A ship carrying about 22,000 sheep from Australia is now making its way to Karachi, Pakistan after Bahrain denied port access to Wellard Rural Exports ship Ocean Drover over concerns that a number of sheep on the vessel had diseases.

The sheep are being unloaded in Pakistan and the matter will be processed according to the new ESCAS animal welfare standards. Officials in Australia and Bahraini concluded long discussions over the matter without any results and as a result the sheep were stuck at sea in the Middle East.

The Ocean Drover had left Australia with 75,000 sheep over a month ago and has already unloaded 53,000 of them at two other ports until officials in Bahrain found that some of the sheep were infected with "orf" or scabby mouth disease.

Wellard said that the sheep were being discharged as per the Australian and international animal welfare standards. The sheep were taken cared by a veterinarian, two stockmen and 47 officers and crew.

"An Australian government-accredited veterinarian, an independent veterinarian ... and a leading international veterinarian specialising in animal welfare are overseeing the health status of the consignment and unloading of the vessel, with support from an additional five Wellard staff," the company said.