Heat stress and death: Stakes high for 56,000 stranded sheep with cut-off date looming

As 56,000 sheep wait in limbo, the ship they were destined for stranded in Fremantle after COVID-19 arrived on board with the crew, advocates have seized the opportunity to pivot the debate to the live export trade itself.

The sheep were to be loaded on to the ship for the journey to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates before the federal government’s June 1 mandatory three-month live export prohibition came into effect, intended to protect the sheep from heat stress deaths during the Middle Eastern summer.

The sheep cannot return to the farm due to biosecurity regulations.

A federal Department of Agriculture spokesman said they would be held at Peel Feedlot, in the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale, as the exporter considered options including leaving them at the feedlot, finding alternative markets or processing them for domestic consumption.

At this stage it would be difficult for the vessel to depart with a live animal shipment before Monday, the spokesman said, but the legislation provided for the independent regulator to grant an exemption to the prohibition period.

"The department will consider such an exemption application if and when received," he said.

WA Farmers livestock president David Slade said Rural Export & Trading WA and the Australian Livestock Exporters' Council were working closely with state and federal authorities to resolve the situation.

Mr Slade said the sheep had ample feed and water in the feedlot and were being monitored by vets and stock handlers.

“We must not forget that our trading partners rely on our live export industry for food security, it’s paramount our long-term markets have consistent and steady supply, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

“The state and federal governments need to ensure they do everything they can to see this live export consignment through.”

The RSPCA released a statement saying it was monitoring the situation and also expressed its concern for the workers on board the ship including two Australians, a vet and stockman.

The association said any exemption from regulations prohibiting export between June 1-September 14 should be ruled out, as it would subject the sheep to unacceptable levels of heat stress and death.

It said alternative local markets should be found through WA abattoirs.

But WAtoday spoke to an industry insider who said the Al Kuwait was virtually brand new at four years old, had been purpose-built by Australia's largest live export company Wellard before being sold to the Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading Company, and had excellent ventilation.

The insider said the ship reported a remarkably low mortality rate on its last voyage – 62 sheep in 60,000 – and July-August were the “danger months”, so the stock would be fine and not subjected to heat stress if the ship left by mid-June.

Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote to the WA government calling for it to push the federal government to ban live exports.

“The group notes that the Al Kuwait outbreak wasn't caused by infected animals, but that just as abattoirs and other animal-exploiting facilities are potential breeding grounds for the next pandemic, so, too, are live-export ships – with the exacerbating factor of worldwide travel,” PETA’s statement said.

World Animal Protection Campaigns head Ben Pearson also called for a live export ban.

“Not only do they pose a serious threat to the wellbeing of animals, but as we’ve seen, people too,” he said.

“This case is an example of the risks associated with the live export industry, including the conditions in which animals and people are housed for days on end.”

Speaking to Sky News’ Peter Stefanovic on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison dismissed these statements.

“I’ll tell you one thing we’ve got to be careful of ... we can’t shut down the shipping industry, our trade, on the basis of coronavirus. I mean, we’ve got the systems in place, they can be protected, they can be managed. And they are being,” he said.

“But if we’re going to stop exporting, whether it’s our agricultural products or resources or anything like this then that is going to hurt our economy drastically so I would caution people from getting too far ahead of themselves on this."