23 of the world’s most influential livestock ships revealed
From controversial cocaine busts to drone attacks these are some of the major vessels which carried livestock across the globe last year. See the list.
Australia’s live export industry has a value of $1.8 billion, and one of the key points of interest is the vessels which carry stock to their destinations.
According to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, in 2023, Australia exported 675,592 cattle, 650,717 sheep, 18,356 goats, 6237 buffalo, 838 alpacas, 31 camels and 12 llamas, to amass a total of 1,352,783 animals transported by air or sea.
The animals transported by air account for smaller with a total of 401 Alpacas exported in 2022-2023, 13 camels, 2777 cattle, 13,866 goats and 18,887 sheep for the same corresponding period.
Australia has some of the strictest animal export criteria in the world, with all vessels required to carry an Australian Certificate for the Carriage of Livestock, issued by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
Interestingly, very few livestock-carrying ships were specifically built for the purpose of carrying stock. They are mostly converted container ships, and the fleet is ageing, with some boats dating well back to the 1960s.
There has also been recent movement in the buying and selling of livestock-carrying ships, with Australian carrier Wellard Limited recently negotiating to sell one of its two ships.
It has sold MV Ocean Ute to Massem Dabbah Shipping for a reported $12 million, with the new ownership to take effect in September this year. The company will continue to operate MV Ocean Drover, which holds pride of place as being the largest purpose-built livestock export ship in the world.
Two years ago, Wellard announced a design concept for a ship called MV Ocean Jillaroo. It was estimated that the ship would cost $US60 million; it’s understood that ship was never commissioned.
The announcement by the federal government to end the export of live sheep by sea on May 1 2028, has also sent ripples through the industry, and market analysts are already tipping a price drop of 18 to 35 per cent within the sheep and lamb industry domestically.
There are about 144 livestock-carrying ships in the world. Of those, 64 are European Union-approved livestock carriers.
A report by the Animal Welfare Foundation lists what it describes as 17 “high-risk” ships.
According to the report, the average age of the approved fleet was 41 years, with an average length of 99 metres, and most of the ships were converted from general cargo ships.
In addition, the Paris Memorandum of Understanding states that livestock carriers are the worst category of ships for detentions and deficiencies. They are detained more often than any category of ship.
According to the Equasis database, the 144 ships registered as livestock carriers have an average age of 39, and by contrast the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development data shows the average age of the world’s merchant fleet is 22 years.
We explore the names, flags and dimensions of some of the world’s most influential livestock-carrying vessels.
THE GANADO EXPRESS - MADEIRA
The Ganado Express was built in 2013 making her one of the newer livestock carriers at sea. She was specifically built to carry livestock and is currently sailing to Darwin. The Ganado Express has a length of 135 metres and is owned by Dutch company Vroon. She can carry 4000 cattle and is one of 64 EU-approved livestock carriers.
MV BECRUX (OCEAN DROVER) - SINGAPORE
MV Becrux was commissioned in 2002 and holds pride of place as being the largest purpose-built livestock carrier in the world. She has capacity to carry 75,000 sheep or 18,000 cattle and is regularly found in ports in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Oman Broome, Darwin and Brazil. The Ocean Drover is owned by Ruchira Ships Limited, Marshall Islands and has a length of 176.32 metres. The ship is run by Wellard Group Holdings based in Perth, Western Australia.
SHORTHORN EXPRESS - LUXEMBOURG
The Shorthorn Express is sailing under the flag of Luxembourg and is currently en route to Greenore, Ireland. She has a length of 117 metres. In June 2024 an open letter was written to Commissioner for Health and Food Safety in the European Union Stella Kyriakides expressing concern that the vessel had been attacked by drones while it was carrying 12,000 sheep from Portugal. The group Houthis in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack.
ORION V - TOGO
Orion V was built in 1973 and is no longer in use as a cattle-carrying vessel. The ship became well known after it was detained in Spain during a cocaine bust in January 2023. Spanish police seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of 105 million euros or $170 million (AUD). At the time police arrested 28 crew members who had been trailed from Colombia. During the voyage when the cocaine was found and seized, the ship was also carrying 1750 cattle. She has a length of 97.31 metres.
POLARIS 3 - PANAMA
Polaris 3 is a livestock carrier that sails under the Panama flag and has an overall length of 147m and gross tonnage of 20,613. The ship’s name was changed in 2016 to Polaris 3 after previously sailing as Sinar Banten. The ship is owned by Meiho Kaiun of Japan and was built in 2008. She is currently sailing in the Marmara Sea in Turkey.
AL MESSILAH - KUWAIT
Al Messilah has a length of 185mm and carries sheep, cattle and goats. The ship can carry up to 60,000 sheep in a journey. She was built in 1980 and has previously sailed under the name of Ocean Highway up until 1995. The owner is Livestock Transport and Trading, Safat, Kuwait. The ship regularly docks in Fremantle Port and makes the journey to Kuwait. Al Messilah was met with protesters at the port of Devonport back in 2006 who attempted to stop the loading of 50,000 sheep. The Al Messilah is the sister ship to Al Kuwait which sank in 1964.
NEAMEH - PANAMA
Neameh was built in 1979 and is currently sailing under the flag of Panama. She recently arrived at the port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and has a length of 105 metres. The Neameh has sailed under previous names of Neptune Hellas, Neptune VO, Yukon and Yusho Maru. She is currently owned by Arab Ship Management, of Jordan. The ship made news headlines in May 2020 when the Neameh was intercepted while in Gibraltar and taken to Algeciras on the suspicion of drug trafficking. The ship, with cattle on-board was searched and no drugs were found.
