A ship carrying around 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cows is currently anchored in Australia after having to abandon a voyage through the Red Sea due to recent unrest, Reuters reports.
The vessel in question is the MV Bahijah, operated by the Israeli company Bassem Dabbah Ltd.
The ship sailed from the port of Fremantle on January 5, bound for Jordan – a journey that normally takes about three weeks.
However, 15 days into the journey, it was ordered back to Australia by the Australian Department of Agriculture due to the deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea.
The ship then sailed back to Australia, where it is currently docked, without unloading the animals. This is not possible as the animals cannot be reintroduced into the Australian population because, according to regulations, this could pose a biosecurity risk. This is despite the fact that the animals have not docked in any other port.
The animals have been on board the ship for just under a month, and according to those in charge of the ship, they are doing well. However, according to Reuters, animal welfare advocates have now intervened in the situation, calling it torture.
”Leaving sheep and cattle on the MV Bahijah in the blazing summer heat is animal torture,” said Mehreen Faruqi, deputy leader of the Green Party of Australia and senator for New South Wales.
”The government has already made a grave mistake by approving this journey through a conflict zone,” she said. ”To send them on another long journey is completely unacceptable.”
Wants to keep sailing
Much to the displeasure of Australian animal welfare organizations, the ship’s owner wants to unload some of the animals in Western Australia and continue the rest of the 16,000 animals’ journey south of Africa’s Cape of Good Hope and up to Jordan.
A route that could last another month.
Along with the ship’s own registered veterinarian, the Australian Department of Agriculture sent two independent veterinarians on board the ship on January 31 to ensure the animals on board were in good health.
The assessment was that the animals were generally in good condition.
The Department of Agriculture states that they are still assessing whether the animals should be allowed to continue sailing.
(Translated using DeepL with additional editing by Catherine Brett)
