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Live Animal Export Trade
The Australian Government supports the livestock export trade. It is a valuable and legitimate trade, particularly during the significant hardship brought on by the ongoing drought. It is worth around $830 million in livestock sales and almost $1 billion in wages, per annum, employing more than 12,000 people in regional and metropolitan areas.
Australia leads the world in animal welfare practices. The Australian Government does not tolerate cruelty towards animals and will not compromise on animal welfare standards. Our ongoing involvement in this trade provides an opportunity to influence animal welfare conditions in importing countries.
The Australian Government and the livestock export industry continue to work hard with overseas countries to improve animal welfare practices. Following the broad ranging investigation in 2003 into Australia’s livestock export industry chaired by Dr John Keniry, the Government announced initiatives to improve animal welfare conditions in the livestock export trade. Part of this response is a $4 million investment to, amongst other things, help improve animal welfare practices in importing countries. The Government has also introduced legislation that provides stronger regulation of the livestock export industry. This includes a requirement to comply with the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock.
This legislation is an important step by the Government to overhaul the livestock export trade. These arrangements acknowledge that community concerns about animal welfare are an important consideration if the livestock export trade is to be sustainable.
The Government and the livestock industry are working to improve the welfare and treatment of animals exported from Australia and better results are already apparent. Cattle mortalities decreased from 0.34 per cent of stock shipped in 1999 to 0.17 per cent in 2006. Sheep mortalities followed a similar trend, decreasing from 1.34 per cent to 0.90 per cent over the same period. The Government is determined to implement further improvements.
The Government and the livestock export industry are working cooperatively with our trading partners in the Middle East region to address post-arrival welfare concerns and to improve the transportation, handling and slaughter practices of livestock in overseas markets. The Department is jointly funding a number of projects with the live export industry to improve infrastructure and training to promote better animal handling and slaughter practices. Australia is the only country that requires specific animal welfare outcomes for livestock exports. Our ongoing involvement in this trade provides an opportunity to influence animal welfare conditions in importing countries.
Australia has signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa region and negotiations continue with other trading partners in the region. A key element of the MOUs is that animals be unloaded on arrival regardless of their health status. The MOUs also allow us to help our trading partners improve post arrival handling and slaughter through cooperative activities based around improving animal welfare.
Australia has also signed an MOU with Egypt on Handling and Slaughter of Australian Live Animals. This MOU requires that international animal welfare standards be applied to the handling of Australian livestock (sheep and cattle) as well as some specific handling requirements for Australian cattle.
Suggestions that the live trade could be completely replaced by chilled and frozen meat fails to take into account the requirements of the market. Whilst Australia has developed a significant trade in meat products, the lack of refrigeration and cold chain facilities, as well as strong cultural preferences for freshly slaughtered meat precludes Australia from servicing all of its export markets with processed meat products.
More information
Live trade to Egypt and the MoU - frequently asked questions 
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Further information can be obtained by emailing the Animal Welfare Branch.
