Update: Review of live sheep exports by sea to, or through, the Middle East during the Northern Hemisphere summer
Earlier this year, FAR lodged a submission to object to the Federal Government’s proposal to increase the periods that Australian sheep can be exported to the Middle East in the hottest part of the Northern Hemisphere Summer. Australian sheep, just like FAR residents Starr, Nelson, Greta, Jasmine, Malcolm and Isabella who are gentle, resilient and inquisitive sentient beings do not tolerate the extremely hot, cramped and rough conditions of live export to the Middle East. Which is why we will keep fighting by advocating against the live export of sheep and of all animals until it is banned.
Our submission was one of more than 700 that the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (the Department) received in response to its draft report during the public consultation period calling for feedback about Australia’s current regulations for exporting sheep to the Middle East. So we want to THANK YOU if you were able to take the time to lodge your own submission against this potential change. https://haveyoursay.awe.gov.au/NHS-prohibition-review
We cannot stop here, please keep pushing to END live export
The majority of Australians want an end to live export because it is inherently cruel. You may recall the horrific footage of tens of thousands of sheep suffering and dying from heat stress on the Awassi Express in 2018, and you may be thinking “is this really still going on?”… Sadly, the answer is yes. Despite decades of community protests and our consistent call to end the trade, live exporters are pushing hard to continue this cruel and antiquated trade, and send more sheep to the Middle East in temperatures and conditions that will result in more cruelty and suffering for these gentle, resilient and inquisitive animals.
The Department extended the consultation period to further liaise with animal welfare organisations and industry and has called for more evidence. There is no firm date on when the Department will table its final report but we will keep you updated. In the meantime, the industry is calling for more shipments so they can do more “research” on the heat stress of sheep during live export voyages and consumer sentiment - yet animal welfare science has already proven that sheep can not tolerate the heat stress brought on by live export in the northern summer.
How can you help?
Speak up for sheep like Starr and Davis
Please write to your Federal Member of Parliament and the Department to express your views on live export. We cannot stop fighting for hundreds of millions of sheep, cattle, goats and other animals who continue to be subjected to this cruel trade.
