After the animals spent almost a month aboard the livestock carrier Bahijah, a plan to handle the animals has been presented to Australian authorities.
The 2010-built, 7,900 dwt livestock carrier, registered to Israeli-based Bassem Dabbah Shipping and operated by Korkyra Shipping, left Australia on January 5 and on January 16 diverted from its route due to concerns regarding safety concerns from Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) did not allow the vessel to reach its destination via the longer route around Africa and ordered the vessel to immediately return to Australia citing biosecurity risks and the welfare of the livestock as the main reasons for the decision.
The ship, with around 14,000 sheep and 2,500 cattle, is currently moored off the coast of Perth with biosecurity issues not allowing the livestock to be reintroduced to an Australian herd despite not having docked at any other port.
The exporter presented a plan to the Department of Agriculture for approval which will see some of the animals offloaded in Western Australia and the rest sent back to the Middle East along the longer 33-day route along Africa. All plans must be assessed and approved by the department as the regulator.
The department stated that all reports indicate that there were no signs of any significant health or welfare concerns with the livestock on board. Also, the authority noted that the vessel has a registered veterinarian onboard recording details of the health and welfare of the animals, but the department is assessing the possibility of an additional independent veterinarian attending the vessel to provide further assurance.
Regarding the exporter’s plan of handling the sheep and cattle, the department said it was assessing this application as a priority.
“These are high-quality Australian animals; however, they would be subject to strict biosecurity controls while in Australia. These are complex decisions that must balance Australian biosecurity, export legislation, animal welfare considerations, and the requirements of our international trading partners,” the Department of Agriculture stated.
Western Australia premier Roger Cook claimed that the carrier could dock on Thursday after the vessel manager rejected the offer of a berth on Tuesday. This means that the animals will be disembarked soon.
“The other information I have is that they’ve made significant efforts in making sure they clean the stalls and provide new bedding and water and food for those animals,” Cook told local media.
Another major concern is the heatwave which hit Australia. Perth’s temperature hit nearly 42 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and is set to hit 39 and 37 degrees Celsius on Thursday and Friday, respectively, which could adversely affect the animals onboard.
‘The exporter presented a plan to the Department of Agriculture for approval which will see some of the animals offloaded in Western Australia and the rest sent back to the Middle East ‘
No, unload them all and cease this iniquitous trade.
I couldn’t agree more. This is an utter disgrace. There is no way these animals needs can be catered for. This hideous trade has gone on for far too long. No live animals should be transported anywhere especially by sea and freezing or searing temperatures. Shame on the carriers.
I completely agree! Animals are not commodities to be treated like inanimate objects. How can just one vet physically examine all those animals on that ship? ! There was no mention if any of these poor creatures were taken sick or given sufficient water. Do they have sufficient room to move around and who is caring for them? If they go to the Middle East they’ll be ritually slaughtered in the most barbaric way. The live export trade should have been abolished decades ago. Why are these nightmare journeys for sentient beings still allowed to continue in the 21st century? Ban it NOW !
I first witnessed animal slaughter and butchering many decades ago in the local slaughterhouse at age 9. I also witnessed the buying and transport of these animals (pigs, sheep and bullocks) from farm to slaughterhouse. To me thiswas normal and most slaughter was reasonably humane although I eventually realised the poor beasts were petrified.
However, their treatment was far better than experienced in these cattle ships.
I also witnessed slaughter in South American frigorificos. Tat sas somewhat dodgy.
Whilst not vegan or vegetarian I eat very little meat and the sooner we end meat eating the better
I completely agree, this is so cruel.
A journey to hell.The treatment of livestock in the middle east is horrific,absolutely no respect for animals at any level,and their savagery at slaughter should be banned immediatly.Indonesia is another hell.for treatment of livestock.Animals should be handled and slaughtered with some respect and humanly which is practised is all other countries so ban all live exports and send the beef or lamb to these countries on the hook avoiding all this unnessary journies on these cruises to hell.
100%
This mass cruelty must end. These poor animals are experiencing a living hell only to be slaughtered in the middle east by methods which are far from humane. Shame on Australia for allowing these long journeys for live animals.
So the department denied a potential solution, demanded the sheep come back to Australia, then did not allow the sheep to be off-loaded in Australia.
Now the sheep are stuck, and the original plan B is the likely solution after an extra month of government enforced delay.
Sounds like incompetent regulation making the problem worse
DISGRACE SHAME ON YOU !!!
INNOCENT BABY ANIMALS
The WA Government MUST act ASAP to take at least half of these animals off that ship especially in this heat – I hope they have a fan system on that ship! This live animal export HAS to STOP 🛑 now! It’s disgusting – I have been objecting to it via change.org for a few years. The Federal Government MUST stop live animal export now!
Live animal export is WRONG – it is basically driven by money greed & the handling of the animals at the destination is more often than not plain CRUEL.
Sheep transported on the ships have fresh water, high quality and adequate food. They have veterinary care if needed and Cooling fans to keep them happy.
If they had been unloaded on Tuesday as one writer suggested, they would have been turned out in over forty degree heat to where?
The Australian Prime minister and his government are truly the ones that need to answer to this debacle not the farmers. This is political nothing more.
Absolutely agree,horrible way to treat animals
What a horrid industry. Anyone associated with it deserves censure. If it wasn’t for the bravery of organisations like Animals Australia, these poor creatures would be suffering even more. Disgraceful, simply disgraceful.