Gozitan farmer Gianni Attard is to appeal a magistrate’s decision that cleared the way for the slaughter of 220 unregistered sheep at his Għarb farm.

He said he felt aggrieved that Magistrate Josette Demicoli did not decide about the fate of his herd but simply ruled that the veterinary authorities’ decision to cull his unregistered animals was taken within the parameters of the law because of an automatic suspicion that they were ill.

Mr Attard insisted he had been telling the authorities since July 2010 to register and tag the sheep. In November 2012 the authorities culled 216 of the sheep while Mr Attard was under arrest at the Victoria police station in connection with the registration issue of the animals.

Mr Attard had filed an urgent case for an injunction in an attempt to stop the Department of Veterinary Services from slaughtering the animals. The culled sheep, estimated to cost in the region of €520,000, had been tested and none of them were sick.

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