Christopher Back (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to comment on the statistics provided by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry on livestock export mortalities by sea for the period 1 January to 30 June 2011. In so doing, I wish to compliment the industry on the very, very successful statistics of arrival rates that are demonstrated in this document. They show that, for cattle dispatched from Australia by sea to all ports around the world for that period, the mortality rate was 0.15 per cent—15 animals per 10,000. For sheep, the number was 0.62 per cent—in other words, 60 per 10,000. This is an absolute improvement on what were already excellent figures in previous times.

Under legislation, for any inquiry to be undertaken—for example with sheep—there would have to be something like two per cent. But in the inquiries that have been undertaken on livestock export in recent times people have asked the question, 'What is the mortality rate for sheep and cattle at home on the farm?' I can provide those figures to the Senate. For adult sheep and cattle. it is two per cent to three per cent. I remind the Senate that the mortality for cattle recorded in these reports is 0.15 of one per cent. The mortality rate at home on the farm is two per cent to three per cent and for calves and lambs at home on the farm it is 10 per cent to 15 per cent. We all know of course that anything—ourselves and animals—born will eventually pass away.

I agree with the point made by the World Society for the Protection of Animals that animals should be transported the least distance and in the greatest comfort possible from production to their processing. That is why I am so pleased to record that in the case of the export of cattle from the north of Australia to Indonesia we have seen them go on to ships, we have seen them eat, we have seen them drink and we have seen them gain weight—and this is exactly what we want them to do.

In the few seconds left available to me I want to record two things. Firstly, of the 109 countries that export live animals around the world, only one, being Australia, spends anything in the target markets and has been doing so for many years. The second point to conclude on is the fact that Australia leads the world in the design, management and maintenance of ships that are used in the live animal trade and should be congratulated and complimented. I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.