FAQs

Our vision is to foster connections and cultivate a shared appreciation for Australian agriculture among people from all walks of life.

Why Does Australia Export Live Animals?

Australia has a long and successful history of exporting livestock to countries around the world, supplying high-quality protein and superior breeding genetics. Our vast grazing land, strong biosecurity measures, and world-leading welfare standards make Australia one of the most trusted and sought-after suppliers of live animals.

🔹 Food Security & Protein Supply – Australian livestock plays a crucial role in global food security, providing a reliable source of high-quality protein for regions that cannot meet local demand through domestic production alone.

🔹 Disease-Free Status & Biosecurity – Australia is internationally recognised for its clean, green reputation and strong biosecurity measures. Importing countries trust Australian livestock because of its disease-free status and consistent high quality.

🔹 Genetic Supermarket for the World – Australia is a global leader in livestock genetics, supplying breeding animals that help improve herd productivity and resilience in importing countries.

🔹 Driving Animal Welfare Improvements – Australia is the only country in the world that invests in improving animal welfare beyond its borders, contributing to long-term social and ethical advancements in importing markets.

🔹 Mutual Benefits & Sustainable Land Use – Parts of Australia are perfectly suited for large-scale grazing operations, producing livestock efficiently and sustainably. This synergy with trading partners ensures the best use of resources, benefiting both Australian rural communities and global consumers.

 

 

Watch this video to learn more about why live export matters:

 

Labor Government Policy 

The Albanese Labor Government has stated their commitment to phase out live sheep exports by sea is in recognition of community concern about the treatment of sheep during the export process. This was the same policy Labor took to the 2019 election (when they lost the election). They progressed the election policy to phase out live sheep exports by sea, with a final end date set for 1 May 2028.  

Why doesn’t The Livestock Collective agree with the Albanese Labor Government’s policy to phase out live sheep exports by sea?

The Albanese Labor Government has stated that its decision to phase out live sheep exports by sea is based on community concerns regarding animal welfare. However, independent research shows that public opinion on live export is far more balanced than commonly portrayed, and the industry has undergone significant reforms to ensure high animal welfare standards.

The Consequences of a Phase-Out

The government’s decision to ban live sheep exports by sea will have severe and unnecessary consequences:

💰 Economic Impact on Rural Communities – The phase-out is already having devastating impact on Western Australian farming communities, where live export is a critical market option for sheep producers. Decline in flock numbers and wool production is already being seen,

🚜 Job Losses – Thousands of regional and rural jobs from shearers to truck drivers, stock handlers, and the corner store are at risk.

🌍 Global Animal Welfare Concerns – The demand for live sheep will not disappear. Instead, Australia misses out on this trade opportunity and supply will shift to countries with lower welfare standards and no oversight, meaning worse welfare outcomes for animals globally.

📉 Trade & Food Security Risks – Many countries in the Middle East rely on Australian sheep for food security, cultural traditions, and economic stability. Removing Australia from the trade jeopardises long-standing trade relationships and weakens Australia’s role in global food supply chains.

Why the Phase-Out is Politically Driven, Not Science-Based

📊 Public Support for Live Export

Since 2019, Voconiq, an independent research group has conducted nationally representative surveys (6575 participants over 4 years) on public attitudes toward live export. The 2024 findings show:
✅ 78% of Australians agree that live exports make an important economic contribution.
✅ 76% believe the benefits of live export outweigh or are equal to the costs.
✅ Trust and acceptance in the industry are at their highest recorded levels.
✅ 56% of Australians have confidence in industry efforts to ensure animal welfare.
✅ 70% believe media coverage of live export is often negative or exaggerated, with many calling for more balanced reporting.

For more details on the 2024 public attitudes report, visit 

📑 Read more about the research here: Live exports and the Australian community 2024

📊 Check out the infographic here: Live exports – exploring trust (2024) – Infographic

Industry Reforms & Welfare Improvements

🔹 Regulatory Changes & Welfare Reforms

Since 2018, the live export industry has undergone major regulatory reforms, delivering exemplary animal welfare outcomes and demonstrating unwavering commitment to continuous improvement. These changes include:
Summer Moratorium – Sheep exports to the Middle East during the hottest months are now regulated and banned, reducing heat stress risks.
✅ Increased Space Per Animal – Stocking densities have been reduced by up to 38% under updated Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL).
Enhanced Ventilation – Improved ventilation requirements and independent auditing ensure better air quality on vessels.
Automated Environmental Monitoring – Temperature and humidity sensors provide real-time data to ensure optimal conditions.

