ESCAS was set up to ensure that animals in the export chain had animal welfare protection throughout. It is not monitored by government and nor is it subject to independent audits. The only requirements are that the exporters apply, say it is OK (ie have table and knife, and sign the document)  and Dept stamps it. The Dept says that there are chronic issues at a low level but there is no scientific basis for that comment as no-one is performing audits. The low level is because they are rarely exposed. When AA turns up with their covert surveillance in the Middle East, they have near 100% success rate in detecting unequivocal ESCAS failure and abuse. Given that no-one else is auditing, and that exporters rarely self-report, that figure actually represents an extraordinarily high rate of ESCAS non-compliance. 

Thus it was no surprise that The Guardian reports that exported Australian sheep have  again  been  mistreated at a Middle Eastern abattoir – the sixth investigation involving sheep shipped by Perth-based exporter Livestock Shipping services in seven years and the second time for the Hijazi & Ghosheh slaughterhouse near Amman in Jordan. In July 2021, shipping of Australian animals to another Hijazi & Ghosheh-owned slaughterhouse in Jordan was permanently suspended, following similar breaches of welfare rules. And in 2023, an undercover investigation by Animals Australia alleged that Australian sheep exported to Oman by LSS had been sold outside approved supply chains, with the investigation still not finalised in 2025. So, as usual the Dept does nothing, the industry doesnt care because they know the Dept will do nothing  and CEO of ALEC Mark Harvey Sutton trivialises the breaches which as "minor and corrective". 2028 cannot come too soon. 

See: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/09/serious-animal-welfare-concerns-australian-authorities-investigate-alleged-breach-of-livestock-export-rules

Labour MP Rachel Boyack questioned Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard about live export at sea. If this were a comedy skit it would be funny. If it were a critique on political performance it would be damning. But as an insight into how clueless and ill prepared Andrew Hoggard and the NZ Govt are for the resumption of their live export with gold-plated animal welfare, it is frankly unbelievable. Rachel Boyacks face probably really did say it all.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1390706952010035

With the Australian Federal election tomorrow, check Where do the parties stand on animal welfare this election?

Dr Bidda Jones' opinion piece in the Canberra Times obviously really irritated the live export industry CEO Mark Harvey Sutton. He lashed right back with an op ed titled "Modern Aussies Can Support Live Export". Tragically he either has no idea about the industry's shipping history or didnt check which image the paper was going to publish along side his portrait. The shonky ship pictured in this article of modernity is the Barkly Pearl, famous for losing a steel plate from its hull near Geraldton in 2020, being seized by AMSA and then banished from Australia for a minimum of 2 years....it has never been back to Australia (or Fremantle).
AMSA stated "This is a significant decision by AMSA.  It’s the first time a vessel has been banned from Australian ports for this length of time and it will certainly affect the vessel’s commercial operations... The owners and operators of the Barkly Pearl were negligent in their maintenance of the vessel, put the lives of the seafarers on board at risk and posed an immediate threat to Australia’s marine environment."
Go the live ex industry...and your progressive modernity!

The Gelbray Express, which left Fremantle on 15.1.25 (over a month ago), now shows Haifa as its destination - yep the Dept is allowing the long haul voyages around the Cape to Israel again despite the previous Bahijah fiasco in 2024. It is unlikely that there is an independent observer onboard.

With Beef Central noting not enough ships for the northern cattle trade, it seemed timely to point out that suggestions for a Moroccan trade would also be a pipe-dream. Sheep Central ran some of VALE's comments none of which ALEC meaningfully rejected. Rubbishing VALE as an organisation was the best they could come up with.
But, even better, the article states that AMSA has confirmed there are now only 20 ships certified to carry livestock (ie with ACCL). When VALE checked with AMSA in November 2024, that number was 23.....so 33 in 2015, 32 five years ago, 23 three months ago and now 20...... The proof of the pudding?

Beef Central has also run another article today also on the lack of ship availability confirming only 20 ships with a current ACCL.

 In Brazil, the situation has been a long and complex. The case began in 2017, following reports of severe animal welfare violations during live cattle exports. In December 2017, the Fórum Nacional de Proteção e Defesa Animal filed a public civil action (ACP) requesting an immediate ban on live exports.

