Ban Live Animal Exports

What is live animal export?

During the last 30 years, Australia has sent more than 150 million sheep and cattle to be slaughtered in other parts of the world, such as the Middle East and South East Asia. Livestock ships can carry up to 100,000 animals for voyages lasting up to 3 weeks.

More than 2 million animals have died on these ships en route, deaths deemed an %u2018acceptable%u2019 loss by an industry that puts profit above all else.

Investigations conducted by Animals Australia in Middle Eastern countries have exposed the terrible cruelties inflicted upon Australian animals in these countries. Most importing countries have not one single law to protect animals%u2019 welfare. Once in the Middle East, Australian sheep are routinely purchased, bound, and shoved into car boots in a region where temperatures reach 50%uFFFDC in summer. Both sheep and cattle have their throats cut whilst fully conscious, suffering prolonged, distressing and painful deaths.

Live animal export is inherently cruel, immoral, and indefensible.

How many animals are exported from Australia? Where do they go?

Sheep:
More than 4 million sheep (4,045,400) were exported to the Middle East in 2006. Following the lifting of the temporary ban on live exports to Saudi Arabia (due to the rejection in 2003 of the MV Cormo Express), exports to that country again reached more than 1 million, followed closely by Kuwait (862,163 in 2006). Other primary destinations include Jordan, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Tens of thousands of sheep die on the ships before they reach the Middle East (36,408 on-board deaths in 2006)

Cattle:
Each year Australia exports more than half a million cattle (in 2006 the figure was 618,645). Most go to South East Asia - the majority to Indonesia - and more than 119,000 cattle were exported to the Middle East (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Egypt) during 2006. A temporary suspension due to an Animals Australia expose of cruel practices meant that no cattle were sent to Egypt in 2006. Hundreds die on the sea voyage, and more succumb to illness and disease after arrival (see %u2018The Death Files%u2019 and %u2018Litany of Disasters%u2019).

Small numbers of goats, deer, buffalo, and camels are also exported live.

Why does Animals Australia (and all other major and international animal welfare organisations) oppose long-distance sea transport of animals?

Long-distance sea transportation necessarily means multiple handling, intensive stocking densities, different food and competition for food/water, changes in climatic environment (winter to summer), at times unforeseen problems (fire, cyclone, rejection by importing country %u2013 see Litany of Disasters), and other factors which cumulatively cause stress, distress, and, often, injuries and illness. Most Australian grazing animals are rarely handled and are fearful of - and stressed by - human handling.

Long distance sea voyages for slaughter contradict the universally-accepted principle that animals should be killed as close as possible to the point of production to reduce stress.

What are the major causes of illness and death on ships that carry Australian sheep to the Middle East (the primary destination)?

Sheep die on every ship that leaves Australia (see Death Files). The causes of death on board ships have been studied extensively during the last 25 years and are:

Inanition (failure to eat) 47%
Salmonellosis 27%
Trauma 12%
Miscellaneous 14%

%u2018Inanition%u2019 is term used when sheep %u2013 grazing animals familiar only with eating grass - fail to eat the pellet food provided. This causes metabolic changes which make them susceptible to other problems such as overwhelming salmonella infection and diarrhea. In addition to these deaths, many animals suffer, but survive, illness or injury. For example, sheep are susceptible to eye irritations and infections caused by dusty environments on board and some eye problems (e.g. pink eye) can cause blindness even during a 2 week voyage. In addition, it is not known how many more animals die due to illness soon after unloading.

What happens to animals when they arrive in the destination country?

Upon arrival in overseas countries, animals endure further transport, feed-lotting, and handling practices (dragging, trussing, transportation in car boots), practices that are both unacceptable and illegal in Australia. The routine slaughter method in the majority of importing countries is cutting of throat without pre-stunning. Animals killed in this way can endure prolonged, painful, fearful deaths.

Such slaughter is, quite rightly, illegal in Australia.