The MV Bahijah, the ship that had to return to Australia with its load of sheep and cattle, is sitting off the coast of WA. Rumour had it, it would be berthed by 4pm today but it hasn't. The pilot vessel has just come in with no ship tagging along behind.
One wonders if it would be preferable for both the industry and the Dept of Ag, who were incompetent enough to approve the voyage into a war zone, to actually start unloading after dark when the public can't see the state of the 2500 head of cattle and 14,000 sheep being transported on the trucks. And meanwhile, some farmers apparently think it fine to keep them on the ship and send them back around the Cape... for another 6 week voyage – not a great reflection on their animal welfare understanding. Anyhow, we will attempt to keep viewers up to date while continuing to track the Friesian Express.
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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).
Position at 2024-01-27 20:00 UTC (2024-01-28 07.00 AEDT) Lat -35.5246 Lng 117.2870 Speed:10.3 kn...ripping right along So for those who work better in place names, it has taken 6 days of sailing from Portland just to creep past Albany. Lets hope for the cattle it now picks up speed in the Indian Ocean OR that the Dept comes to its senses and recalls it to Fremantle. Houthi attacks have now extended into the Gulf of Aden (not so far from Arabian Sea - Karachi) and Pakistan/Iran volatility continues with Pakistani civilian deaths this morning. There is no possible contingency plan that could cover anything going wrong with this vessel heading to the volatile ME. 60% voyages are underestimated by exporters and only 3 extra days of food are required...so each day over the ETA is another day of extra fodder gone. Watch this space for daily updates on ship position and speed - 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).
For Day 5: no change in ETA in Karachi. Sailing at just over 10 knots again ( 10.4 when last checked, though 9 this morning) after dipping down below 9 for some of the voyage across the Bight. Current position: just west of Esperance. Watch this space for daily updates on ship position and speed - 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)
26-Jan 7.00 26/01 20.00 25/01 SPEED: 8 knots 26-Jan19.00 26/01 08.00 26/01 SPEED: 8.7 knots At this glacial pace, no chance this ship is ever going to be there by 15th Feb (let alone 14th Feb)...as predicted by VALE and discussed with the Dept. Watch this space for daily updates on ship position and speed - 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):
Position: Navigational status: Status moving: Area: Great Australian Bight Last seen: 2024-01-23 1 day ago Sorry folks no more public updates on position and speed for the moment. VALE will still follow the progress of this ship. Watch this space for daily updates on ship position and speed - it needs to maintain an average of 11.5 knots to make it to Pakistan by the most direct route in the estimated time (2024-02-14 15:30 LT (UTC +5) originally and now 2024-02-15 08:00 LT (UTC +5): Position received: 2024-01-24 09:16 LT (UTC +9) Area: EAUS - Great Australian Bight Navigational Status: Underway using Engine Speed/Course: 11.0 kn / 278 ° Top speed: 12.5kn Only day 2 and the ETA has already changed by a day....speeding right along with not a chance of being there on the 14th as we knew and has now been recognised on Marine Traffic! In the height of the concerns about farmers needing/ wanting to offload sheep to ships maybe they should ask why the exporters are not helping support them? Instead of loading Australian animals and heading off to the Middle east (ith Ramadan approaching), the Al Kuwait stopped in Freo (presumably for fodder/ provisions) headed off empty to Brazil, presumably to take a more luctrative cattle consignment.
WA farmers feel aggrieved and blame Albo but perhaps they should look to their own and take it up with them/ Watch this space for daily updates on ship position and speed - it needs to maintain an average of11.5 knots to make it to Pakistan by the most direct route in the estimated time:
2024-01-23 19:01 LT (UTC +9) Area: EAUS - Great Australian Bight Navigational Status: Underway using Engine Speed/Course: 10.7 kn / 282 ° Despite VALE's desperate attempt to contact the Dept of Agriculture and alert them to the danger of sending a slow little ship from Portland to Karachi when Iran is sending rockets into Pakistan, the ship set sail today.
The facts: 1. This is a very small, slow ship (11-12 knot average; Marine Traffic lists even slower - 9 knots average) 2. This ship reportedly has no bulk fodder storage so has absolutely no possibility to return to Australia if anything goes wrong (unlike Bahijah). 3. Karachi is on the fringe of area of Houthi activity in the Arabian sea but Iran is firing rockets into Pakistan 4. This vessel is totally unsuited to a long voyage to Karachi at any time but certainly at the time of current hostilities. It is unknown what contingency plan was in place for the Bahijah but at least the ship had the food storage capacity to enable return to Australia when everything went pear-shaped. It is difficult to know what contingency plances are in place that could actually work with this small ship and no fodder and the Dept were not forthcoming with any information on the topic. Did the Dept just ask yes and no questions ie Do you have a contingency plan? YES... OK, tick, we dont need to see what it is? 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. |
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