Further cruelty complaints lodged against live exporters

23 August 2007

FOI-obtained reports reveal serious breaches of live export standards

Animals Australia has released full details of further FOI-obtained AQIS investigation reports into high mortality live export shipments. The reports provide damning evidence of breaches of the Australian Live Export Standards (ASEL) and compelling reasons for a ban on sheep shipments from Tasmania.

As a result of information contained in two of the reports Animals Australia has lodged cruelty complaints with the Department of Local Government and Regional Development in Western Australia.

“The Australian public is continually told by the live export industry that Australia has the strictest live export standards in the world. What we aren’t told is that these standards are regularly being breached, that animals are suffering and dying as a result without exporters being prosecuted or penalised,” said Glenys Oogjes, Executive Director of Animals Australia.

“There is sufficient information in the AQIS reports relating to a shipment of cattle to the Middle East aboard the Maysora in which 247 cattle died and a shipment of goats from Geraldton to Malaysia to warrant a full investigation by the WA Government as to whether these shipments breached the WA Animal Welfare Act.”

All five AQIS investigation reports obtained through FOI into high mortality shipments (in 2006) can be viewed on Animals Australia’s website. http://www.animalsaustralia.org/media/foi

The AQIS reports into the two worst incidents - the deaths of 1,683 sheep during a shipment from Tasmania to the Middle East in February 2006 and 247 cattle enroute to the Middle East in October 2006 - reveal non-compliance with live export standards contributing to the deaths of thousands of animals. The Tasmanian report also concluded that Tasmanian animals are at higher risk of suffering heat stress.

“The AQIS report into the Tasmanian shipment is damning. There are several clear breaches of the live export standards, including sick sheep being left untreated due to inadequate staff resources. Similarly the AQIS report into the deaths of 247 cattle enroute to the Middle East, which suffered from serious infections and septicaemia, revealed that only 30 to 40 of those animals were euthanased. ”

ASEL 4.6 states that sufficient personnel must be available during the voyage to ensure that livestock husbandry and welfare needs are addressed, 5.6livestock and livestock services on the vessel must be regularly inspected (day and night) to ensure that the health and welfare of the livestock are maintained while the livestock are on the vessel. 5.7 any livestock identified as being sick or injured must:(a) be given prompt treatment;(b) be transferred to a hospital pen, if required; and (c) if necessary, be euthanased humanely and without delay.

“The AQIS reports reveal that serious breaches of live export standards contributed to the deaths of thousands of animals. If you failed to comply with any other Australian animal welfare standard that resulted in the deaths of similar numbers of animals you would be prosecuted. Why are live exporters treated any differently?” said Ms Oogjes.

“LiveCorp cites limited information provided on government websites as evidence of their transparency and accountability. Yet the content of the detailed reports obtained by Animals Australia reveal just how much crucial information is being kept from the public – including breached standards, and potential breaches of state legislation contributing to suffering, disease and death. These details would never have been made public had Animals Australia not applied through FOI for these reports.”

Click here to view the full AQIS reports of the 2006 high mortality shipments, plus Animals Australia’s assessment of associated breaches of the Australian Live Export Standards