A 60 minute video footage has shocked the export industry. The footage shows hundreds of live Australian sheep, cramped together and dying aboard a squalid export ship.
What happened?
The shipping sector has been pressured to increase their standards or face the whip. The footage which was allegedly filmed by a officer aboard while making multiple voyages from Australia to the Middle East.
Animals died of exhaustion
Thousands of animals were cramped into the vessel’s pen and can be seen panting in the extreme heat. In a shocking discovery, more than 1300 sheeps died of heat and exhaustion due to intense heatwave in the Persian Gulf.
Cruel death
The officer conveyed that the crew members onboard the vessel fainted due to the heat wave and sheep died a painful death after being unable to leave the boat and were essentially being “put in an oven”.
The crew members tossed the rotting carcasses from the boat into the sea while other sheep’s fight for food or collapse and die in filth below deck.
Inhumane treatment
It was alleged that the Emanuel Exports was behind one of the recorded journeys. The Industry regulations forbid pregnant sheep being exported on the ships but the footage shows young lambs crammed in with the flock.
The officer said, “I have seen a lot of little young lambs die, they’ve been crushed under the feet of other animals and it is so distressing”.
Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said, “I am shocked and deeply disturbed by the vision. This is the livelihood of Australian farmers that are on that ship — that’s their pride and joy and it’s total bulls*** what I saw taking place”.
Investigation underway
The minister has called for an urgent briefing from his department and the industry. He promised stringent action would be taken against the exporters, regulators or crew members who failed to fulfil their responsibilities.
An Emanuel Exports ship that was scheduled to travel from Western Australia to the Middle East carrying 65,000 live sheep and 250 cattle is currently banned from leaving Australia if the export company fails to meet strict new conditions. The company Emanuel will further require departmental approval to export its current shipment, which is due to leave Fremantle for Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar on April 10, 2018.
The Agriculture Department wants the amount of stock on the ship to be reduced, and independently gathered video and photographs of conditions sent to the department every day after it sets sail.
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Source: Geelong Advertiser
