the assholes of hundreds of sheep and goats every five years.
"Tag on living beings"(tm) is a UFO patent.
why must they be? All I want i to be able to track down my iPod if it gets stolen.
I started a facebook group for this controversial issue. It's worth joining. we can make a difference for sheep all over the world.
http://hs.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8024341810&ref=mf