The ABC reports that the Department of Ag confirmed some of the several hundred cattle unloaded from the MV Bahijah at the request of the exporter on Friday had died over the weekend and that those deaths are now under investigation. Despite this and the unfolding tragedy, Australia's chief veterinary officer Beth Cookson on Sunday apparently could not provide an exact number of how many livestock had died, despite continuing to reiterate that the mortality rate was low.
Two questions: 1. When is it OK that a CVO is not kept up to date with all mortalities in a biosecurity operation? This information should be at their fingertips. Answer: never 2. Why did the offloaded animals die? The reported "death" of cattle deemed fit to load on Friday night is most concerning. Unless due to misadventure (rarely more than one and usually reported as "euthanased") or sudden death due to bloat (or rarely, infectious diseases such as anthrax), healthy cattle dont just die in 1-2 days. The most likely explanation given the prolonged time onboard ship is that the cattle that died were not healthy cattle when they were loaded on those trucks and exposed to further transport stress... Any claims by the Dept that animal health and welfare are good on board when supposedly healthy animals cant survive a short trucking trip are clearly inaccurate. Update: Sheep Central reports that WA Farmers Livestock Council president Geoff Pearson "said last Friday four of 750 cattle taken off the MV Bahijah died as a result of transport complications en route to quarantine." VALE: transport complications or not fit to load?
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Despite having their hands full with the Bahijah, the Dept in their wisdom, has approved another vessel to sail to Aqaba via the Red Sea. This is despite passage through the Red Sea being now even more perilous due to increasing attacks on shipping by Yemen's Houthi militia who have disrupted global trade, attacking military and commercial ships,
The Jawan, set sail from Australia on Thursday, Feb 1, carrying a larger cargo (than the Bahijah) – around 60,000 animals - mostly sheep. The Dept of Ag apparently approved the ship to sail "with a contingency plan including that it cannot enter the Red Sea unless the department (ministry) gives approval to do so 72 hours before they enter the Red Sea." If the vessel cannot enter the Red Sea it will unload in the Gulf and the animals will be trucked overland to Jordan. Source: REUTERS.COM Australian livestock stuck in limbo on ship as second vessel heads to Red Sea https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/four-weeks-after-sailing-israel-16000-sheep-cattle-remain-limbo-aboard-ship-2024-02-02 Only thing that can be said with any certainty is that no-one other than the Dept and the exporter know what is going on with this ship. The ABC states that "the Israel-based exporter, Bassem Dabbah, failed to file a plan for the animals until two weeks after they were ordered back."
And all the Government will say can be found here: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/about/news/mv-bahijah-live-updates. As to the ship itself? Sent out to clean out decks and offload any dead animals and now heading back to Fremantle after its latest jaunts. At least a bit cooler now and a lot less cattle onboard. Another daily update on ship position and speed remembering it needs to maintain an average of 11.5 knots to make it to Pakistan by the most direct route in the original estimated time (2024-02-14 15:30 LT (UTC +5)), changed on Day 2 of the sea voyage to 2024-02-15 08:00 LT (UTC +5), changed on Day 4: 2024-02-15 12:00 LT (UTC+5). Now 2024-02-15 7:00
Time: 04.02.2024 9:09pm AEST Position:S 10° 56' E 092° 59' Speed: a glacial 9.0 kn at that time Interesting that ETA still unchanged....seems unlikely at this stage. Another daily update on ship position and speed remembering it needs to maintain an average of 11.5 knots to make it to Pakistan by the most direct route in the original estimated time (2024-02-14 15:30 LT (UTC +5)), changed on Day 2 of the sea voyage to 2024-02-15 08:00 LT (UTC +5), changed on Day 4: 2024-02-15 12:00 LT (UTC+5). Now 2024-02-15 7:00
Position: S 15° 47' E 097° 16' Speed: 11.1 kn Last seen: 03.02.2024 10:18 am AEST Rarely making 11.5 knots as usual....but sure it is a great ship for the voyage. Latest update: at least 4 B-doubles (possibly 6) left Fremantle Port with cattle from the MV Bahijah last night...so 300 off the ship, maybe 450. The others at least will have had increased space to lie down and sleep last night. All round - a win for animal welfare.
The official confirmation without the numbers...: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/about/news/mv-bahijah-live-updates Latest update from the Dept (2.2.24) confirms that the exporter has requested permission to unload several hundred healthy cattle from the MV Bahijah. The Dept has agreed for the animals to be unloaded under strict biosecurity measures. VALE can confirm that at least one truck has loaded (approx 75 cattle). If its fine for some, its fine for all and all animals should be unloaded on welfare grounds. However, the exporter still wants to export (why did they unload "several hundred"?) and the Dept has still not made up their mind whether to accede to this latest exporter demand. See: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/about/news/mv-bahijah-live-updates And with all the drama around the Bahijah, the Jawan has been allowed to go to Jordan via the Red sea. Yes, the Jordanians might have a better relationship with the Houthis (maybe they got them to sign a piece of paper...in Arabic??) ....but really....another ship into the war zone which most shipping companies are trying to avoid? Beggars belief.
Another daily update on ship position and speed remembering it needs to maintain an average of 11.5 knots to make it to Pakistan by the most direct route in the original estimated time (2024-02-14 15:30 LT (UTC +5)), changed on Day 2 of the sea voyage to 2024-02-15 08:00 LT (UTC +5), changed on Day 4: 2024-02-15 12:00 LT (UTC+5). Now 2024-02-15 7:00
Time: 01.02.2024 22:10 Position S 19° 26' E 100° 30' Speed: 12kn - finally getting up speed... And meanwhile, perhaps because of VALE's scrutiny, the vessel is being spruiked as the latest and greatest.... See 31.1.24: https://www.sheepcentral.com/livestock-vessel-purchase-backed-by-confidence-in-future/ ABC News states that the federal Department of Agriculture has confirmed no livestock need to be offloaded for welfare reasons. Reportedly, Australia's chief veterinary officer Beth Cookson said that independent veterinary reports (the only vets experienced enough to really assess will have been industry vets) concluded no major signs of health or environmental concerns for the animals. Apparently, for a flock animal like sheep, an inspection of tens of thousands of animals in pens "provides additional confidence that the livestock are in good condition and have appropriate care and supervision." The department has apparently stated that the ship was being replenished with supplies ahead of its possible departure following discussions with the exporter.
One can only hope that the Dept isnt really going to let them go....but given that this is the same Dept that approved an Israeli ship go to Israel through an area subject to Houthi ship attacks, it is possible that "the regulator" who doesnt regulate (just capitulates), has indeed signed off on this. See: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-01/mv-bahijah-live-export-ship-berths-fremantle-to-offload-animals/103412828 LATEST UPDATE (see photo below): left port...to anchor? or to Haifa? No-one other than the Dept and the exporter would know ANSWER: to clean out decks and throw the dead overboard outside the Harbour limits |
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