A livestock ship carrying thousands of cattle and sheep destined for the Middle East was directed to return to Australia recently due to security risks in the Red Sea.
This has meant that the ship, named MV Bahijah, which is loaded with livestock, is currently anchored off Fremantle, a port city in western Australia (WA), having returned from an attempted route to the Middle East.
There is an estimated “15,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle” on board the ship, according to Humane Society International Australia, and the animals have been on board the ship since it departed Australia on January 5.
The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) said the vessel had diverted away from the Red Sea due to “the worsening security situation”.
On January 20, the DAFF confirmed it had directed the exporter that the consignment be immediately returned to Australia.
The DAFF released a statement yesterday (Monday, January 29) that confirmed they have been “working closely with the exporter to determine next steps for the consignment once it returned to Australian waters”.
The statement read: “After considering information provided by the exporter, a decision was made on January 20, 2024 to direct the consignment of livestock on board the MV Bahijah be immediately returned to Australia.
“This was in recognition of the exceptional circumstances and taking into account animal welfare considerations.”
The DAFF acknowledged that the livestock on board are “high quality Australian animals,” but that they would “be subject to strict biosecurity controls while in Australia”.
“Protecting Australia’s strong biosecurity system and the welfare of the livestock on board remain the department’s top priorities.”
The department confirmed they have been working with the exporter to “determine the options available to them, consistent with legislative and regulatory responsibilities” that would take into account the “unique circumstances of the vessel”.
Animal welfare concerns
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Western Australia (RSPCA WA) has called for all livestock onboard the MV Bahijah to be offloaded “as soon as possible”.
With “heatwave conditions” forecast for the remainder of this week, RSPCA chief executive officer Ben Cave said “these animals have already spent nearly a month on rolling seas in cramped conditions, standing in their own waste.
“There really is no other humane choice but to get them off the ship now. To send them back out to sea on an even longer voyage would be cruel and barbaric,” he said.
Cave also called for greater transparency regarding the welfare of the animals on board.
“At the very least, independent vets should be on board inspecting the livestock and I would hope the Federal Department of Agriculture has animal welfare inspectors ready to go aboard to check on these animals too,” he added.
“These Australian animals were loaded in Australia and haven’t left the ship since. Any animals of concern can be quarantined and dealt with appropriately,” he said.