Retail supply of mutton in Qatar is unlikely to be affected on account of a Qatar-bound live animal export ship being stranded at Port Adelaide, Australia, a local trade source has said.
Gulf Times had reported yesterday that the vessel with 67,000 sheep on board was stuck for more than a week because of engine failure.
Latest reports from The Australian newspaper have revealed that hundreds of sheep are believed to have died as they wait to be unloaded temporarily and sent to feedlots from this afternoon.
“The retail chain in Qatar receives regular supplies of chilled meat and not live animals,” said Mohamed Althaf, regional director of Emke Group, which operates LuLu Hypermarkets.
“For instance, we receive supplies of chilled meat every 40 days from multiple sources such as New Zealand, India and Pakistan,” he explained.
It is understood that live sheep exports are for Mawashi, the Qatari Meat and Livestock Company, which has  dedicated facilities for slaughter and meat distribution. 
The Australian newspaper quoted South Australian Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Michael O’Brien saying it would take at least two days to unload the 67,000 sheep aboard the Al Messilah, and the animals to be taken to a feedlot at Dublin, north of Adelaide.
“There have been a small number (of deaths) and a number that is well within the guidelines for animals being on a vessel for that period of time,” O’Brien said.
Industry groups and animal rights activists have questioned whether the Al Messilah, built to carry cars, should have ever been allowed to transport live animals.
The ship has been investigated three times for its high sheep mortality rate and inability to process effluent.
Sources have told The Australian the Kuwaiti-registered ship broke down because sheep urine leaked through the floor and damaged electrical conductors in the engine room.
Animals Australia executive director Glenys Oogjes said the carrier was “inherently a bad ship”.
“It is fully enclosed and it is old; it’s not at all surprising that it’s having problems and affecting the sheep,” she observed.
“Many more will die because of this malfunction and the unloading and reloading will add significantly to their stress levels,” Oogjes added.
The 31-year-old ship left Port Adelaide on August 9 before engine problems forced it to return for repairs.
The sheep’s owners, Perth-based Emanuel Exports, would not comment on their future.
Flinders Ports chief executive Vincent Tremaine said a second Kuwaiti-registered ship, the Al Shuwaikh, would travel to South Australia from Fremantle to reload the sheep late next week before taking them to Qatar.
“The ship is going to be repaired so it’s seaworthy and then taken on to Singapore for further repairs,” Tremaine said.
Up to 100 people protested at Outer Harbour yesterday, calling for the sheep to be processed in Australia and for an end to live animal exports.