The MV Bahijah is due to arrive in Israel tomorrow – the second attempt for the vessel after it was forced to return to Australia in February due to Houthi Rebel attacks in the Red Sea. In total the approximately 14 thousand sheep and one thousand cattle aboard the ship have spent 74 gruelling days on the water. Humane Society International (HSI) Australia is calling for the Albanese Government to legislate an end date for the cruel live sheep trade within this term of Parliament. 

Nicola Beynon, Head of Campaigns at HSI Australia said: 

“These sheep and cows have experienced a long list of prolonged stresses, enduring rough seas while standing exhausted in their own waste for weeks at a time – not once but twice. 

“The Albanese Government pledged to end live sheep exports but is yet to deliver on their election promises. It’s time for Federal Minister Murray Watt to announce the Government’s plan to legislate the phase out of the live sheep trade.” 

KEY FACTS 

  • Australians overwhelmingly support the Federal Government’s policy to phase out live sheep exports by sea (78%, McCrindle, 2022) 
  • Almost 44,000 Australians signed a Parliamentary petition – one of the largest official e-Petitions in history – calling on the government to legislate the date to end the cruel live sheep export trade as soon as possible (August 2023) 
  • The live export trade is in long-term structural decline and accounts for 0.1% of Australia’s agricultural exports  
Get to know Georgie Dolphin, Animal Welfare Campaigner Australia Joint Release: UNESCO alerted to impact of salmon farming on World Heritage Area