LIVEXCollect Data System – Standardised data collection ensures transparency and continuous improvement.

📑 Read more about industry improvements here: LiveCorp – Australia’s changing live sheep export trade

📊 Get the latest insights:  LiveCorp: State of Industry Report 2023

 

The argument that Australia can replace live sheep exports with increased domestic processing and boxed meat exports is flawed for several reasons. Australia’s meat export and live animal export industries are complementary, not interchangeable, and both play a crucial role in supporting:
Market access & competition – Live export ensures Australia remains a preferred supplier in key markets.
Flock sustainability – Without live export in WA, farmers lose market competition. This has a flow on impacts  to flock numbers and long-term viability and commitment to sheep as part of farm business models
Sustainable land use – Sheep are a valuable part of mixed farming especially in Western Australia where cropping is king. Sheep are used for managing weeds, fire mitigation and part of sustainable land management. 

Live Export Opened Markets for Australian Sheepmeat

Australia’s live sheep trade played a crucial role in developing demand for our chilled and frozen sheepmeat exports. In the 1970s and 1980s, as Australian live sheep exports expanded, consumers in the Middle East developed a strong preference for the taste, flavour, and texture of fresh Australian sheepmeat.

This established trust in Australian sheep products, allowing chilled and frozen meat to enter the market more easily. Today, the region imports both live and processed sheepmeat from various countries, but live trade remains essential for several reasons.

Boxed Meat Won’t Replace Live Sheep Exports

🚫 It’s Not Either/Or – Both Are Needed
🔹 Markets already import both live and boxed sheepmeat—one does not replace the other.
🔹 The live trade serves specific market segments that chilled/frozen products cannot fully meet.

🚫 Logistical & Economic Barriers
🔹 Limited airfreight capacity – The volume of fresh carcasses required cannot be supplied solely through airfreight.
🔹 Sea freight challenges – Bone-in products have short shelf lives, making large-scale chilled supply difficult.

🚫 Case Study: Saudi Arabia
🔹 In 2011, following the Labor Government’s overnight shutdown of the live cattle trade and introduction of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), Saudi Arabia halted all live imports from Australia as they found this a sovereign insult to have Australia dictate how they managed a product they purchased.
🔹 Despite strong demand for sheepmeat, chilled/frozen meat did not fill the gap, and Saudi Arabia turned to other live suppliers, such as Sudan and Somalia.
🔹 This proves that removing live export does not automatically translate into increased boxed meat trade.

Understanding Customer Preferences

🔹 Preference for Fresh Meat
Middle Eastern consumers purchase and cook fresh meat daily, much like Australians prefer fresh seafood, bread, and milk over frozen alternatives.
✅ Live sheep are processed each morning using Halal methods and consumed fresh at lunch or dinner.
✅ The taste, texture, and cultural significance of fresh meat means frozen/chilled alternatives are not a full substitute.

🔹 Religious & Cultural Importance
For many importing countries, live sheep play a significant role in religious traditions:
Halal confidence – Many consumers have greater trust in locally processed live sheep compared to imported, pre-packaged halal meat from non-Muslim countries.
Religious festivals – Events like Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr require live animals for religious sacrifice, making live export essential to these markets.

The Reality: Live Export and Boxed Meat Complement Each Other

The notion that Australia can replace live sheep exports with chilled meat is unrealistic. Live export and meat export serve different segments of the market and work together to maintain Australia’s strong presence in the global sheepmeat trade.

📌 Key Takeaways:
✅ Live export opened the market for Australian chilled and frozen sheepmeat.
✅ Chilled products will not replace live trade – the markets already import both.
✅ Religious and cultural practices mean live animals are still preferred for key segments.
✅ Logistical challenges make large-scale chilled meat supply impractical.

✅ Removing live exports would weaken Australia’s position, allowing competitors with lower welfare standards to fill the gap.

Rather than pushing for an impractical phase-out, Australia should continue improving and leading in both live and boxed sheepmeat exports, ensuring long-term economic and welfare benefits for farmers, processors, and global consumers alike.

 

Watch this video to learn more about why live and boxed meat are complementary:

 

What Happens When Animals Arrive in Overseas Markets?

