Concern that years of valuable knowledge built up by Australia's live export stockmen and women is being lost has prompted a forum to be organised for Darwin in November.
Organisers worry that extra challenges posed by COVID restrictions on an already testing lifestyle, much like FIFO mining work, is throwing up mental pressures for young and old workers alike.
"Stockies have to do two or three voyages back to back now, they can't fly back between voyages like they used to," Fiona Baird said.
"They might do 60 days at sea if they're going to Vietnam, 10 days up and 10 days back, three times.
"Then they're expected to sit in hotel quarantine by themselves for a fortnight - it's not good for their mental health."
Ms Baird, who has experienced all aspects of the industry in her 12 years, said while official channels were available, most people were reluctant to go through them, and she was hoping a buddy system would be one of the positive results from the on-board management and networking event.
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Pat Coole, the vice-chairman of the Young Livestock Exporters Network, which is supporting the initiative with logistics, anticipated that it could become a permanent group much like Livecorp's AAV forum for accredited veterinarians.
"There have been several informal stockperson networks, on Facebook and WhatsApp, but this is the first step to creating a more formal platform," he said.
Mr Coole said organisers had been working with Livecorp, the service provider and research body for the Australian livestock export industry, in planning the event, who could see the value of people on the frontline pushing for it.
"There's training but one thing lacking is a central communication point for young people, even down to how to manage relations with crew, and what to take on board," he said. "If you want good animal welfare outcomes, you need all parts to be right - you can't achieve that with tired stockmen because they didn't know they needed earplugs to sleep."
He said everyone had talked about the need for a group for years and COVID had proved to be the catalyst.
"You might be the only native English speaker on board for two months, and then you have a fortnight alone in a hotel to think about it - it's something that needs to be managed."
In return for the tips that the experienced stockmen could pass on, especially for the short haul trips to South East Asia with less staff, Ms Baird said the younger generation would be able to share their tech knowledge.
"It's all about making our community stronger," she said.
"Live export is an exotic job, travelling overseas, but it's also a taboo job, you don't talk much about what you do because not everyone agrees with it.
"There's not many of us in the world, it's a very specialised group, but we're very progressive.
"We're not just doing the job for Australian cattle - we've trained so many foreigners and have charted through so many cultures.
"I've seen firsthand the positive difference Australian people have made in training."
In her 12 years in the role Ms Baird has undertaken 280 voyages, and said that every change that had been asked of the industry in Australia in that time had been mastered well.
Mr Coole said the industry was often reactive and so this initiative was a good opportunity to talk about positive animal welfare and productivity outcomes.
"It's something we've wanted for a long time, the opportunity to get together and discuss the challenges on board and the things that work really well," he said. "It's all about best practice, and is a really good initiative."
Ms Baird said a speaker from the Australian Live Exporters Council would be attending the day at the Berrimah Export Yards outside Darwin on November 12, as well as a Livecorp representative, to go through the new regulations.
The afternoon would be devoted to on-board management questions, led by some of the old hands, with a vet in attendance.
An email has been circulated to determine the topics most want covered, with insurance premiums for stockies among those at the top of the list.
A memorial service for the Australian stockmen who have perished at sea will also be held.
They include Darwin's Gary Beckett who died when the Danny F capsized while empty off Turkey in 2009, all those on board the Gulf Livestock 1, which capsized off Japan on September 2 last year with 43 crew and almost 6000 head of cattle on board, and Greg Smith, who was tragically killed on April 2 this year as a result of an accident while discharging cattle in the port of Belawan in North Sumatra, Indonesia.
The day will finish with a barbecue and beverages.
Ms Baird said that at any one time, 30 to 40 stockies were either on a boat or in quarantine and so the free event would be recorded for them.
She expects between 80 and 100 people to attend.
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