Media Release
The workhorse of the Wellard’s livestock shipping fleet, the M/V Ocean Drover, has celebrated the success of its 200th voyage.
Launched twenty years ago as the M/V Becrux (it was renamed the M/V Ocean Drover in 2009), the vessel was a breakthrough for the live export sector as it was first large livestock vessel which had been designed from the ground up to carry livestock, and remains one of only two large vessels through to today to be purpose-built.
In its first 200 voyages, the M/V Ocean Drover has transported 1,787,845 cattle and 5,112,205 sheep, travelling over two million nautical miles or 3.7 million km – equivalent to 9.7 trips to the moon or 93 circumnavigations of the globe.
Importantly, the vessel has recorded a success rate of 99.3% for sheep and 99.9% for cattle across the 200 voyages.
It’s 200th voyage was just as successful, with just 7 mortalities from more than 14,000 cattle on a 31-day voyage from Uruguay to China.
Wellard Executive Chairman John Klepec said the M/V Ocean Drover had continuously proven itself that can travel long distances to safely deliver large numbers of livestock in excellent condition.
“It is fitting that the vessel’s 200th voyage was a very successful long haul voyage with breeding cattle from Uruguay to China. The amount of inquiry we receive from exporters requiring the M/V Ocean Drover to transport high-value livestock over long distances is a demonstration of the confidence they have that the vessel will complete the voyage safely and efficiently, and that their cattle will disembark in excellent condition,” Mr Klepec said.
“Not that the Drover’s value is limited to long haul. The Drover has been able to shift large amounts of cattle from Australia to South East Asia, particularly during periods of high cattle turnoff.
“While we are celebrating the success of the vessel in its 200 voyages, it also important to recognise the contribution that every crew member who has sailed on the ship had made to its success.
“We can provide the best possible vessel, but it can only deliver on its potential if the officers and crew are professional and dedicated to their task, and that is exactly what has occurred with the Drover.”
The M/V Ocean Drover’s voyages have include destination ports in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Israel, Philippines, Lebanon, Vietnam, China, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt and Russia. It loaded its sheep, cattle and goats from the Australian ports of Townsville, Darwin, Wyndham, Broome, Geraldton, Fremantle, Adelaide, Geelong, and Portland, as well as in the United States, Uruguay, Portugal, Colombia and New Zealand.
Mr Klepec said the large number of load and destination countries serviced by the M/V Ocean Drover in its first 200 voyages demonstrated the importance of the live export trade with respect to global price competition for livestock producers as well as food security and/or genetic progress for importing countries.
“The live export industry is truly a global industry. In a world focussed on producing as much protein as possible while limiting greenhouse gas emissions, superior genetics provide the quickest pathway to achieving that goal,” he said.
“The live export sector facilitates that genetic improvement.”
At the time of its launch, the M/V Ocean Drover set new standards of ventilation, feed and water systems – standards which remain at the upper end of the industry to this day.
Subsequent vessels built by Wellard, the mid-sized M/V Ocean Swagman and M/V Ocean Outback (now M/V Bahija) and the M/V Ocean Shearer (now M/V Al Kuwait) were all based on the highly successful concept of the M/V Ocean Drover.
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FTI Consulting
Cameron Morse
Email: cameron.morse@fticonsulting.com
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