Greens Deputy Leader and Animal Welfare spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi is calling on the Labor government to get animals off the MV Bahijah and reject the application to send it back to sea. The ship sits off the coast of Western Australia and the animals have been onboard the ship for almost a month.
Senator Faruqi said:
“Leaving sheep and cattle on the MV Bahijah in the scorching summer heat is animal torture. Sending them back out on another long journey is absolutely unacceptable.
“There are more than 15,000 sheep and cattle sweltering off the coast of WA. Minister Watt must get these animals off the ship and reject the application to send them back to sea.
“The Minister has the power to get the animals off this ship right now, and must do so immediately.
“The government already made one gross error by approving this trip through a conflict zone. There is no room to make another mistake when it will be the animals that suffer the consequences.
“Animals are sentient beings, but they have been treated as fodder for profit by the live export industry and governments.
“Labor must legislate an end date now and start the shut down of live exports. Sheep can’t wait for the next term of government.”