(Fri 13) Kan orders slaughter of all livestock in 20-km hot zone

[kristopher]

Kan orders slaughter of all livestock in 20-km hot zone

By MASAMI ITO
Staff writer

Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Thursday told Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato to slaughter all farm animals within a 20-km radius of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

The government's decision last month to formally declare the 20-km evacuation zone around the plant off-limits has been preventing farmers from feeding their livestock, leaving them to starve.

According to the farm ministry, there were an estimated 3,500 cows, 30,000 pigs, 675,000 chickens and 100 horses in the hot zone before the March 11 disasters threw the power plant into chaos.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the irradiated farm animals will be killed only if the owners give consent.

The animals...

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20110513a7.html

[aquart]

1. Meanwhile they suffer and abandoned pets roam empty streets.