Emmanuel Exports wiggled out of a WA prosecution over cruelty in a routine voyage in 2008 on the Al Kuwait by claiming it was Federal Law (and Federal over-rides State). Now they are claiming that they cannot be touched by Federal Law....and legal expert Malcolm Caulfield agrees.....

So, bring it on....a WA state prosecution should be fine after all.

Cant have it both ways.

As is so often the case, poor animal welfare goes hand in hand with poor human welfare. Live ex is no exception. The extended footage used for the 60 Minutes show, demonstrated workers with no protective clothing having to remove thousands of dead sheep bodies (bit by bit) in the same heat conditions that killed the animals. Not only would the conditions have been unspeakable but some of these animals will have had salmonellosis in addition to heat stress....salmonellosis is a zoonotic disease (ie people can catch it from animals).

In a study between April and October 2004, it was shown that at least 33% of voyages had significant heat stress (McCarthy 2005 Pilot Study).....thus it is likely that these poorly paid 3rd world seafarers are exposed to these conditions on at least 33% of voyages.

MUA has spoken up on this issue. See: https://maritime-executive.com/article/poll-a-majority-of-australians-reject-live-export#gs.Tyx78fUmaritime-executive.com/article/poll-a-majority-of-australians-reject-live-export#gs.Tyx78fU

A recent RSPCA poll put paid to any suggestion that concern about LE is limited to "city slickers".

The poll found almost seven out of every 10 Australians in rural areas and country towns want to end live exports, and more people in rural and country towns than anywhere else (just under 95 percent) are concerned over the inadequacy of current welfare standards. 

Australians are demanding change...with those from "the country" now leading the charge. In a democracy, this gives a clear mandate for change in live ex policy.

Clearly farmers are divided at the moment….there are those that have assessed the situation accurately and care enough about their sheep to stop trading into live export. Then there are those that keep repeating that all that matters is the dollar.
 
VALE has the science and we have it published. It is simply not possible to transport winter acclimatised Australian sheep to a northern ME summer without them getting heat stress. Period. Check any heat stress reference and check the weather in the Gulf. If there is only one sheep on any of these ships, it will suffer.
 
Farmers wouldn't leave their Kelpie in the ute cab in the sun……and wouldnt set fire to their sheep paddock..... Its not OK to let animals cook to death on a boat either.

A very big thank you to Colin Treasure and other courageous livestock producers who have spoken up for their animals after careful assessment of the situation.

See Caulfield et. Heat stress: A major contributor to poor animal welfare associated with long-haul live export voyages. Published in the prestigious international journal, The Veterinary Journal.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090023313004462
 

When A Bloody Business showed up the problems with the MLA sanctioned Mark 1 box in Indonesia, they didn't get an MLA vet to review it, the CVO was called in.
 
When 60 Minutes showed up the problem with heat stress on live export ships, same should have happened...but it didnt...a shipboard veterinarian, Mike McCarthy was given the gig.
 
And meanwhile, apparently welfare groups approved the appointment …..Which welfare groups? VALE doesn't know of any….. and apparently The Guardian couldn't track down any such groups either. See:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/23/live-exports-review-animal-welfare-groups-criticise-vets-appointment

Well the day started with Maritime Executive discussing the boarding of the Maysora with LSS....including a claim that they had consented to inspectors boarding vessel.

By the end of the day, the text of the Mar Ex article had changed and the WA Govt had hit back angrily as reported in WA Today. "Consent was not granted," said WA Minister for Agriculture Alannah MacTiernan. Inspectors from the Department of Primary Industries had to secure a warrant to get on board.

Ho hum ...and meanwhile the farmers are still claiming that it is fine for animals to have fouled water troughs and cramped condition....come on guys....that social licence is starting to wear a little thin now people have seen what it is really like onboard.

As Calla Whalquist from The Guardian so correctly points out....33 years on....and conditions in ME that led to live have completely changed....but still we persist with the trade. Reason.....exporters make a lot of money from it. Farmers? Seemingly not much depending on which  analysis is read.

Check out the article in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/21/33-years-on-a-long-term-solution-to-live-export-trade-remains-elusive

John Flint from Perth Now definitely blows the industry apart this morning with his revelations. Conditions onboard The Maysora, (another ship, another exporter) found to be a disgrace...in Fremantle....whilst the industry is under its heaviest scrutiny. And apparently, no vet onboard.

This industry CANNOT be trusted EVER.

Well for VALE, the day started with a call from the ABC to discuss ALEC's media release...which of course they hadnt bother to send us. That made for an ridiculous read...Spokesperson Sue Foster tore it apart on ABC Mornings (See http://www.vale.org.au/media.html 19th April).

Then as the day unfolded, Liberal MP Susan Ley revealed her plans to launch a private member's bill to end live export of sheep and Labor leader, Bill Shorten called for the immediate suspension of live sheep exports, while a review is undertaken into trade to the Middle East.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring but well done all those who are seeing this industry for what it really is - even when standing up wont make them hugely popular in their own parties.

So there we have it. Minister wrings his hands and looks all upset and says no farmer would want this for "their pride and joy"....but farmers, who now know exactly what the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock look like in practice are obviously happily supplying LSS with their pride and joy. Maysora loading....Bader due in tomorrow....

Just remember, the Bader lost over 3000 sheep in a day in Sept 2014...

"In the Adelaide sheep consignment the mortality rate was 7.28% (3,256 mortalities of the 44,713 sheep loaded). In the Fremantle sheep consignment the mortality rate was 3.00% (923 mortalities of the 30,795 sheep loaded). Overall the voyage mortality rate was 5.53% (4,179 mortalities recorded out of 75,508 sheep loaded onto the vessel)." Govt Investigation Report 46

Oh yes and you wont find the report on the Dept website because they have carefully removed it ....but its on ours.