UNICO (ALSO KNOWN AS DIAMANTINA) - SINGAPORE
Unico is a livestock carrier that was built in 1997 and is currently sailing under the flag of Singapore. She is 100m long and has sailed under multiple names including Diamantina, OXL Oceanic, Egernsund, Teras Oceanic, Scan Oceanic and CEC Oceanic.
GULF LIVESTOCK I - PANAMA
Gulf Livestock 1 was a Panamanian-registered ship that sank in 2022 killing 41 people. At the time the ship was carrying 6000 dairy cattle from New Zealand. She sank near Japan on September 2020 during Typhoon Maysak. Australians William Mainprize and Luke Orda were on board and their bodies have never been recovered. Gulf Livestock 1 measured 133.6m long and was owned by Gulf Navigation Holding.
GULF LIVESTOCK 2 - PANAMA
Gulf Livestock 2 was is currently sailing to the port of Rio Grande, Brazil. She is sailing under the flag of Panama and has a length of 120 metres. Gulf Livestock 2 was built in 1985 and is registered to the care of Arab Ship Management in Jordan.
AUROCHS (FRIESIAN EXPRESS) - PORTUGAL
The Friesian Express was built in 2017 and is considered one of the world’s most state-of-the-art livestock carrying ships. According to Vessel Finder the ship arrived at the port of Fremantle, Australia on November 11. She is 84 metres long and is owned by Livestock Express of Singapore which is overseen Dutch parent company Vroon.
AL KUWAIT - KUWAIT
Al Kuwait is a livestock carrier with a length of 189m and was built in 2016 making it one of the newer ships in its class. She can carry both cattle and sheep and is owned and operated by Korkyra Shipping. The same shipping contractor operates Ocean Drover, Ocean Swagman, Ocean Ute and Bahijah.
MV BAHIJAH - MARSHALL ISLAND
The vessel Bahijah was built in 2010 and is specifically manufactured as a livestock carrier and is en route to the port of Jorf Lasfar, Morocco according to Vessel Finder tracking. The Bahijah is one of 64 EU-approved livestock carriers. She is owned by Dassem Dabbah Shipping. She has a length of 136 metres and made news headlines this year after a stalemate between the exporter and the federal government emerged at the port of Fremantle in Western Australia. At the time more than 15,000 sheep and cattle remained on the livestock carrier and were ordered to return to Australia after rerouting away from the Red Sea.
OCEAN SWAGMAN - SINGAPORE
Ocean Swagman was built in 2009 and boasts a length of 137 metres. She is currently sailing under the flag of Singapore. She has the capacity to carry 6000 cattle or 25,000 sheep or a combination of both. Ocean Swagman is owned by Wellard Ships, Singapore and managed by Korkyra Shipping, Croatia. According to the ship’s owners she is considered a “next generation” livestock vessel due to enhanced animal welfare provisions. There is an advanced ventilation system and fans and 110 air changes per hour.
UNIMAR LIVESTOCK - TOGO
Data from Marine Traffic shows Unimar Livestock is sailing in the Aegean Sea under the registration flag of Togo. She is a livestock carrier with a length of 92.21 metres.
HARMONY LIVESTOCK - TANZANIA
Harmony Livestock is one of the smallest and oldest livestock carriers in the fleet with a length of 30 metres. She was built in 1973 and is owned and managed by Black Sea Ship Management, Marshall Islands.
CATTLE FORCE - TOGO
Cattle Force boasts a length of 151 metres and she is currently sailing under the flag of Togo and arrived at the port of Umm Qasr Port, Iraq on November 12.
BADER III - PALAU
Bader III is currently sailing in East Mediterranean and is registered under the flag of Palau. She was built 46 years ago and has a length of 204 metres. She has sailed under multiple different names including Ville De Dunkerque, Proso, Kingston, Cgm Columbia, Cgm Renoir and Renoir. Bader III has a carrying capacity of 110,000 sheep or 75,000 sheep and 1000 cattle. She is operated by the Australian-based Livestock Shipping Services (LSS).
MAYSORA - PALAU
Maysora is also operated by Livestock Shipping Services (LSS) and is 195 metres long. She is sailing under the flag of Maysora and according to Vessel Finder she is en route to the port of Las Palmas, Spain. She was built in 1989 and can carry 110,000 sheep or 70,000 sheep and 12,000 cattle.
LADY MARIA - TANZANIA
According to Marine Traffic Lady Maria is currently sailing in the Gulf of Aden and she is considered one of the oldest livestock carriers at sea dating back to 1965. She has a length of 72.07 metres and sails under the flag of Tanzania. In April 2024 she became grounded off the Greek Islands when carrying 6800 sheep and lambs. The vessel is en route to the port of Sulina, Romania, sailing at a speed of 8.2 knots and expected to arrive there on November 13 according to Vessel Finder.
GHENA - PANAMA
Ghena has a carrying capacity of 85,000 sheep or 18,000 cattle and 16,000 sheep. She is currently sailing under the flag of Panama and was built in 1984. She is 190 metres long.
DAREEN - PANAMA
Dareen has a carrying capacity of 8000 cattle and was built in 1994. She is 140 metres long and is en route to the port of Haiphong, Vietnam, sailing at a speed of 16.7 knots and expected to arrive there on November 17.
BRAHMAN EXPRESS - LUXEMBOURG
The Brahman Express was built in 2002 specifically for carrying livestock and is sailing under the flag of Luxembourg. She has a length of 133 metres. She is one of 64 EU-approved livestock carrying vessels. In October 2023 the Dutch livestock carrier had to return to Darwin after a fire broke out in the engine room. There were no injuries to livestock or crew reported. She regularly sails to Darwin, Townsville, Jakarta, Hai Phong and Panjang.
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