A scandal-plagued live export ship set to take 65,000 sheep to the Middle East has been blocked by Australian maritime officials.
File photo. Photo: RNZ Cosmo Kentish-Barnes
The ship failed to satisfy an inspection and must provide evidence of improvements before maritime officials will allow it to set sail with livestock on board. The concerns relate to airflow in pens where sheep will travel. The ship, used by Emanuel Exports, is the same vessel linked to 2400 sheep deaths during a voyage to the Middle East last August.
Inspectors from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) spent hours yesterday inspecting the Awassi Express in Fremantle, Western Australia.
"AMSA has advised the master and ship operator that they will have to arrange a third party air flow verification report to prove compliance with air flow standards before an Australian Certificate for the Carriage of Livestock can be issued," an AMSA statement reads.
The Department of Agriculture investigated last year's incident and scandal erupted after footage of the sheep surfaced, reportedly showing livestock being mistreated.
The vision, broadcast on Channel Nine on Sunday night, showed hundreds of sheep in a small space, workers throwing dead sheep overboard, and faeces-covered pens where animals stood panting or collapsed on the ground.
It remains unclear what will happen to the sheep and 250 cattle Emanuel Exports plans to send to Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar in the coming days.
Emanuel Exports was also responsible for a July 2016 consignment, in which about 3000 sheep died from heat stress during a voyage to the Middle East.
The company's director Nicholas Daws apologised to farmers after the footage was broadcast.
"Animal welfare failures resulting in high mortalities, like the footage we've seen from the August 2017 Awassi Express shipment, in which 2400 sheep died, are heartbreaking for our company and the producers whose livestock we export," he said in a statement.
Mr Daws said his company had made changes since that shipment and would implement the additional welfare requirements the Department of Agriculture had requested for the shipment due to leave this week.
"These conditions include a 17.5 per cent reduction in loading volumes compared to regulatory standards and the presence of a Federal Government observer on the voyage [in addition to an Australian Government Accredited Veterinarian] as required for all voyages to the Arabian Gulf," he said.
Separate to the AMSA inspection on Sunday, the Department of Agriculture also imposed special conditions Emanuel Exports needed to meet in order for the next shipment to proceed. Those conditions included a guarantee the sheep would have access to food, water and appropriate ventilation, and loaded at a stocking density below industry standards. Emanuel Exports would also need to prove to officials that there will be sufficient number of vets on board, trained animal handling staff and regular cleaning of decks.
Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, who viewed the footage last week, said he would be meeting with animal advocates and members of the live export industry on Monday.
"There's no point complaining about the footage. The footage wouldn't exist if the conditions on the boat were good for those sheep," he said in a statement.
Mr Littleproud said those who do the wrong thing should be "nailed, not slapped on the wrist".
The Australian Livestock Exporters' Council (ALEC) said they would take steps to strengthen accountability and reduce risks to animals during exporting.
These included investigating reducing stock density on trips to the Arab Gulf through high-risk periods, additional training for on-board vets and stockpersons, and additional independent on-board personnel.
"Farmers put their faith in us to sustain and grow the live sheep trade, which is worth $250 million annually, and we are determined that we will not let them down," ALEC chief executive Simon Westaway said.
- ABC