The United Kingdom’s Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill has just passed its final stage in Parliament and will soon be enshrined into law. This will mean that the UK has banned export of farmed animals by sea. The Australian Labor Government also announced this weekend (11/05/24) that from May 2028, they will ban live export of sheep by sea. These moves have two competitive trading partners passing progressive animal welfare legislation whilst NZ, thanks to the previous Labour government’s agricultural Minister, Damien O’Connor - while the National-led coalition government has a ban already in place....albeit the National-led coalition is busy trying to winding it back (a move seemingly as unpopular with most farmers as it is the general public with one farmer describing it as trying to "polish a turd").
It could well be that if these three trading partners stand firm on their respective bans that a clear signal will be sent worldwide that this trade is not acceptable. Could this be the beginning of the end of the animal version of the human slave trade? See what New Zealand Vets have to say about it : https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2405/S00071/live-export-new-zealand-sails-backwards-whilst-the-uk-and-australia-competitively-sail-forward.htm
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The Minister for Agriculture Minister Murray Watt today released the Government’s plan to phase out live sheep exports setting an end date of 1 May 2028 and providing an adjustment package of $107 million. The intention is to legislate the phaseout in this term of parliament. The decision follows the recommendations of the Independent Panel to end live sheep exports and transition the industry towards chilled meat exports.
As VALE spokesperson Dr Sue Foster stated: "The Government has responded to the justifiable concerns of the majority of Australians and also to animal welfare science. The investment of $2.6 million in animal welfare measures as part of the transition package further demonstrates the Government’s recognition of the importance of ethical treatment of animals." Still 4 more years of suffering for the sheep though. It is significant that NZ could phase out a much larger and more lucrative national export trade in 2 years whilst it takes Australia 4 years to phaseout an export trade from one state! But lets hope, that unlike NZ, the package means that it will really happen and be permanent. Yes, that is how some NZ farmers have reacted when asked about their opinion on the resintatement of live ex in NZ with new "gold standards" - listen to the audio recording of the interview with the Minister at https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/515713/live-cattle-exports-help-farmers-diversify-income-associate-agriculture-minister.
The Minister or a government that is already polling badly tried in vain to defend his position....given the deep unpopularity of live ex in NZ, the current Govt may see this as having backed the wrong issue. Lets hope that concerns over their political survival for more than a term will see them drop this retrograde proposal. The ABC reported that the likely cause of the high mortality incident on the Brahman Express was a parasitic disease known as coccidiosis....not botulism as so widely touted. In a statement to ABC Rural a DAFF spokesperson said "coccidiosis has been identified as a potential cause of the deaths, however a definitive diagnosis has not yet been reached." They couldnt say much else really as its a pretty embarrassing mistake in diagnostics if it were confirmed - botulism is a neuromuscular disease with quite obvious clinical signs (tongue paralysis especially evident in cattle) due to a toxin whilst coccidiosis causes gastrointestinal disease and is due to a parasite...not hugely similar in presentation to botulism...unless someone is about to write up a very novel presentation of coccidiosis.
But in the end who would know...cocci seems a very unusual cause of mass sudden death also so both seem implausible. Bottom line is that there should have been a vet onboard to assess these cattle clinically and there wasnt...just a stockperson with a 4 day accreditation course. More than 150 cattle died on the Brahman Express after it left Darwin on March 14, prompting the Indonesian government to suspend imports from the export yard until the cause was confirmed. Australian authorities were quick to claim that it was most likely botulism, a non-contagious disease.
Zach Hope from the Sydney Morning Herald delved deeper and has stated "But who knew what, and how the Indonesians were informed, remained mysterious." The Australian government has refused to answer even the most basic questions. Disgracefully, "most of what we know comes from authorities in Indonesia. Late on Thursday, the government there made it known it had demanded Australia investigate why Indonesian officials were allegedly told by the crew that only eight cattle had died aboard the Brahman Express when in fact it was 151." SMH interviewed former live ex vet, Dr Lynn Simpson and her full responses are well worth reading..."The reason for misrepresenting the numbers – which neither the Australian government nor shipping company Vroon would confirm – could have been related to fears about Indonesia potentially turning the boat and its roughly 2300 live animals away, she said. Such a move would have created a debacle at sea good for no one, especially the cattle. “[The empty ship] has probably scurried away,” Simpson said. “Then maybe Australia phoned the Indonesians later to say, ‘Oh gee, really sorry about that’.” Logs showed the ship left the Indonesian port of Medan about 24 hours after its arrival, and before news emerged of the deaths. Botulism has still not been officially confirmed as the cause of death but no other diagnoses have been provided by the as-ever non-transparent Dept of Ag. In yet another unpredictable twist for this voyage that goes every which way (Fremantle to Israel, oops no...South Africa...oops no ....Fremantle....to Israel..oops no?, the MV Bahijah is now anchored in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. WHY? HOW MANY DAYS WILL THIS ADD TO THE ALREADY UNTHINKABLY LONG VOYAGE? Needless to say, the Dept have not commented on this deviation from plan.
