Sheep sold in a Kuwait market despite ESCAS in place

UPDATE: THE live export industry is again under fire after sheep were allegedly illegally sold in a Kuwait market.

Sheep on a truck head towards a ship near protesters protesting against live exports this afternoon near Inner Harbour Berth 18, they are on Ocean Steamers Road, Port Adelaide. Company exposed for animal rights' abuses is loading animals right now at the Port .. Protest the Livestock Shipping Services vessel, The Maysora , photos of the protesters and the animals being loaded into the ship and the ship itself . Picture: Stephen Laffer

UPDATE: THE live export industry is again under fire after sheep were allegedly illegally sold in a Kuwait market.

Animals Australia provided a report to the Department of Agriculture last week, to inform Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce of sheep being sold in the Al Rai market.

Last year, footage was released of animals being cruelly slaughtered in the Middle East during the Festival of the Sacrifice.

Some of the footage of sheep cruelty was taken at Al Rai market, according to Animals Australia.

The organisation wants a guarantee from the Federal Government that the illegal trade of Australian sheep through markets will be cleared up before this year’s festival in September.

READ MORE:Exporters not authorities told first of cruelty to sheep in Middle East

Animals Australia chief investigator Lyn White said action was needed now.

“(Agriculture Minister) Barnaby Joyce needs to direct exporters to buy these animals back from merchants,” Ms White said.

“Every day they are on sale at this market they will be purchased, tied up and shoved into car boots in 50C temperatures before being brutally slaughtered.

“This is the sixth legal complaint lodged by Animals Australia in relation to illegal sales at this banned Kuwaiti market.”

A spokesman for the minister told The Weekly Times the matter was under investigation. However, he said a sheep buyback was out of question.

“The Australian Government does not have the regulatory power to require an exporter to enter into a market overseas and buy back animals which have been legally sold to a third party,” the spokesman said.

“Even if we did have the powers, such an approach is likely to be counterproductive — market traders are likely to acquire more Australian sheep if they know there is a steady profit to be made by selling them back to Australian exporters.”

The spokesman said it would be “more productive to put resources into tracing back the leakages to the source and addressing the causes — rather than encouraging a black market to grow”.

Ten thousand sheep were outside of the supply chain when ESCAS was first introduced in 2011, according to the spokesman.

The department said that its Export Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) had been in place in Kuwait since March, 2012, with more than 2.2 million sheep exported to the country since then.

There had been six allegations and one “self-report” of noncompliance in that period.

“Each of these reports has related to sheep being outside approved supply chains, resulting in a loss of control and traceability and potentially adverse or adverse animal welfare outcomes,” the spokeswoman said.

Investigations concluded that it was “highly likely” that sheep exported under ESCAS arrangements had been taken from approved facilities and moved to the Al Rai market.

The Weekly Times understands another ship of sheep has just arrived in Kuwait.

Originally published as Sheep sold in a Kuwait market despite ESCAS in place