“Dirty” live export ships barred from Australian ports…
Live Export Shame Tasmania has revealed that three foreign-flagged (Kuwaiti) livestock carriers have been barred from loading livestock in Australian ports.
Following a decision in the Federal Court on February 10, 2009, the Kuwaiti-flagged “Al Messilah”, “Al Kuwait” and “Al Shuwaikh” are barred from loading Australian animals because they fail to comply with Australian and international Maritime Regulations regarding pollution control Marine Orders Pt 43, MARPOL regulations).
The 29 year old former vehicle transporter ‘Al Messilah” took on animals in Devonport in 2006, where animal advocates painted “death ship” on its hull.
The 43 year old “Al Kuwait”, and the 23 year old “Al Shuwaikh” are believed to be former oil tankers.
All three old ships are apparently waiting idle at sea, and have amongst the largest capacities of all livestock vessels.
The Al Shuwaikh - this is how Australian animals are transported half round the world
Live Export Shame Tasmania spokesperson Suzanne Cass said:
“RETWA and KLTT appear to believe that they are above Australian law. The “Al Messilah” was subject to an order by AMSA (the Australian Maritime Safety Authority) last October prohibiting it from proceeding from Fremantle to Portland to load 72,000 sheep. RETWA (Rural Export Trading WA) and KLTT (Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading) challenged the order, claiming that AMSA was discriminating against foreign-flagged livestock vessels. There are no Australian flagged livestock vessels, but Judge Siopsis found against AMSA.
“AMSA challenged this decision in the Federal Court, finding, amongst other things, that foreign-flagged ships, in entering the waters of other countries, subject themselves to the laws and regulations of that country. It was revealed that the “Al Messilah” does not comply with MARPOL Annex IV which related to sewage pollution. The ship only carries sufficient pollution control equipment for the 50 crew it carries, and nothing to control the effluent from livestock.
“AMSA has since revealed that the two other Kuwaiti ships, the “Al Kuwait” and the “Al Shuwaikh” are similarly non-compliant, and advises that “no further loadings of livestock in Australian ports will be permitted unless the vessels are in full compliance with Marine Orders Part 43. We are advised that the vessels will not return to Australia until this is the case”.
The three ships are used extensively by RETWA and Emanuel Exports, which has seen some significant defeats in the Australian legal system in recent times (reported in a previous QCA newsletter). Emanuels, and two of its directors, Graham Daws and Michael Stanton, were found to have breached WA’s Animal Welfare Act last year, and Mr Daws failed in an attempt in the AAT to block a FOI application by Animals Australia to access the mortality report into a voyage of the “Al Kuwait” in 2005.
Being loaded onto the Al Messilah
The photo above shows animals loaded at Devonport in Tasmania.
Suzanne continued: “Australians should rightly be concerned by the possible effects of these “dirty” ships being in Australian waters, discharging animal effluent, and remains of dead animals (which possibly contain any number of chemicals) which pollute our beaches and marine environment”.
Thanks to our friend Suzanne Cass of Live Export Shame Tasmania.
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