Every average Australian knows fever, sore throat....and a ship... equals Covid..till proven otherwise!
The Dept of Ag, with its biosecurity role in this country, however, hasnt quite got the message. The email below shows that not only could they not spell "throat" (for "through" read throat?)....they deemed 3 crew members with fever and one "suffering small pain in through [throat] swallowing.." to be "no concern for Covid". Either they are even more incompetent than previously believed OR they were determined to get those last sheep out of WA before the seasonal ban of Jun 1.
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WA's latest Covid cases are from guess where.....a live ex ship, the newly rebadged Al Kuwait. According to the West Australian, “It was not until Sunday evening that the Fremantle Port Authority heard of some issues on the ship. That was through word of mouth from another worker in the port and the information was then reported through the usual channels.”
And meanwhile, the Dept of Ag knew all along. McGowan said “The advice I have is (the Commonwealth) Department of Agriculture were informed but they didn’t tell the Fremantle Port Authority,” he said. “Clearly, if there are cases of people reporting high temperatures on board that should be reported and red flags raised.” Well clearly McGowan doesnt know the lengths to which the Dept of Ag will go to prevent any disruption to the live ex trade.....shovelling potential Covid under the carpet, leaving it to be reported by "word of mouth" says it all. So, not so good for the poor workers or WA residents but could be a real bonus for the sheep, as with the 31 May approaching, 6 crew with Covid, probably a whole lot more set to come down with it and a biosecurity risk, its unlikely that the sheep for this voyage will be leaving Australia. This week we had the news of an ESCAS breach with 45 buffaloes being slaughtered (somehow) between 7 and 12 December 2019 on the back of a truck (using electrical goads to keep their heads in position).
But slaughter issues are only a problem if they actually get there. Some time between Feb and now, the Dept put up a few high mortality reports including High Mortality 81 - from a voyage in Aug 2019. Buffaloes crammed in like sardines if the representative photo (see photo) was anything to go on and IO report stated: "a number of buffalo pens contained stock numbers greater than the ASEL stocking densities. This impacted on the health and welfare of the animals ...as access to feed and water and their ability to rest was reduced." BUT the government shoved it all under the mat and stated in the official investigation report that the IO indicated "possible overstocking" and that there were no breaches of ASEL. So much for the Moss Review, the Carter Review and not sanitising reports eh? Oh yeah and the next buffalo voyage in November, was....another high mortality voyage (Report 82...not that it is available yet). Voyage 78: March 2019, Bison Express; North Australian Cattle Company Pty Ltd (NACC); Townsville to Vietnam; 2.86% (53/1845) cattle mortality; 11 days. No vet. No PM kit so no PMs (could they not have used a galley knife?). Treatments difficult because 2 Westergun pole syringes inoperable (but one Masterject fine). Bosun euthanased the five animals that broke their legs when the stockman "sought to stand the animals up". Vet sent to discharge port.
Oh and NACC advised that they will conduct assessments of stockman capability and competence prior to voyages! Well great to know they have it all in hand... Especially as "The department required an Independent Observer to accompany the next voyage however a statutory declaration was provided by NACC stating an observer could not be accommodated on that vessel" ....so....over to the stockperson! The Dept of Ag sent out an advisory notice today on stockpersons and AAVs. Surprise surprise, they are hard to come by in COVID times. AAVs still required ....at the moment....and that seems untouchable...at the moment (though However, any old stockperson, accredited or not, whom the export wants to nominate will now be fine for the job. Maybe this is no worse than a 4 day accreditation course ....but.....will it end up just being a sailor...? Someone who is stuck on the ship anyway? Who knows.
See EAN 2020/04. Against the advice of the Asutralian Maritime Safety Authority, our Australian Government, courtesy of Michael McCormack, has granted an exemption to allow the Al Shuwaikh, a 34yo live export ship to carry sheep to the Middle East despite the ship failing ventilation requirements.
The new rules prohibiting livestock from being transported on double-decked tiers.came into force on 31 December. Industry was given plenty of warning and other exporters took out their double tiers....but KLTT are exempt. And yep, this exemption was granted in the same week as NSPCA has lodged an urgent application to their High Court to interdict the impending export by sea of live sheep to Kuwait (See: https://nspca.co.za/news/live-export-nspca-launches-urgent-application-to-the-high-court-gerrie-nel-taking-lead/ ). And the NSPCA has Gerrie Nel (think Oscar Pistorius trial) as their advocate. One wonders what Gerrie Nel would make of the Australian government flouting their own department's advice.........see: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38813552 For a detailed article on the double exemption, see www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/25/michael-mccormack-grants-exemption-to-live-export-ship-that-fails-new-rules For a detailed article on the South African court application see: https://maritime-executive.com/article/nspca-heads-to-court-over-live-export-to-kuwait Australia prides itself on animal welfare....but the rules change once one goes over the 26th parallel.....eg think of ASEL's lack of bedding requirements on live ex boats that carry stock from above the 26th parallel. For anyone used to the northern pastoral industry, the footage shown to Israeli audiences this week would be regarded as "the norm". This was aptly summed up by the pragmatic Australian stockie: "its about numbers".....not animals!
