Livestock carrier Bahijah, with over 16,000 animals onboard, has finally berthed at Fremantle port after being stuck off the coast of Perth for several days.
, with over 16,000 animals onboard, has finally berthed at Fremantle port after being stuck off the coast of Perth for several days.The 2010-built, 7,900 dwt livestock carrier with around 14,000 sheep and 2,500 cattle, registered to Israeli-based Bassem Dabbah Shipping, had been on the water since January 5 when it left Australia. On January 16 it diverted from its route due to safety concerns from Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ordered the vessel to immediately return to Australia due to biosecurity risks and livestock welfare.
The vessel was moored off the coast of Perth for several days before berthing in Fremantle port on early Thursday morning local time. The exporter did present a plan to resolve the issue to the Department of Agriculture. It entails offloading some of the animals in Western Australia and sending the rest back to the Middle East along the longer 33-day route along Africa. The vessel is currently being replenished with supplies and no animals are currently being unloaded.
Along with the exporter’s registered veterinarian, the department sent two independent veterinarians on the vessel on January 31 to make sure the livestock onboard was in good health.
“The report from those veterinarians indicates no signs of significant health, welfare or environmental condition concerns with the livestock on board, consistent with all reports received to date,” the Department of Agriculture said in an update.
“Contrary to some public reports, no livestock are required to be offloaded for health reasons,” the department added.
“[The] livestock are in good condition and have appropriate care and supervision. It [was] also confirmed that there were no signs of exotic disease present in the livestock on board the vessel,” said Australia’s chief veterinary officer Beth Cookson.
The department stated in its update that the exporter’s plan to re-export the livestock is still under assessment by the Australian authorities.
The current heatwave in Australia is causing additional problems and poses a potential danger to the animals aboard. The forecast for today is predicting a high of 41 degrees Celsius and 37 degrees Celsius for Friday. It is set to drop off to around or just below 30 over the weekend and at the start of next week, before hitting 36 next Wednesday.
In an article written for Splash, Dr Lynn Thompson discussed how this 13-day routine but risky voyage turned into a potentially two-month-long captive negotiation debacle.
““[The] livestock are in good condition”
.Hmmm. I doubt it. Bit warm innit!
Stop livestock being sent abroad they suffer the journey only to suffer a painful death all for religion it makes my blood boil
Well said.
My thoughts exactly
Mine too. We need to stop it PETA is trying I think.
PETA is no friend to animals they killed 97% of the animals I take back to headquarters and they do not think you should have a dog or cat as a pet and they think the horseback riding his cool I am a vegetarian and I say f&$k PETA!!!
Yes I agree they do not love animals. They kill them. Do not want anyone to have pets or eat meat!
Indeed, but they could quite easily be Halal or Kosher and shipped chilled or frozen. So the reason is form of religious fascisn, not tht any ME countries are fascist in the slightest.
That’s going to be us if we get their way..it will worse for us humans
This is the second message I have left , noticing the first did not post or was removed.
Any person with a bit of common sense would know , even with out looking , that that many ( or far fewer) in that situation , would certainly NOT be fine.
This is inhumane on several points, and outrageous period. Greed and indifference , play to ignorance and evil stupidity. Shameful!!!
David,Aussie sheep are tough.In the hot sun long time.
We aussies eat sheep therefore we are ….you guess
However i feel sorry for animals so long at see.The ventlators for circulating air are noisy.no earmuffs as yet maybe a good idea.
It’s such a vile trade!
Live exports must stop. It’s cruel, and totally unnecessary. Animals should never be allowed to suffer – the sea journey is bad enough then they have to endure cruel and barbaric slaughter methods, particularly in the Middle East! Ban live exports now.
Well said Robyn McMahhon. Barbaric for the sake of money and Halal butchering. At least in this country we stun the animals before slitting their throats!!
Hopefully they also do this in Australia?? So why can’t they be culled and frozen before shipment?? And don’t let me hear that it’s because the meat tastes better??? Pathetic!
I would hope they have installed something to move air. And adequate water.
This is outrageous!! Were there no vets on board at all over this prolonged period? !! The article says “the vessel is currently being replenished with supplies and no animals are being unloaded”‘. Surely out of thousands of sheep and cattle on board there’s not even one animal that has fallen ill and died? If this happened then the poor animal would have been thrown overboard anyway! This is evidence that the live export trade must now end The disgusting people involved in this vile trade should be prosecuted for negligence and cruelty and imprisoned for a long time.
