22,000 sheep exported from Australia have been stuck for two weeks on a ship sitting in the Persian Gulf after Bahraini officials rejected the shipment on quarantine grounds. Some of the sheep have already died.
This incident recalls the 2003 Cuomo Express case, in which over 1,000 export sheep died. In the wake of that case, destination countries signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) agreements with Australia obliging them to accept export animals into feedlots within 36 hours, including into quarantine when needed.
Wellard, the firm who owns the export ship, has not yet exercised its rights under the MOU, and sheep are left to suffer. Please sign the petition to urge officials to offload the export sheep as soon as possible!
To: Bahraini Government Officials,
We are concerned about the 22,000 sheep exported from Australia that have been stuck for two weeks on a ship in the Persian Gulf. Some of the sheep have already died. We understand that the sheep have been rejected on quarantine grounds.
This incident recalls the 2003 Cuomo Express case, in which over 1,000 export sheep died. In the wake of that case, destination countries signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) agreements with Australia obliging them to accept export animals into feedlots within 36 hours, including into quarantine when needed.
While Wellard, the firm who owns the export ship, has not yet exercised its rights under the MOU, we still believe the sheep should be unloaded. It is unacceptable to endanger these sheep because of a technicality. Please make it a priority to accept these sheep into feedlots as soon as possible. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
