The return of what was once Australia's biggest live sheep export market has been welcomed by industry representatives, after a hiatus of more than a decade.
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The first shipment of 5000 sheep set sail from WA to Saudi Arabia in early January and numbers have continued to rise in the months since.
According to Australian Live Exporters Council (ALEC) chief executive officer Mark Harvey-Sutton, live sheep exports to that country reached 27,600-head at the end of February.
He expected this figure to hit 40,000-head at the end of last month, with official data to be released in coming weeks.
"Reports from Saudi industry and government officials are that all livestock have been well-received," Mr Harvey-Sutton said.
"They are very happy with the quality of the consignments and will certainly look to increase numbers, as the trade continues to grow."
Saudi Arabia ended shipments from Australia in 2012, with the last consignment being delivered just prior to the introduction of the Australian Government Export Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS).
At its peak, in the 1990s and early 2000s, more than one million sheep were exported each year and the market was valued at $100 million.
A revised health protocol with Saudi Arabia was completed before the trade reopened, requiring lambs be vaccinated for scabby mouth at marking - or at least 30 days prior to export.
Mr Harvey-Sutton said the market's return was vital for WA producers, offering another relief valve at a time many have been forced to hold onto sheep, while also working through dry conditions and low prices.
"This has shown the important role live export can play within the livestock industry," he said.
"And certainly the hypocrisy of the government's arguments that it is a declining and irrelevant trade.
"The fact we have opened a new market and it is continuing to produce good volumes, with demand expected to increase puts to bed any argument that the trade is dying."
Mr Harvey-Sutton said markets like Saudi Arabia were already significant purchasers of chilled and frozen meat.
He said the reason they buy live sheep is to meet a particular segment of their consumer market, which was equally important to them.
"There's this misnomer that they will switch or replace it has been refuted time and time again by these markets because they have a diverse consumer market just as we do," Mr Harvey-Sutton said.
"They already purchase significant volumes of chilled and frozen meat, which is to the benefit of all producers."
Mr Harvey-Sutton said other live sheep export markets had been tracking well, with numbers increasing by 40 per cent year-on-year.
He expected similar volumes to continue after the northern hemisphere moratorium period, which comes into effect from June until mid-September.
The MV Bahijah, owned and operated by Israeli exporter Bassem Dabbah, finally arrived in Israel over the weekend, after leaving Fremantle port last month.
The consignment was forced back to Australia in January due to rising tensions in the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels have been attacking commercial vessels.
Livestock were re-exported around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa to Israel.
Mr Harvey-Sutton welcomed the news of the MV Bahijah's safe arrival and confirmed mortality rates were below the reportable level of one per cent for sheep.
He responded to RSPCA Australia's statement that the MV Bahijah's arrival to Israel "put an end to one of the most shameful episodes in Australian live export industry".
"Throughout this entire issue RSPCA has sought to do nothing but misinform people and here they are at it again," Mr Harvey-Sutton said.
"While the exporter is not a member of ALEC, we understand that the vessel docked and successfully discharged with mortality rates well below the regulatory threshold and animals in good condition.
"While extraordinary circumstances dictated the length of this voyage, on the face of it is a demonstration of the high standards of animal welfare on these voyages regardless of duration.
"These are high standards that only Australia has."
RSPCA Australia chief science officer Suzie Fowler said in a statement the department needed to be transparent and share with the Australian community the detail of the daily voyage reports from the onboard vet, what treatment animals were given, how many animals were identified as unfit for re-export and why and any veterinary reports and advice that was provided.
Mr Harvey-Sutton agreed, saying that details of the voyage needed to be released by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, given the out of context images, often from other countries and false claims from activists, which flood social media.
"There is nothing to hide here, and hopefully much needed truth will finally enter the discussion about this voyage," he said.