I agree
Amen sister
This is an appalling situation that should never be allowed to happen. Innocent animals should never be shipped to other countries. For these animals to be confined on a ship for any period of time is cruel and inhumane. This practice should end because these helpless animals are being harmed.
Unbelievable!!!!!
Not a chance only 1 vet can oversee that amount of animals for that length of time, those poor animals need to be off that ship ASAP, 😡😡
TBird get a life then get a brain!
This is so disgusting!!! Thousands and thousands of live stock have to go to countries only to have their throat cut off alive, in stead of having them killed in the country of origin and ship the meat frozen (not an option for myself, but better than all this dragging of poor animals for days and days of suffering on board of over heated ships!) They were all in good health???? Really, I don’t believe a word of that! Were the vets paid off??? This has to be stopped!!!
The live animal transport continues to be a scandal . There is no way these animals can be properly cared for at sea and are clearly suffering greatly on their arduous journey to a horrific death in a foreign slaughterhouse.
Absolutely!! This is disgusting !!
Agreed! I.m so angry!!!!
Live export is appalling; savage to live sentient animals. Intelligent and sensitive yet they are suffocating because of humans yet again. This “trade” is not fit for purpose, none of it is. Frozen meat should be transported if we all have to trade meat. Just not live animals.
Did each animal have access to food & water daily? Did they have to stand/lay/breathe in their waste for around a week?? Nothing humane about this! Live export is as cruel & exploitative as it gets! Stop eating animals, they are not food!
Humans are the worse.Peta needs to stop this awful and abusing against the animals.
The sheep export industry is the shame of Australia. Here we are advertising our country as the nature loving, animal conservation of the world yet we allow the most horrific abuse of our farmed animals. This shipping company needs to be prosecuted. Do they pretend not to have known the dangers of war zone waters?
And now to leave the stock on board suffering extreme heat is criminal.
Our politicians could intervene but they are too comfortable in their air conditioned offices to care. WHAT A DISGRACE AUSTRALIA.
Abhorrent. This so called trade shouldn’t exist. If humans still need to eat meat (which of course they dont), then just kill them before exporting them. The mentality behind transporting an animal in such horrendous conditions just to kill it, is just sickening.
Abhorrent. This so called trade shouldn’t exist. If humans still need to eat meat (which of course they dont), then just kill them before exporting them. The mentality behind transporting an animal in such horrendous conditions just to kill it, is just sickening.
Iam in Perth 2 feb 6pm perth wa time.Vessel in port and some animals offloaded now
This is beyond cruel.How can people think this is acceptable.Stop now.
I am heartbroken for these poor animals, it’s not even as if there is going to be a happy ever after when they get of there, how can three people possibly tell the welfare of these poor animals are okay. The powers that be should be ashamed of themselves 😭
Ever hear of Noah’s Ark? They have been on ships as long as humans have. Animals only care that they have food and water, and aren’t too hot or cold. You Aussies have become left wing sissies ever since you let them take you guns away. Grow a pair.
Shame on Australia for managing this situation so poorly. The vets inspected 16.000 animals and they are all doing well – really ?? No space to move, no fresh air to breath, standing in your own manure in 35 degrees for nearly a month now.
It is a DISGRACE of epic proportions and export of live stock should have been banned long ago. So much suffering just to be slaughtered on the other side. Barbaric and unnecessary.
OMG , this is just wrong. My ❤️💜❤️ feels 4 the sheep on that boat, what a journey…… Xoxo
these poor animals what a crap and horrible life they have had i think its shocking treating then like they are shouldnt be allowed stop please
99% of comments made by those that get fed by the Lamestream Media and politically motivated “activist” Organisations that exist by propaganda and even causing animal suffering to promote themselves. The Livestock ship in question was instructed to submit a contingency plan in the event they vould not proceed through Red Sea to destination Port. They could not continue through Red Sea so the Contingency Plan was implented. The politically powerful activist Organisation pressured the lame Aust. GOVT into ordering ship back to Port Of Fremantle. The Aust Govt. Had no Contingency plan !. No idea what to do when ship arrived outside Freo. The Activist Orgs knowing the animals would be exposed to high temps and humidity but also to extreme media coverage. Come in Spinner. The ship and animals would almost be at destination Port by now after taking on provisions and fodder in Sth Africa, as per contingency plan. The puppets that claim cruelty should be pointing the finger at the Activist Orgs and weak Aust Govt. AS IF.