And therein lies the problem. While the livestock industries constantly pat themselves on the back, they forget that those not blinkered by "the norm" do not. These "normal" images are so confronting to another 1st world nation, that that nation is reconsidering its import of live Australian animals. Astoundingly, they think the government will find these practices cruel and address them .....ho hum.....its outback Australia and anything is fine there...animals there dont have sentience...and they certainly dont have animal welfare protection. So.....watch out live ex....The Israelis now know how we treat our animals on land...and they have indicated in no uncertain terms, that this raises even more doubt about what happens out of sight on the seas. See: LETTER SENT FROM AN ISRAEL KNESSET MEMBER TO THE AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR Not such a good year for KLTT and its partners. In November, live export company Emanuel Exports and two of its former directors have pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty charges stemming from a voyage to the Middle East on which about 2400 sheep died. Now formal charges have been laid against Al Mawashi (KLTT) in South Africa. The charges relate to carrying of animals in such conditions that cause them unnecessary suffering (under terms of the Animals Protection Act No 71 of 1962).
According to NSPCA, the charges were laid against the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) as well as Eastern Cape Rural Development and Agrarian Reform, Al Mawashi (the company shipping the sheep on the livestock carrier Al Shuwaikh which has a company in South Africa), the captain of the Al Shuwaikh, the Page Farming Trust and individuals from the Page Farming Trust. The NSPCA claims that conditions on board the Al Shuwaikh included dangerously high ammonia levels on some of the enclosed decks, dirty conditions including feces in the food and water troughs, and other welfare concerns. A far cry it would seem from the pristine footage from the same ship from Dr Holly Ludeman and her sidekicks. Dr Peta Lewis in one video states that "the crew really cares" so it is interesting that the NSPCA claim to have such a different experience and that they have also laid charges against the Al Shuwaikh captain....who was almost certainly the same as that in the Australian industry footage. Now where were we on "black swans"???? EXPLANATORY NOTE - KLTT owns the Al Messilah and the Al Shuwaikh, two of the main ships used by Emanuels - KLTT operates in Kuwait and South Africa as Al Mawashi - RETWA is the Australian subsidiary of KLTT - in 2003, Mr Graham Daws was Managing Director of RETWA when its licence was suspended by DAFF due to four high mortality shipments... - during the RETWA suspension, Mr Daws was able to continue to export animals under an export licence held by Emanuel Exports Pty Ltd...a licence now cancelled with its directors charged. Whilst the drowning of >14000 sheep from Romania is an absolute disaster that would have been avoided had shipboard live export not occurred, its aftermath is encouraging. An article from Maritime Executive indicates that there has been outrage in Romania from the producers themselves, describing the animals as "innocent souls": "If we are not able to protect animals during long distance transport, at least we have a backbone to prohibit them.” These farmers from a poor country seem to have shown far more compassion than the WA farmers (...oh yeah the Awassi was bad but live ex must go on...etc etc... and it shouldnt be banned across the northern summer just because it is a bit hot in the Middle East eg https://www.farmweekly.com.au/story/6396642/no-surprises-as-live-ex-vessel-goes-elsewhere/ amongst many others in a similar vein).
So, yes, as predicted, it appears some exporter has turned to Romania....but who knows Mr Seabrook....maybe Romanian farmers will show the compassion and animal welfare concerns that WA farmers havent....and if they dont....lets hope EU is more responsible than Australia. WARNING GRAPHIC FOOTAGE A live export ship with 14600 sheep to be exported sank today in the Romanian port of Midia Năvodari. The Queen Hind, a ship built in 1980 overturned on one side. No sailors died but doubt there are any sheep left alive... The Jawan narrowly avoided this fate leaving Australia earlier this year...and another carrier ran aground in South America (with cattle only saved due to help from an Australian veterinarian). This is one of the risks that live animals face on these ships.....especially on older ships.
So the question is....will the EU realise the unique and inherently risky nature of the trade and act?? And....as for Australia, a near miss should surely be one of the "black swans" for the industry. |
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