Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The crisis surrounding the livestock carrier MV Bahijah once again highlights the uncontrollable and unpredictable risks associated with live animal exports. Around 15,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle that left Australia bound for the Middle East over a month ago have now been confined to cramped shipping pens for nearly five weeks, while solutions to the dilemma are still being negotiated. The proposal to re-export the sheep and cattle has been rejected by the independent regulator, leaving the livestock in continued limbo and adding to the suffering. The condition and death rates of the sheep and cattle are also unclear.

The live sheep export sector has now been on notice for several years. It must transition out of live exports. Arguments that the sector is critical to Australian sheep farmers and to Middle Eastern countries that lack refrigeration are no longer convincing. The sector has been plagued by catastrophes, reviews and reforms for decades. The reality is that, once the animals leave Australia, we have no control over their fate. The Albanese government has made it clear that the export of live sheep will end in the next term of government, to allow for an orderly phase-out for both farmers and exporters. The latest issue with the MV Bahijah adds to the growing calls for an early end to the trade and for placing the welfare of animals ahead of the financial interests of exporters.