Australian livestock exported by sea and air freight for meat consumption are managed under a regulatory framework known as the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS). This world-leading system ensures that animals continue to be cared for even after they arrive at their destination, maintaining high welfare standards throughout the supply chain.

What is ESCAS, and How Does it Ensure Animal Welfare in Importing Markets ?

The Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) is a globally unique welfare assurance framework that holds Australian exporters accountable for the treatment of livestock even after they are sold in overseas markets. No other country in the world has a system like ESCAS, ensuring that Australian livestock are humanely handled, transported, and processed after ownership changes.

🔹 Full Supply Chain Responsibility – Australian exporters remain responsible for their livestock until the point of slaughter in an ESCAS-approved facility. 

🔹 Independent Audits – Importer facilities are independently audited by accredited international companies to meet the ESCAS standards.
🔹 Alignment with Global Welfare Standards – ESCAS is aligned with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) guidelines.
🔹 Ongoing Industry Improvements – Exporters work closely with importing markets to improve infrastructure, handling techniques, and training programs.

Why Is ESCAS So Important?

The Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) is imperative to export welfare assurance. No other country has a comparable system that monitors livestock welfare after export. By maintaining this framework, Australia ensures:

✅ Higher animal welfare standards in importing markets.
✅ Continuous improvements through training, enforcement, and infrastructure development.
✅ A responsible, accountable supply chain that promotes best practice animal handling.

Why Do Non-Compliances Happen?

Despite comprehensive regulatory controls, challenges in some importing markets can occasionally lead to ESCAS breaches. Common reasons include:

🔹 Unauthorised movement of livestock – Animals being removed from approved supply chains by third parties in high-demand markets.
🔹 Local trading practices – Some cultures prioritise direct livestock purchases, making enforcement more challenging in certain regions.
🔹 Unapproved slaughter practices – Instances where animals are processed outside of ESCAS-approved facilities, breaching welfare and traceability requirements.
🔹 Logistical & Infrastructure Challenges – Occasional transport delays or local operational issues may result in temporary supply chain breaches.

What Happens If There is a Non-Compliance?

The strength of ESCAS lies in its transparency and accountability. If a non-compliance occurs:

1️⃣ Investigation – Exporters and third parties report incidents to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, detailing the cause and impact.
2️⃣ Corrective Actions are Implemented – This may include staff training, increased supply chain controls, additional monitoring, or infrastructure improvements.
3️⃣ Regulatory Review & Enforcement – The Australian Government determines whether further regulatory actions are needed to prevent recurrence. – ESCAS investigations

Resources

📖 Learn more about ESCASDepartment of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

 

🎥 Watch more about live export & welfare improvements

Livestock travel safely in custom vessels and in most cases will even put on weight during their voyage. Livestock will adapt to their new environment within the first day or so and start to settle into a consistent routine. Below is some commonly asked information about voyages including, voyage length, management of deck/flooring, ventilation, daily routine. 

Voyage Length

The most common voyages for sheep are from Western Australia to the Middle East and cattle are exported from various ports to South East Asia from Northern Australia. There are other markets and ports and the current industry statistics can be found HERE. 

The average time frame for some voyages as an example is as follows:

Broome to Jakarta is approximately 3.5 days
Darwin to Jakarta is approximately 4.5 days
Townsville to Jakarta is approximately 8 days
Broome to Ho Chi Minh City is approximately 6 days
Darwin to Ho Chi Minh City is approximately 6.5 days
Townsville to Ho Chi Minh City is approximately 9.5 days
Fremantle to Kuwait approximately 13 days*
Fremantle to Saudi Arabia approximately 12 days

* there are often multiple stops before the final destination

Deck Management 

Dedicated stockpeople and on some voyages veterinarians care and oversee animal health and welfare.

Cattle – Depending on the voyage length, cattle decks may or may not be washed. Often the voyages to South East Asia are too short to require a wash and when the pad is dry, it becomes comfortable bedding for the animals. When cattle are on long haul voyages, washing is planned in accordance with where the vessel is currently situated on the water as there are environmental laws to take into consideration when it comes to washing in certain areas of the ocean. Deck washes on long haul voyages are often planned well in advance to ensure the rules throughout various marine areas around the world are adhered to.

Sheep – Sheep decks don’t get washed during a voyage because sheep manure is dry and forms a pad of soft bedding when it gets trampled down. This is similar to the yard areas on-farm that hold sheep.

