Australian animals dragged to the Middle East - trade to resume

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Wed, 07 May 2003 07:02:30 -0000

 

[animal_net] Austrialian animals dragged to the Middle East - trade

to resume

 

Live Animal Trade Ban Lifted

Australian winter sheep and cattle trade with Middle East to resume.

 

A ban on exports of live sheep and cattle from Australia to the

Middle East during the northern summer has been lifted for the

winter, the Australian Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and

Forestry, Warren Truss, announced.

 

The ban was put in place last winter following unacceptably high

mortality rates on a number of shipments of live sheep and cattle

from Australia to markets in the Middle East.

 

" The livestock export industry is an important regional employer and

a major export earner worth around $920 million a year. But the

Government needed to act to ensure that its animal welfare record was

sufficiently strong to protect the reputation and trading access of

Australian agriculture, " Mr Truss said.

 

The main causes of the animal deaths were found to be heat stress in

cattle and sheep, and salmonellosis in sheep.

 

" Last October, I announced a joint industry/government Action Plan to

undertake detailed research into the causes and effects of feedlot

salmonellosis and heat stress, " Mr Truss said.

 

" As a result of this initiative, Australian exporters will now be

able to make use of predictive modelling for heat stress to help

select and prepare livestock bound for the Middle East.

 

" Stringent new criteria have been introduced for export premises in

order to reduce the potential for feedlot salmonellosis. These

premises will need to ensure that they not only have the appropriate

facilities and infrastructure, but also the management practices that

take greater account of welfare concerns. "

 

Mr Truss said the Government and industry were working closely with

exporters to introduce the new arrangements, which came into force

from 1 May.

 

" Exporters will need to submit a consignment management plan to the

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) detailing how

they have prepared livestock to minimise the risk of heat stress and

salmonellosis, " he said.

 

" Each shipment will be monitored closely to further improve the

predictive modelling. "

 

In a move to safeguard the future of the trade, the Livestock Export

Industry Consultative Committee, which oversees the Action Plan, is

planning to undertake new research into a range of other risks across

the export chain.

 

(MeatNews May 6, 2003)

 

 

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