Sea transportation is an important part of international trade which leads to the economic development of many countries
. Many things are transported and traded via the sea transport. Animals are also imported from countries like New Zealand where the amount of sheep exceeds the human population and exporting this sheep brings in a lot of foreign exchange for the country.
World Organisation for Animal Health has developed guidelines to facilitate and monitor the transportation of animals in each of the phases. Much of this requires immense competence and right documentation. This involves reasonable planning by the authorities who are handling the whole process.
When planning for animal transport first you should decide on the type of vessel you require for the transportation. Then it should be seen what route would be taken by the vessel, how long it would take to reach the required destination and what kind of sea conditions would be there. Also provision of food supply and water and medication and emergency plans should be made according to the number of days you will spend travelling.
Animal handlers should be trained for loading. The animals should be loaded into the vessel with proper care and not by the use of forceful methods. Proper facilities should be made available at the collecting area at the wharf and loading ramps should be designed according to the needs of the animals. There should be absence of sharp projections and the flooring should be adequate and the lighting should be proper.
Just before departure the animals should be check whether or not they have been loaded according to the load plan or not. The animal pens should be checked for normal behaviour of the animals and adjustments should be made accordingly. The animals that should get sick should be treated with medication and the record of the medication applied and the outcomes should be recorded.
The livestock vessel should be offloaded at berth with suitable animal unloading facilities. As with the loading, the unloading of the animals should be done by trained animal handlers in a smooth and force-free way. If the animal is sick then appropriate medical aid should be given to the animal at the port.