A MORATORIUM ON live sheep exports by sea during the northern hemisphere summer, a shortage of sheep-carrying vessels and the protracted closure of the Strait of Hormuz have exacerbated the lack of live sheep exports from Western Australia.
This is the view of independent live export consultant Katrina Love, who lists the above as key factors, rather than the phasing out of live sheep exports which takes full effect in May 2028.
Ms Love, responding to a Daily Cargo News story about no sheep carriers arriving in Fremantle said the bulk of live sheep (around 80% in 2025) from Australia go to the Persian Gulf, beyond the Strait of Hormuz, to Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, and the east coast of Saudi Arabia.
“Prior to the risk the Houthis pose in the Red Sea, they used to go more regularly to Jeddah on the west coast, but now, almost exclusively Dammam; also to Oman with four ports east of the Strait, but still too close to the action (now). Jordan and one shipment to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, account for the rest (in 2025),” Ms Love said.
This year, just one shipment of 13,282 sheep has left Australia, for Aqaba, Jordan in the Red Sea. That is down on 268,493 sheep sent to the Middle East by sea in the same period in 2025.
“Only one shipment from any country since mid-February has gone to Oman (29 March — port of Salalah) and none to countries beyond the Strait of Hormuz — neither those Australia also exports live sheep to, or Iran, Iraq, Bahrain - all of which also usually import live sheep from other countries.
“For that reason, I feel the numbers exported will rely much more on the status of the US/Israel/Iran/Houthi/Hezbollah conflict more so than the end of the prohibition period, but even in the event of an end to the conflict, I do not expect huge numbers to leave during the last quarter of the year due to WA supply, availability of vessels (particularly the Al Kuwait), and importers accepting that Australia will no longer be a regular and reliable supplier of live sheep in the remaining time to the 1 May 2028 end date.
“There may be a surge in demand for 2027 Eid al-Adha in May,” Ms Love said.
Katrina Love has been involved in the campaign to end live animal exports out of Australia since 2002, taking on the campaign manager role for a Fremantle-based grass-roots organisation from 2012 to 2023. She was also involved at a high level with the Animal Justice Party 2013 to 2024 and currently sits on the Board of the Animal Justice Foundation.
She has monitored vessels loading at the port of Fremantle for well over a decade, and tracked them and all other vessels servicing Australia for a similar period.
Now retired, in the last few years her focus has grown to include all 126 (currently) active global "livestock" vessels. Katrina consults pro bono for several animal protection organisations, specifically on voyages/routes, vessels, destinations, and current and historical data.