Report 73: MV Gudali Express - Cattle exported to Indonesia in January 2019

A consignment of 3,843 cattle were loaded onto the MV Gudali Express at the Port of Fremantle on 29 January 2019 and departed in the late evening. The vessel discharged the cattle at Jakarta, Indonesia between 4 and 5 February 2019, making this an 8 day voyage.

An Independent Observer (observer) boarded the vessel at Fremantle and remained on board until completion of discharge.

The mortality rate for the cattle was 0.08% (3 mortalities). This does not exceed the reportable mortality rate. The causes of these mortalities were not considered to be linked to any systemic failure by the exporter.

The following comments represent a summary of key observations and has been approved by the observer who accompanied the voyage.

Exporter documentation

Exporter arrangements were available to address procedures relating to livestock management from loading through to discharge and contingencies.

Loading

Sawdust was applied to the ramp areas for loading. After adjustments of stock numbers in some pens during the first few days, the pen densities complied with the load plan. The load plan complied with the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (Version 2.3) 2011 (ASEL) space requirements. The cattle were fed and watered almost immediately after departure.

Personnel

An experienced LiveCorp Accredited Stockperson (stockperson) accompanied the voyage. The stockperson was capable and worked diligently to maintain health and welfare during the voyage.

The master had overall responsibility for the vessel, the livestock and all personnel. Crew were assigned to stock duties in two twelve hour shifts.

Daily routine

A management meeting was held every day at 10:00am with the Chief Officer (CO) and stockperson to discuss the daily routine and general livestock management and treatments administered.

The stockperson walked and inspected the pens twice daily at 7:00am and 3:30pm taking on average 2 hours to complete.

Crew were assigned to stock duties in two twelve hour shifts. The observer monitored the night crew routine for animal husbandry. No issues were noted.

Feed and water

Enough pellets and chaff were loaded in Fremantle for two consecutive voyages. The cattle were fed twice daily at 7:00am and 3:30pm. Towards the end of the voyage, an additional top up feed of pellets was provided at 1:00pm.

Water supply was produced from a reverse osmosis plant and stored in the fresh water ballast tanks. Water was provided to the cattle by nose bowls in each pen and water troughs were manually filled by the crew with hoses. The additional water trough was fitted to pens at the request of the stockperson. The nose bowls and additional water trough required regular maintenance to keep them free from faecal contamination.

Ventilation

The vessel had five enclosed livestock decks. Ventilation was provided by a series of six supply and six exhaust units that provided a good circulation of air to all decks. No animal was observed panting or demonstrating any signs of respiratory distress.

The temperature readings were taken once per day at around 9:30am. The recordings were 26°C to 30°C dry bulb and humidity 69% to 73%.

Pen conditions

No pen washing was conducted or was needed during this voyage. The crew managed the pen moisture throughout the voyage by ensuring water leaks were repaired as soon as possible and waste water was disposed of appropriately into drains. Sawdust was applied to the hospital pen.

Any leftover or contaminated fodder was tipped into the pens to assist with pad formation or maintenance.

Health and welfare

The stockperson walked and inspected the pens twice daily. The cattle were gently persuaded to stand during each inspection. Following the rounds of the decks and pens, treatments were administered as required.

There were 3 mortalities during the voyage. The first animal died during the first night and the cause of death was undetermined. The second mortality was recumbent and treated for several days but was euthanised at discharge by the stockperson. The third mortality became recumbent on the night of arrival in Jakarta and was euthanised. The causes of the two recumbent animals was not determined.

Four cattle were treated for lameness using anti-inflammatories and antibiotics. All four cattle were unloaded. Two animals were treated for eye infections and fully recovered.

Discharge

Sawdust was applied to the ramp areas for unloading. The discharge of the vessel took longer than loading because of the capacity of the receiving trucks in Jakarta. The vessel was well prepared for unloading and the process flowed smoothly with no animal welfare issues noted.

The observer noted the voyage was well organised, livestock management and husbandry were of a high standard.

The exporter arrangements were observed to be implemented during the voyage and to be compliant with ASEL requirements.