CNN – Concern is mounting for thousands of sheep and cattle stranded off the coast of Australia after authorities ordered the Israeli-owned ship transporting the live cargo to turn around over fears it could be targeted by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
More than 16,000 animals are aboard the MV Bahijah anchored off Western Australia, where sweltering heat is adding to pressure on the Australian government to decide whether to re-export or offload the animals following more than three weeks at sea.
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said on Thursday it was still considering a request from the exporter to allow the ship to leave. The vessel berthed overnight for resupplies at Fremantle Port, near Perth, the statement said.
No livestock were offloaded, the government said, despite calls from animal welfare advocates to allow them off the ship as soon as possible.
Two independent veterinarians, engaged by the government, inspected the live cargo on Wednesday and found “no significant animal health or welfare issues,” the government said.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Australia (RSPCA) says a thorough examination of all the animals is impossible while they’re still on the ship.
Australia’s live export trade has long been a point of friction between the industry and those who say it prioritizes revenue over animal welfare.
The Australian government has pledged to end the live export of sheep but has yet to give a timetable about when that will happen.
A long journey
The MV Bahijah left Fremantle on January 5 for the Middle East, according to a statement from the Australian government.
A crisis has enveloped the region’s vital Red Sea shipping lane in recent weeks, as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels attack commercial vessels in what they say is retaliation against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza … READ MORE.
