EU says all sheep and goats must be electronically tagged by 2010

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]

[Josef @ Dec 20th 2007 3:31PM]

The Scots have been tagging sheep for generations.

[Larz @ Dec 20th 2007 5:06PM]

Ewww

[Larz @ Dec 20th 2007 5:11PM]

Or should I say "Giggity giggity goo!"

[Tim @ Dec 20th 2007 3:35PM]

First sheep & goats, then later we chip the children...

[Josef @ Dec 20th 2007 3:36PM]

"And then . . . they came to chip me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."

[paul34 @ Dec 20th 2007 3:41PM]

This is definitely a BAAAAAAAAAd situation.









sorry.

[Josef @ Dec 20th 2007 3:44PM]

Why did ewe go there?

[Tim @ Dec 20th 2007 3:51PM]

I hope they don't try to pull the wool over our eyes.

[Backlin @ Dec 20th 2007 3:57PM]

It's one more step toward communism.

[monkfishbandana @ Dec 21st 2007 10:42AM]

*tumbleweed rolls by*











Well, it seems Backlin just killed it.


And it was 'shear' perfection.

[BigD145 @ Dec 20th 2007 3:43PM]

So branding isn't good enough? Ear tags? Ankle bracelets? And WTH is up with the bible extro there?

[Eric @ Dec 20th 2007 3:46PM]

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.

[HaloZero00 @ Dec 20th 2007 3:46PM]

They will remove the chip if they kill them for meat right?

I'm not eating anything lamb in Europe just in case.

[Larz @ Dec 20th 2007 5:14PM]

No, that's the beauty of it. The sheep are just a delivery system to humans.

[kyle allen @ Dec 20th 2007 7:56PM]

i dont think my intestines absorb rifd chips

[Mastermind @ Dec 20th 2007 3:53PM]

"Sheep" is metaphor for "European" here.

[Andrew @ Dec 20th 2007 6:27PM]

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.

[Andrew @ Dec 20th 2007 6:27PM]

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.

[john @ Dec 20th 2007 7:30PM]

Here I thought it was a metaphor for windows users.

[Luke @ Dec 20th 2007 3:53PM]

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.

[Nushio (NDF - Blue) @ Dec 20th 2007 3:57PM]

We should track Cows too then.

"I'd like a burger with no cheese, no GPS, thanks"

[BigD145 @ Dec 20th 2007 7:07PM]

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.

[Jonathan @ Dec 20th 2007 3:58PM]

My girlfriend has refused to get implants of any kind!




/is from New Zealand...

[Mark @ Dec 20th 2007 4:29PM]

Put her on the ground and she won't be able to get up. Then you can do as you please.

[davidsr @ Dec 20th 2007 4:00PM]

I'm guessing it is to monitor disease outbreaks and facilitate trade between countries. But I like the first comment better.

[Andrew @ Dec 20th 2007 6:31PM]

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

[Hiwired @ Dec 20th 2007 4:11PM]

It's the mark of the beast! Don't do it!

[L.Rawlins @ Dec 20th 2007 4:11PM]

Drum roll please...




















It's a baacode!

*Rapturous applause and whistles*

Ithankyou.

[IndiaTech @ Dec 20th 2007 4:15PM]

We are humans not borgs, dammit!

[Bob P. @ Dec 20th 2007 4:18PM]

This is being done because Bama fans have been illegally ordering them as mail-order brides.

[Lee @ Dec 20th 2007 4:23PM]

remind me again why we're in the EU

[Speddy @ Dec 20th 2007 4:27PM]

Readers will be built-in to rubber boots...

[Ryan Trevisol @ Dec 20th 2007 4:41PM]

Nice. Note to EU: You're not helping Jesus separate the Sheep from the Goats here. THAT WAS A METAPHOR.

[Devilmachine @ Dec 20th 2007 4:53PM]

The way I see it, is the EU is testing these chips on sheep, so eventually they can be used on humans.

[MIke @ Dec 20th 2007 5:08PM]

Big Brother tracking us! Wake up Sheeple!

[ehisforadam @ Dec 21st 2007 8:58AM]

Soylent mutton is made out of Sheeple!! It's SHEEPLE!

[Larz @ Dec 20th 2007 5:09PM]

Or should I say "Giggity giggity goo!"

[Larz @ Dec 20th 2007 5:11PM]

Damn broken comment system.

[bill @ Dec 20th 2007 5:15PM]

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!

[Ghen @ Dec 21st 2007 9:05AM]

"I ate lamb yesterday for dinner so now I have to go pass a chip"

[Xzavier @ Dec 20th 2007 5:45PM]

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

[3rdsun @ Dec 20th 2007 5:54PM]

Will the isheep also be tagged. In that case Sandisk is providing the chips for free

[Bombaclaat @ Dec 20th 2007 6:18PM]

They should start doing that to some people. You know who you are.

[Reader @ Dec 20th 2007 7:57PM]

As long as they leave us proles alone.

[packetsniffer @ Dec 20th 2007 10:31PM]

@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.

[Reader @ Dec 20th 2007 11:11PM]

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.

[Valgas @ Dec 20th 2007 11:53PM]

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.

[Magallanes @ Dec 21st 2007 7:47AM]

"Tag on living beings"(tm) is a UFO patent.

[Davsot @ Dec 21st 2007 1:02AM]

why must they be? All I want i to be able to track down my iPod if it gets stolen.

[James @ Dec 21st 2007 10:56AM]

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