MV Bahijah Arrives: 16,000 Sheep and Cattle Enter Quarantine After Rejected Export

After a five-and-half-week journey on the MV Bahijah livestock ship, originally turned back from the Middle East due to Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea, approximately 16,000 sheep and cattle are set to be unloaded. The vessel, which departed from Fremantle on January 5, returned to Australian waters with most of the animals still on board, except for a few hundred cattle that were unloaded 10 days earlier. Concerns about the animals' welfare arose during this period, especially following a rejected proposal to export them on a longer journey.

The ship arrived in port on Monday, and unloading operations are expected to continue until Wednesday. According to WA Farmers Livestock Council president Geoff Pearson, the animals will be placed in quarantine for at least 10 days before any consideration of a new export permit. They will be held in yards near Perth under strict quarantine controls, ensuring they do not mix with other animals.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry denied a recent application to ship the livestock to Israel via southern Africa, citing non-compliance with export control rules and concerns about the animals' health and welfare. Legal action by animal activists in Israel also influenced the decision, leading to the dropping of their case after the Australian federal government's rejection of the application. Australian animal advocacy groups have expressed concerns about the animals' health due to the prolonged stay on the ship and recent extreme heat in Perth. Authorities reported that 51 sheep and four cattle have died since loading, which is considered normal for the number of animals on the ship.