In February 2018, a first-instance judge issued a preliminary injunction (liminar) prohibiting a specific shipment of 25,000 cattle aboard the MV Nada from the Port of Santos. This decision included requirements for inspections and welfare assessments. However, within days, the injunction was suspended by an appellate court during judicial recess, allowing the shipment to proceed. In May 2019, the preliminary injunction was definitively suspended pending the outcome of the case, and exports continued under Brazil’s existing regulations.

The landmark first-instance decision came in April 2023, when the 25th Federal Court of São Paulo ruled to prohibit live cattle exports by sea across Brazil, citing violations of animal welfare laws and the inherent cruelty of the practice. This decision was celebrated as a historic milestone in animal law. However, the federal government immediately appealed, which has delayed its enforcement.

The case is now under review at the Federal Regional Court of the 3rd Region (TRF-3), with a panel of three judges presiding. The appellate process began in late 2024, and thus far, only the rapporteur (relator) has voted. Unfortunately, the rapporteur ruled against upholding the prohibition, citing economic impacts and the supposed sufficiency of existing regulations—arguments that disregard the dire animal welfare issues and the inadequacy of enforcement mechanisms. The case was temporarily suspended after another judge requested further review ("pedido de vistas").

The next hearing is reportedly scheduled for February 19, 2025, when the remaining judges will deliver their votes. It is hoped that the unregulated nature of the live ex trade from Brazil will be appropriately assessed and the original decision upheld.

Beef Central is on the same page as VALE (see listed blogs): where are the ships?

Beef Central reports that trade sources have stated that "Changing dynamics in the livestock shipping sector have reduced the number of vessels readily available to Australian exporters.. Only a small number of the hundreds of livestock transport ships operating around the world are accredited by the Australian Maritime and Safety Authority (AMSA) to carry livestock from Australia."

Gaining AMSA accreditation is rigorous and costly, requiring surveys and inspections to maintain accreditation from year to year. AMSA informed VALE recently that only 23 vessels have accreditation (ACCL) but even that number is higher than the number of ships actively working out of Australia. Beef Central explains that not all maintain AMSA accreditation when they become gainfully deployed on other trading routes around the world and that some vessels have also reached the end of their working life and have been retired. In addition, most are currently plying routes from South America (Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Argentina) to the Middle East and China, or Europe to the Middle East and internally within European ports.

The sale of many vessels is also affecting the availability of shipping locally. Wellard last month confirmed the sale of the last of its five ships, the MV Ocean Drover, which has been bought by Turkish owner to shore up its cattle transport requirements from South America. Shipping giant Vroon is also understood to be in the process of seeking buyers for its Livestock Express division, which owns many of the modern G-Class vessels which carry the bulk of cattle from Australia.

The bottom line is that for sheep particularly, but also cattle, shipping availability is now the major threat to Australian live export. What does it take to get farmers to recognise this limitation?

See: https://www.vale.org.au/blog/an-insider-perspective-on-the-issue-of-where-are-the-ships
https://splash247.com/live-animal-export-false-hopes-on-a-dying-fleet/

The Ocean Drover, owned by Wellard has finally been sold to enable distributions to shareholders. The ship has been sold to a Turkish concern so is unlikely to be ever back in Australia. Another ship out of the ever-dwindling Australian fleet...
See: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2025-01-14/wellard-to-sell-mv-ocean-drover-and-consider-winding-up-business/104814504

The Al Messilah finally seems to have passed inspection at Fremantle and is loading sheep - a 40 yo ship converted in 1996.....and industry claim state of the art purpose built vessels! And at least one truck was seen heading to Port with a down sheep that was panting heavily and making no attempt to rise despite space to do so (video available) for many km of the final trip from Leach highway to Port. It is unknown whether this represents an ill sheep loaded onto a truck or whether an injury occurred on the truck. DPIRD were notified but did not respond, merely informing observers that they would have to lodge a "cruelty" report with RSPCA because that will get immediate help for the sheep....not! Lets hope it was rejected at Port.