THE MINISTRY of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs yesterday called off soldiers from shooting and tranquillising cattle at Cedros and Icacos, less than 24 hours after implementing the cattle round-up exercise.

Instead, the ministry said it will be working with cattle owners to find and corral the animals.

The decision to kill cattle on Wednesday outraged some Cedros residents and animal rights activists.

Those opposed to the exercise said the animals were the livelihood of many living in the southwestern peninsula, and the shootings were cruel and inhumane.

Member of Parliament for Point Fortin Paula Gopee-Scoon said she discussed the issue with Food Production Minister Vasant Bharath three months ago, and expected that he would have found an alternative to killing the animals. She said the exercise was "inconsiderate and reckless".

Gopee-Scoon said: "The ministry on one hand cannot be advocating food production, and on the other hand acting in the manner in which they did."

Yesterday, officials of the Emperor Valley Zoo, veterinary public health officers, livestock scientists and specialists, soldiers, police, and some Cedros and Icacos farmers held meetings at the Cedros Breeding Unit to find alternatives to the killings.

While the meeting was taking place, cattle owners went in search of their cattle, and brought them to the Icacos Main Road.

The cattle owners said they did not have grass land for their animals, so they allowed them to roam freely.

The ministry embarked on the exercise of capturing or killing the cattle because the animals were a nuisance to the development of the agricultural industry, a danger to motorists, damaged property and carried diseases and ticks. The ministry said the cattle owners had three months notice to claim and herd their cattle, before they embarked on the exercise on Wednesday.

Gopee-Scoon said the government ought to have given more consideration to the residents of Cedros and Icacos, where there are high levels of unemployment and poverty following the closure of the coconut industry and dying fishing industry.

"All I am asking is that they find a fenced area (for the animals)..." Gopee-Scoon said.