Cattle vessel takes on big load

The biggest cattle ship the Broome Port has ever seen docked last week to pick up almost 8000 cattle.

The Ghena, a converted carcarrier, then headed to Darwin to pick up more livestock, before arriving in Jakarta.

Broome Port Authority harbourmaster Ken Burleigh said it was the fifth ship to stop in Broome this season, suggesting 2011 may be quite a busy year.

He said close on 30,000 head had been shipped out of the port so far.

“That’s quite a bit, probably because we have had larger ships in,” he said.

“Given that our average is usually around 95,000 for a season, it’s looking like it will be a bumper year.”

While Indonesia continues to restrict imports of cattle weighing under 350kg, Mr Burleigh said some of the cattle exported from Broome Port have headed to the Philippines which does not impose such restrictions.