Some of the sheep and cattle stranded in heatwave conditions aboard a ship off Western Australia after almost a month at sea will be offloaded, with others set to be re-exported.
About 16,500 animals are packed into the MV Bahijah, which was ordered by the federal government to abandon its voyage to the Middle East due to Houthis rebel attacks in the Red Sea.
It has since returned to Australian waters, with authorities scrambling to formulate a plan to quarantine the livestock.
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Premier Roger Cook said the carrier could dock on Thursday after the export company managing the animals rejected the offer of a berth on Tuesday.
“They decided to delay docking — could be for a range of logistical reasons — so those animals, hopefully, will be disembarked tomorrow,” he said.
“The other information I have is that they’ve done significant efforts in making sure they clean the stalls and provide new bedding and water and food for those animals.”
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said the exporter had applied to unload some animals before re-exporting those remaining aboard the vessel.
“The department is assessing this application as a priority, including working closely with our trading partners to ensure any decision to re-export the animals would be supported by the intended market,” the department said.
The department said the exporter’s veterinarian on the ship was monitoring the livestock and liaising with the department.
“All reports to date indicate there are no signs of any significant health or welfare concerns with the livestock on board.”
The department is also considering whether to have an independent vet assess the livestock.
“These are complex decisions that must balance Australian biosecurity, export legislation, animal welfare considerations and the requirements of our international trading partners,” the department said.
The MV Bahijah loaded cattle and sheep in Fremantle and departed for the Middle East on January 5 and was ordered to return to Australia on January 20.
The federal member for Fremantle, Josh Wilson, said there were serious animal welfare concerns about the exporter’s plan to resume its journey with some of the animals.
Perth’s temperature soared to 41.7C on Wednesday and is set to hit 39C on Thursday and 37C on Friday.