TIME TO END LIVE EXPORTS

Our new Labor government is able to acknowledge that the live sheep export trade is in decline and commit to phasing out live sheep exports, but chooses to ignore that live cattle exports are also in decline. In the first six months of 2021 thirty-eight live export ships left Townsville loaded with cattle, in the same period this year eight shipments of cattle left our port. At a national level the live cattle export trade has declined from over a million animals in 2018,

2019 and 2020 to 771,931 last year and MLA has recently revised its forecast of live cattle export numbers for 2022 down 33 per cent from 772,000 to 500,000 animals. Labor refuses to end live cattle exports claiming the scientific advice does not support a ban on cattle exports as long as strong animal welfare standards are in place. As in the sheep trade, there are opportunities for value-adding and providing jobs in regional areas by transitioning to a boxed beef trade. The value of total beef and veal exports in 2019 was $10.8 billion (MLA State of the Industry Report – 2020) while Australian live cattle exports were valued at $1.6 billion in 2018–19 (ABS), when 1.3 million were exported (MLA State of the Industry Report – 2020).

Despite claims the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System protects Australian animals, the reality is that animals are suffering as Australian government regulation does not have legal effect in foreign jurisdictions and the standards it attempts to impose do not reflect the expectations of the Australian public. It’s time to end live animal exports.

JENNY BROWN,

Douglas