After Iranian Attack, Activists Renew Push for Live Export Ban

Animal welfare organizations are renewing their push for a total ban on seaborne livestock exports after some 4,000 sheep and goats died off the coast of Oman earlier this month.

Maritime intelligence firm Windward reported that the Indian-flagged cargo vessel MSV Haji Ali sank following a suspected drone attack in the volatile Strait of Hormuz region. The 57-meter vessel was traveling from the Port of Berbera in Somalia to the Port of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates with a load of about 4,000 sheep and goats when the attack occurred. The attack triggered a fire that caused the ship to sink, with all 14 crew members rescued by the Oman Coast Guard.

According to Windward, the vessel was operating with its automatic identification system switched off at the time of the incident.

Somalia, which has one of the largest livestock populations in Africa, is a leading exporter of live animals to the Middle East. In recent years, the country has taken advantage of Australia's ban on live exports and the war in Sudan to increase its control of the lucrative Middle East market, exporting between four million and six million head of livestock annually and raking in more than $1 billion last year. Livestock exports to the Middle East reach peak levels in May, when the Muslim world gears up to mark Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice).

Indian authorities, through the Ministry of External Affairs, described the attack on MSV Haji Ali as "unacceptable." Animal welfare organizations are using the event to highlight their push for a total ban on seaborne livestock exports.

According to World Animal Protection (WAP), the sinking of the vessel is a reminder of the risks of the live animal trade. The animals were confined in crowded conditions typical of live export journeys and were left to die when the vessel was attacked and sank.

"These animals endured unimaginable suffering in their final moments — confined and unable to escape. This, sadly, is not an isolated accident. Every year, millions of animals are transported long distances across oceans in overcrowded and stressful conditions, where they are exposed to extreme heat, disease, injury, exhaustion, and death. Live export should no longer be an option," said Michelle Baxter Wickham, Head of Food Systems Strategy at WAP.

The NGO highlighted that transporting animals over long distances by sea exposes them to a range of serious welfare risks, specifically extreme heat, overcrowding, exhaustion and disease. Routes to the Middle East can be especially dangerous, with high temperatures putting animals under severe stress.

Owing to the long and grueling sea voyages that animals have to endure, WAP, along with other organizations, is calling on governments to end live export and invest in alternatives that do not rely on transporting animals over long distances. Australia is among countries that have banned seaborne livestock exports and intends to phase out live sheep exports by sea by May 2028. Other countries that have banned the trade include New Zealand and Britain.