Live sheep ban is ‘futile’, emirate warns Australia

Animal activists have campaigned to shut down the trade, but exporters warn that Kuwait’s intention to seek live exports from elsewhere could produce worse outcomes for animal welfare because other countries do not impose the same high standards Australia requires on voyages.

Mr Al Aiban’s letter comes as thousands of sheep will set sail to the Middle East on Saturday in the first export voyage of the year.

Labor promised at the last election to phase out live sheep exports and has appointed a panel to advise on winding up the $85 million a year trade. It is yet to set an end date, other than to say it will not be in this parliamentary term.

Mr Al Aiban’s letter followed a virtual meeting with Senator Watt. Mr Al Aiban contradicted Senator Watt over the Australian government’s belief that chilled and frozen meat exports would fill the void, saying this was “unrealistic”.

“The region and Kuwait in the absence of live supplies from Australia will increase their live sheep imports from other countries rather than substantially increase imports of Australian chilled and boxed sheep meat,” the letter said.

“Kuwait is already at capacity with chilled sheep meet supplies from Australia and other origins.”

Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council chief Mark Harvey-Sutton said Australian producers had contributed meaningfully to improved animal welfare standards.

“Australia is the only country in the world, out of over 100 that export livestock, that has regulations seeking to manage the welfare of livestock. While no system is perfect, it has improved animal welfare in all our sheep, goat and cattle markets for over a decade, contributing to a net improvement in animal welfare globally,” he said.

Mr Harvey-Sutton was part of a delegation of sheep farmers and industry representatives who travelled to Parliament House last week to meet Senator Watt and other MPs.

While the live export trade was run out of Western Australia, east coast farmers would also suffer in the fallout from the ban, Wool Producers Australia chief executive Jo Hall said.

“This decision is not based on evidence or science. If you are a producer in the east who doesn’t think this affects them, the reality is any legitimate trade can be shut down if the government is willing to do that without evidence and because it feels good and is warm and fuzzy,” she said.