LIVE export shipping company Wellard has reported an excellent voyage performance from the recent MV Ocean Drover shipment of sheep and cattle from Fremantle to Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
It was the last voyage before the commencement of an industry-led, three-month Middle Eastern summer shipment moratorium and a voyage that would have been banned under proposed new heat stress standards.
In late May/early June, the MV Ocean Drover was chartered by Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading Company to transport 56,915 sheep and 135 cattle from Fremantle to Kuwait and the UAE.
There was one steer and 62 sheep mortalities, equating to a voyage success rate of 99.9 per cent for sheep and 99.3 per cent for cattle.
No mortalities were attributed to heat stress by the Australian government accredited on-board veterinarian and respiratory rate and panting scores were largely recorded as being Level 1 (normal) apart from mild panting on one deck towards the end of the journey.
Wellard said the result was "excellent" despite wet bulb temperatures (WBT) exceeding 28 degrees Celsius from day eight of the 15-day voyage, with a maximum 34oC WBT recorded.
WBT is a measurement of heat and humidity combined.
"The success of this voyage with almost 57,000 sheep on board demonstrates that modern ships with good ventilation and reduced stocking densities can achieve excellent animal welfare performance, even when hot and/or humid conditions occur," said Wellard executive chairman John Klepec.
"The voyage's success also casts considerable doubt on whether the unconditional 28oC WBT maximum proposed by the Heat Stress Risk Assessment Technical Review Panel, without any consideration of ventilation or temperature fluctuations, is the right figure or model."
