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Thousands of sheep stranded on coronavirus export ship in WA to be sent to Middle East - ABC News

Thousands of sheep stranded in Western Australia after the crew of an export ship contracted coronavirus will be sent to the Middle East, despite a shipping ban.

The future of the shipment of 56,000 sheep, worth an estimated $12 million, had hung in the balance, since docking in Fremantle in May.

The Federal Department of Agriculture this month refused to grant the Al Kuwait export ship an exemption to travel during the northern summer, shocking many in the WA livestock industry.

The trade ban period commenced on June 1 and is aimed at stopping sheep from overheating and dying on vessels.

But the Department of Agriculture will now allow some sheep to travel on the ship, after it approved a second application by Rural Export and Trading WA (RETWA).

"The exporter's second application detailed an alternative approach for managing the voyage, including animal welfare," the department said in a statement.

The exemption includes strict measures to protect the health and welfare of the sheep, including unloading at one port only and not loading an area on the vessel known to be hotter due to engine room location.

The ship must also set sail by Wednesday and will not be able to carry all 56,000 sheep due to weight restrictions.

Instead, sheep will be selected based on those who are deemed best suited to tolerating heat, and a vet will join them on their journey.

The future of the remaining sheep is unclear.

The sheep are currently being held in a licensed live export feedlot at Baldivis near Perth, and biosecurity regulations prevent the animals being sold back to farms.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA2LTEzL3NoZWVwLW9uLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLXNoaXAtdG8tYmUtc2VudC10by1taWRkbGUtZWFzdC8xMjM1MjAwMtIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjM1MjAwMg?oc=5

2020-06-13 00:12:30Z
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