Dept's Foolhardy approval of RED SEA VOYAGE

The Australian Government has recalled the livestock carrier Bahijah after it diverted from the Red Sea over a week into its voyage to the Middle East. The Bahijah loaded cattle and sheep in Fremantle and departed for the Middle East on January 5, 2024. The vessel has an Israeli company name painted in large letters along the side of the hull.

Maritime Link reported VALE's comments: : “Live export is uniquely and inherently risky, but this was a predictable and preventable risk that was nothing short of foolhardy - allowing an Israeli-owned ship to leave Australia to travel through the Red Sea in January 2024.

“It is not known what contingency plans were in place, but it appears that loading food at East London, South Africa, and taking the ship around the Cape was one of them. If so, then the Department has little to no understanding of the fodder capacity at East London. Tons of appropriate pellets for shipboard augurs are not usually on standby for the odd Australian live export ship that needs them. In addition, one wonders what contingency plans there were for cleaning out six weeks of sheep feces.” The feces is not usually removed for 3-4 week Middle East voyages."

It beggars belief but still they let them go - check Friesian Express, a tiny slow ship loading Australian dairy cattle from Portland to go to PAKISTAN (on the edge of the troubles). So... what contingency have they for that one - it hasnt even got bulk food storage.