16,000 sheep and cattle still stuck on board export ship after Red Sea turn-back

A ship carrying around 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle docked in Australia on Thursday after abandoning a journey through the Red Sea, but the livestock remained stuck on board as the government decides whether to let them disembark or send them back to sea.
The animals have been on the vessel since Jan. 5. Government and industry officials say they are in good health but animal welfare advocates have branded their plight torture.
The situation underlines the widening impact of strikes by Yemen’s Houthi militia on shipping in the Red Sea that have disrupted global trade.
The ship, MV Bahijah, diverted from its route from Australia to Israel due to the threat of attack and was ordered home by the Australian government.
It has sat off the city of Perth since Monday in sweltering summer heat.
The Australian agriculture ministry said on Thursday the ship had docked but that it was still considering an application by the exporter, Israeli firm Bassem Dabbah Ltd, to unload some animals and ship the rest around Africa to Israel, a journey that would take around 33 days.