Live exports faces familiar foes - but no ‘knee-jerk’ response

That’s the pledge made by Agriculture and Water Resources Minister David Littleproud as the live export industry braces for a fresh public showdown against some of its biggest enemies tonight, courtesy of 60 Minutes.

Animals Australia investigator Lynn White is expected to figure prominently in the channel 9 program and has already dominated preview clips, with the animal rights organisation also assisting with distributing cross-promotional material.

“This Sunday: the story live sheep exporters never wanted told,” she said in an email.

“You may recall that it was 60 Minutes that first exposed the suffering animals are subjected to by the live export trade, back in 2003.

“Since then, our multiple media exposés, including two on the respected Four Corners program, have consistently shone light onto a cruel industry that, for too long, had operated out of sight, out of mind.

“This will be a story unlike any other - thanks to a courageous whistle-blower, the true conditions for animals on live sheep export ships will finally be revealed.”

Amid the pressure cooker political atmosphere leading into the broadcast, Mr Littleproud has already hit one live exporter with tougher conditions and guarantees demanded over a shipment of about 68,000 sheep that’s due to leave Fremantle early this week.

He’s also warned more action will be taken if necessary, to toughen industry animal welfare standards, in response to the potentially explosive publication tonight on commercial television of video footage he watched last week of the “shocking” and unacceptable conditions for sheep exports.

The images are understood to have been taken of heat stress related incidents on two shipments from WA to the Middle East, in 2016 and 2017, with the video supplied to Channel 9 through a ‘whistle-blower’ via Animals Australia which has campaigned relentlessly along with RSPCA Australia to have the entire trade shut down.

Those groups and other political figures have again demanded the live export trade be completely shut down and/or phased out to be replaced with expanded on-shore meat processing; which industry has rejected as economically unrealistic.

Some who’ve seen the footage due to air on 60 Minutes have drawn stark comparisons to the images of unprecedented horrific cattle treatment in Indonesian abattoirs that were published on ABC television in mid-2011 - again supplied by Animals Australia - which sparked public outrage and a ban on exports to that market, by the former Labor government, that’s now subject to a class action claim against the Commonwealth valued at about $600 million.

While that snap market suspension led to establishment of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) to track and trace exported animals in export markets up to the point of slaughter, the regulations don’t cover shipments by sea.

The 2017 voyage in question by Emanuel Exports concerns a consignment of 63,804 sheep loaded at Perth in WA that suffered 2400 mortalities, mostly due to heat stress.

The deaths represent almost double the 2 per cent threshold accepted within the current regulatory reporting limit prescribed by the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL).

An investigation by Mr Littleproud’s Department led to tougher measures to manage heat stress for that exporter on future shipments - including enhanced ventilation, reduced stocking rates and other improvements - but no fines or suspensions were imposed by the regulator.

Emanuel Exporters Managing Director Graham Daws issued a statement last week - on the back of the minister’s robust media conference where he said the treatment of the sheep he witnessed in the video footage was “bullshit” - saying the Awassi Express voyage last year also faced an independent investigation by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

The AMSA inquiry concluded that all livestock services on board the shipment were operating satisfactorily during the voyage.

The Department’s investigation concluded that the humidity and temperatures experienced from day five to day 13 and associated deck conditions, prior to arrival in Qatar was likely to have contributed to the severity of the mortality event.

ALEC said the Animals Australia video footage circulated this week was “highly distressing and unacceptable to the industry, livestock producers and the community”.

Now, the live export industry’s critics appear set to attack the lack of action from subsequent investigations and the inferior method of reporting animal welfare standards on sheep shipments that will be viewed as a weak-link in the supply, with lack of accountability in information coming from pure base numbers, like the 2pc mortality threshold.

Mr Littleproud’s Department has required the Emanuel’s shipment this week to provide daily reports, including being backed-up by images, of its compliance with the tighter animal welfare standards like a feed and watering plan and additional welfare staff, which Mr Daws says will be able to depart, in meeting the added requests.

As the political heat turned white-hot on live exporters, Greens Animal Welfare spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon called on the Turnbull government to end the live animal export trade after the death of 2400 Australian sheep.

“Time and again the cruelty of the live export trade has been proven, with this latest mass death another shocking example with sheep effectively being cooked alive,” Senator Rhiannon said.

But she said the latest deaths represented another failure of ESCAS “that the government makes out enforces rules on the live export trade”.

“Calls today from the opposition to tighten the rules is no solution - it is time to end this horrific practice and transition the industry to processing livestock in Australia and expanding Australia’s trade in boxed, chilled meat,” she said.

“The place to start is banning the live export of sheep.

“How many times can we witness mass deaths of Australian livestock before the Turnbull government acts on animal welfare?

“Ending the live export trade and supporting the domestic meat processing trade will not only reduce animal cruelty, but it will create local jobs and boost local economies and protect our chilled meat market reputation - it’s a win-win.

“At the May Budget Estimates I will question the Department on the deaths of these animals.

“This is further proof that the welfare of exported animals cannot be managed from a desk in Canberra.”

RSPCA Australia said it had also viewed the “highly-disturbing” footage expected to air on 60 Minutes this Sunday night.

“We look forward to the Minister taking the strongest possible action to stop this suffering from ever happening again,” a statement said.

“It’s important to note this wasn’t a single voyage or event; it is compelling visual evidence of the routine experience of Australian sheep on long-haul live export voyages.

“What’s clear is that ASEL has failed and cannot protect the welfare of Australian animals.

“Further investigation is to be commended, however it is real action to stop the suffering of sheep on long-haul live export voyages that matters most.

“The RSPCA has long argued the live export of animals is cruel and unnecessary, and should be replaced by an expanded trade in chilled and frozen meat from animals slaughtered humanely here at home.”

Experienced live exports veterinarian and former WA Liberal Senator Chris Back has been appointed Chair of a technical committee that’s currently reviewing the standards for ASEL.

In re-confirming his desire to ban the live export trade, Tasmanian Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said fear of Animals Australia releasing shocking footage of the conditions on the vessel “panicked the government to appear concerned and take action”.

“We've known for years that conditions on live animal exports ships are beyond dreadful and we've known for years that the worst offenders are the sheep ships travelling to the Middle East, on which animal fatalities are often way beyond government standards and records are routinely falsified,” he said.

“The fact is the live export trade is systemically cruel, lacks popular support and is not in Australia's economic self-interest.

“Not that you'd know given the way a series of federal governments have kowtowed to their mates in the industry.

“Frankly if any of them had any decency they'd hang their heads in shame and shut the vile trade down immediately and permanently.”