Animal Liberation Queensland is opposed to the live export of cattle and sheep because of the high death rate during sea voyages and the many stresses placed upon transported animals. Our position is that any export trade should be in frozen carcasses only and that the animals should be slaughtered as close as possible to where they are reared.

Why does the live export trade exist?
Sheep and cattle are mostly exported to Muslim countries so that the animals can be slaughtered in accordance with Muslim customs. The Halal ritual requires an animal to be alive at the time its throat is cut, thereby precluding the use of stunning methods practiced in Australia.

Incidentally, there is no religious principle for a preference for 'hot' meat derived from an animal freshly killed.

What are the problems with the live export of animals?
There are problems at every stage of export for the millions of sheep and cattle shipped from Australia to the Middle East and South-East Asia each year. This was acknowledged by the Senate Select Committee on Animal Welfare way back in 1985 which condemned the live export trade and recommended that the Federal Government promote and encourage the expansion of the refrigerated meat trade to the Middle East with the aim of eventually substituting this trade for the live export trade.

There is not yet any sign that Australia is putting this major recommendation into practice. In fact locally the Queensland Government has expanded the live export trade in recent years having secured a 5 year contract in 2001 to supply beef cattle to Vietnam. Future live export markets are likely to include China and Mexico with relations between Queensland and these governments already well established.

Stresses of transportation
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Sheep covered in faeces at the end of a three week voyage on "Cormo Express"

Prior to loading on ships, sheep and cattle are subjected to long journeys by rail or road transport. At the port of export, sheep will spend 5 - 10 days in feedlots to accustom them to the pellet diet provided on board.

Cramped Conditions
On board multi-decked vessels, sheep are housed in pens, three to a square metre and the pens are usually stacked two tiers per deck. If the decks are enclosed, animals can suffer in times of high temperature and humidity.

Most deaths occur at sea
The majority of deaths are recorded during the sea voyage. About half of all sheep deaths are caused by starvation because of a failure to adapt successfully to the pellet diet.

Further deaths at destinations
After the ship has arrived at its destination and is stationary with airflow at a minimum, high temperatures and humidity can take their toll, particularly where unloading occurs at several ports, or where inadequate facilities slow the unloading rate. Lack of water, delays at borders and lengthy customs procedures are other factors which have contributed to high death rates.
Upon unloading the 'lucky' animals will be slaughtered immediately whilst others will again be feed lotted.

Numbers of Deaths
On average 100 000 sheep and 2 500 cattle die each year during overseas export. For every sheep that dies in transit, it is estimated that 10 noticeably sicken.

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Dead Sheep covered in faeces at the end of a three week voyage on "Cormo Express"






Disasters
In the past 25 years, hundreds of thousands of animals have been lost through disasters at sea. The Animals Australia factsheet available at www.animalsaustralia.org documents many of these disasters.

Our Campaign Objectives

• To expose to public scrutiny the truth behind the live export industry.
• To continue to maintain a register of at-sea transport disasters in the live export trade from Australia.
• To encourage AL Qld members and members of the public to support ongoing letter-writing and petition action on the live export industry.
• To lobby the Australian Veterinary Association to make public their stance on the animal welfare perspective of this trade.

What you can do
Write a letter, send a fax: 32298541 or e-mail dpi@ministerial.qld.gov.au the Queensland Primary Industries Minister telling of your outrage that the Queensland Government is supporting the live export trade. Demand a stop to this industry and explain the reasons why frozen carcasses are more humane.

Further Information

More detailed information on live export can be found at the following web sites:

People Against Cruelty to Animals in Transport (WA)

Animals Australia Organisation