Four weeks after sailing for Israel, 16,000 sheep and cattle remain in limbo aboard ship
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The animals' plight is a consequence of strikes by Yemen’s Houthi militia on shipping in the Red Sea that have disrupted global trade.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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CANBERRA – Around 16,000 animals remained in limbo aboard an export ship at an Australian port
Biosecurity rules mean the animals – roughly 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle – cannot disembark without being quarantined.
Officials are yet to decide if they should be let off or sent back to sea for a 33-day voyage to reach Israel by going around Africa.
Officials say the livestock are in good health, but some politicians and animal rights activists claim their plight amounts to cruel mistreatment and have called for Canberra to bring forward a planned ban on live sheep exports.
The situation is a consequence of strikes by Yemen’s Houthi militia on shipping
The ship, the Marshall Islands-flagged MV Bahijah, abandoned its route through the Red Sea due to the threat of attack.
It arrived on jan 29 in Perth, where a heatwave is pushing temperatures close to 40 deg C.
Australia’s Agriculture Ministry said it is still considering an application by the exporter, Israeli firm Bassem Dabbah, to unload some animals and re-export the rest.
“Australia’s biosecurity and the health and welfare of the animals onboard are our highest priorities,” it said, adding that the vessel took on supplies and underwent cleaning on Feb 1 and that a government vet is on board.
Industry figures have called claims that the animals are suffering ignorant and asked why the government has taken so long to decide the ship’s fate.
“It’s fair to say people are frustrated that decision has not happened more quickly,” said Mr Mark Harvey-Sutton, head of the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council.
Reuters was unable to contact Bassem Dabbah, and the ship’s manager, Korkyra Shipping, did not respond to requests for comment.
Australia’s live export industry shipped more than half a million sheep and half a million cattle overseas in 2023. REUTERS