Number of cattle on ship: 2400 (Sydney Morning Herald) vs 3300 (more likely, Beef Central) vs "not saying" (Dept of Ag)
Number of cattle dead: 151 (Sydney Morning Herald) vs 100 (Beef Central) vs 8 (ship's master in the mortality report - according to the Indonesians who are not happy about it - Sydney Morning Herald) vs "not saying" (Dept of Ag). Number of cattle simultaneously dying in the export yards - split consignment - 50 (Beef Central). Purported cause of death - botulism (despite apparently being vaccinated cattle - Beef Central) but NT CVO said "caution about diagnosis" and that botulism is one of "the more likely diagnoses" whilst one longterm NT cattle producer who had "lived experience of botulism: stated: "It is very difficult to believe that 100 head cattle die in a few days of botulism without having significant symptoms prior to the voyage" (ABC NT Country Hour). Transparency - Mr Harvey-Sutton from ALEC stated: "It was the exporter that self-reported this. They've been very clear and transparent about this issue all the way through" (ABC)....not to mention they are required to by law... vs "not saying" (Dept of Ag) vs Masters Report purportedly stating that only 8 cattle were dead (Sydney Morning Herald). So, same old same old. No-one knows anything, rumours fly, Dept unhelpful and industry pat themselves on the back about transparency. Nothing changes in this space. Sources: ABC NT Country Hour: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/nt-country-hour/chief-vet-nt-cattle-deaths-on-live-export-ship/103641020 Beef Central: https://www.beefcentral.com/live-export/source-of-mystery-illness-behind-nt-cattle-deaths-still-being-investigated/ Sydney Morning Herald: https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/indonesia-suspends-live-cattle-imports-from-darwin-export-yard/ar-BB1kH0oP ABC: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-26/cattle-die-in-live-export-to-indonesia/103633064 The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has come out strongly in response to the latest high mortality voyage to state the long held policy of the organisation: "that when live export of animals by sea occurs, an Australian Accredited Veterinarian must accompany each shipment."
Moreover the AVA was critical of the regulation of the trade: The AVA believes that the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) regulatory controls are deficient, as they allow exporters to apply for an exemption from having an Australian Accredited Veterinarian on board short haul voyages, such as the one involving the Brahman Express." AVA President Dr Diana Barker stated: “This is not acceptable. Veterinarians must be onboard all live export voyages, irrespective of length, to protect the health and welfare of animals on the ship.” VALE has long held the same view and their is no doubt that Australian veterinarians have consensus on this issue: THERE MUST BE VETS ON ALL SHIPS. AVA Statement: https://www.ava.com.au/media-centre/death-of-over-100-cattle-on-live-export-ship-reinforces-the-need-for-veterinarians-on-every-voyage/ The ABC has reported that more than 100 Australian cattle have died on a live export ship (the MV Brahman Express) to Indonesia. This will make it one of the highest mortality rates reported on an Australian shorthaul cattle shipment (7.69% on the GL Kaihou maiden voyage still likely to be the worst since 2006 if we assume 4000 cattle for this ship and 100/4000 = 2.5%).
DAFF has confirmed "a number of cattle deaths" (and would not confirm the number) were reported and is investigating it but says no exotic diseases involved. Lets hope DAFF also remembers to monitor the post-voyage mortality rates for this high mortality voyage. The Bahijah has crossed the Equator from the South Atlantic into the North Atlantic Ocean. Fortunately for the sheep, the exporter and the Dept, temperatures were incredibly mild. Sending sheep with >25mm wool across the Equator at any time of year is never a great idea (thus why ASEL says it shouldnt happen ...unless the Dept can have their arms twisted hard up behind their backs to come up with some explanation as to how heat stress can be avoided.
But spare a thought for the animal fatigue and read the latest paper on the issue: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/animal-welfare/article/sheep-fatigue-during-transport-lost-in-translation/19E703921F7DE1C2E9AE442516285CDC |
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