Australian Live Exports

Australia is the biggest exporter of live animals in the world.

In 2007 over 3,768,953 live sheep, 715,793 cattle/buffalo, and 24,307 goats were shipped to overseas destinations to be slaughtered in the most inhumane ways possible. In 2007 7409 sheep, 752 cattle/buffalo and 172 goats died on the ships-en route.

Journey times within Australia for the sheep, cattle and goats can be anywhere between a few hours and many days and come from various farms around Australia to feedlots where they stay from 1-4 days. These feedlots can house up to 100,000 animals providing the same feed the animals will access on the ships. From the feedlots the animals are then transported on trucks to the port. This may take many hours and upon arrival at the port the animals may well remain for many more hours until they are finally unloaded regardless of weather conditions. Sometimes the transporters take the animals to the port late at night and the animals remain on the truck for an extra 8 hours without feed or water, again exposed to the weather.

Some transporters are careful to comply with state animal welfare legislation and federal live export regulations, other transporters are totally indifferent.  Density is one of the most important factors in transporting any animal compassionately. If ‘penning’ is not undertaken correctly with proper regard for the species, size, gender, horned or unhorned condition, length of wool, and weather condition; animals can die. Density and height of the animal also impact on the effectiveness of air flow and ventilation. If too many animals are put into trucks where their backs are pressed against the roof of pen, the air flow is minimised causing serious problems.


There is no official national training system in Australia for the workers involved in live export including those unloading the animals from the trucks or loading the ships. We have observed sheep being thrown, stomped on, kicked, dragged, hit or electrically prodded even when they are moving as required. Cattle and more often sheep continue to escape the races from the trucks to the ship, panic, jump into the harbour and often drown. Their handling on capture has been the focus of Animals’ Angels many times.

Transported on ships, mostly ex container or ex RORO vessels, the animals are sent to Asia, Mexico, Vietnam, Russia or Middle East for slaughter.

Although the live export trade from Australia has been in existence for more than a hundred years, it wasn’t until about 3 years ago that the Australian Federal Government developed the mandatory Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) with which exporters are expected to comply.

Unfortunately, Australia does not support its own animal welfare standards in live export, either through State Government Animal Welfare legislation or through the enforcement of ASEL. Although the Australian Quarantine Inspection Service has the responsibility of enforcing ASEL in terms of welfare, they abdicate this role to the individual states which in turn, have no consistent and effective inspectorate in place. This means that there is NO regular and consistent monitoring for compliance to any part of the export chain.

We can categorically state that no government body polices and enforces compliance to the animal welfare component in ASEL from farm to destination.

The fate of thousands of animals transported every year in live export ships is death from failure to eat or self imposed starvation, heat stress, septicaemia, sea sickness, salmonellosis or being trampled by others in the rush for food.

Most animal deaths are recorded by Australian authorities and accepted as just part of the trade but there is no way of recording the full extent of suffering endured by the animals who manage to survive.

Those unlucky enough to survive the voyage, arrive at destinations bereft of any animal welfare requirements. Cruelties include being denied basic care such as veterinarian treatment; water and feed deprivation;  being forced to stand in extreme heat; brutal handling;  ruthless overloading on trucks;  transporting in car trunks or car rooftops and finally totally inhumane slaughter.

In the Middle East and Asia, animal welfare is not a consideration. Some Asian countries have implemented animal welfare legislation but similar to Australia, there is little enforcement. There are NO welfare laws to protect animals in the Middle East so cruelty to animals is permitted.

As has been so graphically documented and filmed by animal welfare advocates time and time again in the Middle East, Australian sheep, cattle and goats exported face horrendous pain and suffering until their inhumane and barbaric slaughter.