Bahijah a 'big money spinner' for animal rights groups: Senate hearings

It was done in the name of generating donations, senators were told.

Senior public servants were grilled on what an organisation has to do in order to be cut off as the situation of the livestock vessel, which had abandoned its voyage due to violence in the Red Sea and returned to Australia, was put under the spotlight.

LiveCorp chair Troy Setter told the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee hearing that claims from the chief veterinary officer of the RSPCA on television about conditions on board the MV Bahijah were made 'without any scrap of evidence' to back them.

Mr Setter said the chief vet described conditions as horrid and said Western Australian farmers had disgusting views about the conditions on board.

This occurred despite activist drone vision itself showing animals were exceptionally clean, cool, sitting on fresh bedding and that there had been numerous washes out of the ship, Mr Setter said.

The regulator had been on top of making sure the ship was meeting standards, he said.

"These organisations that make their money from click bait and don't spend anything on research or training around animal welfare used this as a way to raise money - but that's what their business model is," Mr Setter said.

"For the likes of the RSPCA and Animals Australia, this was a big money spinner."

He said LiveCorp had called out these groups on inaccuracies before but "we never receive a response."

Western Australian Liberal senator Slade Brockman asked staff from the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry about why they didn't do more to correct the misinformation.

Acting first assistant secretary Andrew McDonald said the department put out multiple statements of what it considered the facts to be - that the health and welfare of the livestock on board the vessel was sound and in good order.

DAFF secretary Adam Fennessey said staff "very intentionally did not comment on anything being said by any group because that could put at risk the legalities of decision making."

"Ultimately my responsibility is to ensure we made legally robust decisions under the legislation. That was my focus," he said.

Senator Brockman said given what the activist groups were saying had been shown to have been "as close to pure misinformation as you can get" and was firmly in the public domain, the question should be asked why the department pays any attention to them.

"What does an organisation have to do not to be listened to anymore?" he said.

Mr McDonald said decisions were made based on evidence and social media was not the typical conveyance of that evidence.

But if anyone makes a submission it is the department's job to consider it, he said.

The RSCPA reiterated its key concern has always been, and remains, the welfare of the animals.

"We note the animals have been described as showing mild signs of disease and that their condition has never been described by vets as exemplary or excellent as characterised by some pro live export lobbyists," the organisation said in a statement.

While recognising the MV Bahijah was a significant issue, Mr Setter said he would like to touch on other things happening in the live export industry.

Shipboard mortality across the board for first half of 2023 was on par with record lows of 2022, at 0.14 per cent for sheep and for 0.06pc cattle, he reported.

"We continue to see to see new demand from markets such as Laos, the US and other countries coming through," he said.

"We've also seen some tangible examples of how Australia influences animal welfare practices in destination markets. In November, Vietnam introduced animal welfare standards consistent with Australia's.

"We have also been supporting Indonesia as it continues to battle foot and mouth and lumpy skin disease, including delivering vaccinations."