keep the sheep
off boats

78% of Aussies support the end of live sheep exports, and for good reason…

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Photo Credit: Animals Australia

Keep The Sheep

off boats

the facts:

78% OF

AUSTRALIANS are AGAINST LIVE EXPORT

And they want to see farmers supported through the transition.

OVER 70%
OF SHEEP VOYAGES
are non-compliant

Over 70% of sheep voyages accompanied by an independent Observer still have non-compliance issues.

live export accounts for LESS THAN 5% OF OUR LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY

Australia’s live export industry accounts for less than 5% of the value of Australia’s livestock industries.

LONG HISTORY OF ANIMAL WELFARE VIOLATIONS

There is decades of documented animal suffering, breaches and non-compliance by the export industry – and plenty of second chances.

live export

creates jobs in importing countries,
not in australia

Ending the live sheep trade could facilitate 350 full-time equivalent employees and be worth an additional $18 million in increased value-adding for Australian meat processors and Producers want a more reliable trade that isn’t impacted by stoppages

Middle East Chilled Meat Trade Surpasses Live Exports in Value

The chilled meat trade to the Middle East alone is worth more than the entire live export trade.

7 out of 10

Aussies in rural areas want live exports to end

and more people from rural areas, than from anywhere else, are concerned about the inadequacy of current animal welfare standards.

ANIMALS CONTINUE TO SUFFER TERRIBLY WITH NO ANIMAL WELFARE LAWS TO PROTECT THEM

Animals are sent to countries with no welfare laws, facing slaughter without pre-stunning, and endure heat stress, inanition, lameness, salmonellosis, infections, and respiratory diseases from high ammonia levels during transit.

the myths

jobs in the industry will be at risk when the live export trade ends

Rural jobs, such as Producers, Truck Drivers, Stockhands, Abattoir workers and Vets, will continue to exist with a transition to a chilled meat trade. Transitioning to domestic processing will not only ensure animal welfare but will lead to jobs growth and greater value-adding to local supply chains.

Ending the live sheep trade could facilitate 350 full-time equivalent employees and be worth an additional $18 million in increased value-adding for Australian meat processors.

middle east customers lack refrigeration

A common misconception is that Middle Eastern consumers lack refrigeration so they are unable to accept chilled meat. This is not only incorrect, but also culturally insensitive. A review undertaken in 2012 by Market Vision Research and Consulting Services, a company based in Dubai, noted that in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, there was near-universal household ownership of refrigerators, of 99.5%.

WA Sheep Industry Can’t Thrive Without Live Exports

The independent panel report found that the WA sheep industry can be profitable and sustainable during the transition period and beyond the end of live sheep exports by sea.

there’s no support for producers during the transition to ending live export

The Australian Government is providing a $107 million transition package to provide support for the transition to a more humane alternative that looks after producers and their animals too.

Don’t believe the fear and smear campaign by the vocal minority with deep pockets and vested interests who are trying to bully politicians into overturning the ban. Repeated independent polls show that the overwhelming majority of Australians support an end to the trade once and for all.

the middle east require live stock instead of chilled meat to ensure their halal status

No – Australia has around 70 certified Halal slaughterhouses, with the slaughter of each animal overseen by Muslim officials who are licensed by importing countries. Halal accreditation of meat is administered under the ‘Australian Government Supervised Muslim Slaughter Programme’.

Meat from animals Halal-slaughtered in Australia is genuinely Halal as opposed to the meat from animals slaughtered in the back streets and makeshift killing rooms where they are often traumatised first – the levels of abuse some animals suffer would make the meat “Haram” – forbidden.

the middle east prefers live stock & does not want chilled sheep meat

The Middle East loves chilled Australian sheep meat. It is high-quality, Halal-certified and disease-free. The chilled trade to the Middle East alone is worth more than the entire live trade.