Washing sheep decks would make the conditions humid and flooring underfoot very slippery, which is not ideal for a woolly animal.

Ventilation

Each vessel has different ventilation systems. There are large numbers of supply and exhaust fans taking fresh air in and then removing it to ensure a constant circulation. Each fan is fitted with an alarm system which can alert onboard engineers and electricians if they need to be serviced. . Vessels are also fitted with additional fans as part of their contingency planning.

Ventilation systems on livestock vessels are now independently verified and this report is sent to the Australian Federal Government. The Pen Air Turnover (PAT) is verified and these figures are used in the Heat Stress Model when planning the voyage.

Daily care and routine of livestock

Aside from the general personnel required for the ship, competent stock handlers are required for every journey. These individuals can consist of crew members which have the required animal handling skills or more commonly, an accredited stockperson.

During the journey, vessels have a minimum of 1 competent stock handler per 30,000 sheep or 3000 cattle. On top of this an Australian accredited veterinarian is required on all journeys unless meeting exceptions of the export code. The competent stock handler and veterinarian work closely with the crew to ensure the common goal of high animal welfare is achieved.

Daily duties include providing freshwater, clean feed, dry bedding and the monitoring of animals – ensuring sick or injured sheep are removed and treated.

 

Watch the video below to learn more about the voyage of sheep and cattle via sea.

All voyages leaving Australia will have accredited stockpersons accompany the voyage. 

Vets

Australian Accredited Veterinarians (AAV’s) are required on all journeys which are considered long haul, if the vessel is transporting pregnant animals and when directed by government.
It is the AAV’s duty to treat any sick or injured animals in designated hospital pens. If the animal requires euthanasia the AAV’s have the appropriate medical equipment supplied onboard to humanely carry this out. If an animal is found deceased in a pen, they are moved to specified points where a post-mortem is carried out to ensure the welfare of remaining animals. All sickness and death are recorded daily and sent to the Australian Federal Government.

Sick Animals

Depending on the type of illness the animal may have, treatment will vary however the general procedure is:

  1. Identify the animal and what is believed to be the issue or cause of the livestock’s concern.
  2. If required, pull the animal out of its pen and move it to a hospital pen where it can be isolated and treated without being potentially injured more by other livestock in a confined space.
  3. Each vessel is equipped with a range of medicines that the stockman will administer to the animal as required.
  4. Continue to monitor and treat the animal accordingly.

 

Daily Routine

Each stockperson/veterinarian will have their own routine, below is an example of the daily routine

  • 5:30am – 6am: Scan the decks prior to feeding to observe how the cattle are acting in a rest period.
  • 6am -7:30am: Watch the cattle as they are receiving their morning feed. Seeing how aggressive they are on the feed, and seeing which animals are hanging back and understanding the mood of the cattle.
  • 7:30 – 8:30am: Stockman breakfast.
  • 8:30am – 10am: Do the ‘rounds’. This is ensuring every animal stands up, checking their legs and individually assessing the animals to ensure they are all comfortable and healthy.
  • 10 – 10:30am: Morning Smoko.
  • 10:30 – 11:30am: Any other checks/treatments that are required. Moving animals to hospital pens if requiring any extra TLC. If required, a top-up of feed can be given.
  • 11:30-12:30: Morning meeting with Chief mate and Bosun (Deck Boss) about the voyage. At this time if adjustments to plans need to be made, it will be done here. The stockman will then go and write their daily report about the voyage to be sent to the exporter (and the department depending on the voyage).
  • 12:30 – 1:30pm: Stockman lunch.
  • 1:30 – 3pm: Walking the decks to observe the cattle. Making a plan for the afternoon feed and assisting the crew to clean waters.
  • 3 – 3:30pm: Afternoon smoko.
  • 3:30 – 5:30pm: Afternoon feed and doing the rounds of the cattle.
  • Between 5:30pm and 5:30am there will be a night watchman that goes through the decks to clean waters and observe the cattle. If they observe any issues, they will alert the stock person immediately. The stock person may also go down in the evenings to have a look at the cattle whilst they are in a resting state. You do not want to constantly be disturbing the cattle in the evening as they are trying to rest.

 

RESOURCES 

Australian Accredited Veterinarian Association

LiveCorp Accredited Stockpersons

 

VIDEOS

Veterinarian Bryce Mooring explains his role to ensure the health and well-being of the livestock in all parts of the supply chain.