Live sheep export ship passed 39 inspections in five years

The ship at the centre of Australia’s latest live export scandal was inspected 39 times in the last five years.

The livestock carrier Awassi Express is seen moored at Fremantle Port in Greater Perth, in April. Picture: AAP

The ship at the centre of Australia’s latest live export scandal ­visited Australia on 27 occasions and was inspected 39 times in the past five years before horrific footage of 2400 dying sheep uncovered its failure to comply with basic airflow requirements.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which is responsible for safety and mechanical standards of livestock export ships, yesterday told The Australian it had inspected the 28-year-oldAwassiExpress, whichis operated by Emanuel Exports, 39 times.

A “reinspection” of the ship in April after the Nine Network’s 60 Minutes aired footage of overheated sheep dying in their own excrement en route to the Middle East in 2017, found the vessel needed to improve poor ventilation on closed livestock decks.

The “reinspection” followed a public backlash with the Awassi held in Fremantle, Western Australia, for two weeks last month so works could be carried out to improve airflow and install an automatic watering system.

When asked by The Australian how many voyages the Awassi had undertaken in the past five years before AMSA asked them to fix the ventilation system, the regulator confirmed the ship had been to Australia nearly 30 times.

“Awassi Express has visited Australia on 27 voyages in the past five years,” an ASMA spokesman said. “The ventilation system on the MV Awassi Express passed testing by an independent third party testing company before the ship was issued with an Australian certificate for the carriage of livestock (ACCL).

“As the information provided by Animals Australia suggested possible problems with the ventilation, AMSA reinspected the ship in April and found areas below the minimum airflow on the edges of some pens. AMSA sought retesting to verify ventilation standards and adjustments were subsequently made to the ventilation system in some pens”.

Labor has committed to phase out the live export of sheep and is in discussions with NSW Liberal MP and former cabinet minister Sussan Ley, who is planning to introduce a private member’s bill to halt the trade.

The Australian understands cabinet last night postponed a discussion on the findings of a scientific review into the summer trade of live sheep to the Middle East by livestock veterinarian Michael McCarthy.

The government is now expected to release the review along with its response when parliament returns next week.

There is also a growing sentiment within government that AMSA may have failed to properly enforce standards aboard live export vessels and a sense of confusion over why the problem with the ventilation system on the Awassi had not been previously identified by the regulator.

An AMSA spokesman yesterday confirmed that in the past five years, it had detained 19 livestock carriers on 27 occasions.

“These detentions may or may not be related to carriage of livestock arrangements. When minor deficiencies are found, AMSA requires that the deficiencies be rectified before loading or before reaching the next port,” he said.

The inspections of the Awassi over the past five years included seven “port state control inspections” as well as “four annual surveys to validate its ACCL”.

AMSA did 28 livestock “pre-load” inspections, the most recent prior to April on February 1.

Unions have seized on the recent scandal to crank up a campaign to have live exports stopped.