Agriculture department ‘lacks skills’ to ensure humane treatment of live exports

An animal welfare branch shut down by Barnaby Joyce will be resurrected under sweeping changes to the live exports industry.

Australia’s agriculture department will appoint an Inspector General of Live Animal Exports to regulate the industry. Picture: AP

An animal welfare branch shut down by Barnaby Joyce will be resurrected under sweeping changes to the live exports industry revealed today.

The former agriculture minister and then-deputy Nationals leader shut down his department’s animal welfare branch in December 2013, shortly after the Coalition came to power.

But Mr Joyce’s successor David Littleproud will bring back the branch and create an “Inspector General of Live Animal Exports” after a damning report said the departments “lacked the skills” to protect animals going overseas.

An independent review launched into live exports in April, following the death of sheep on boats to Indonesia, said animal welfare must be “at the centre” of future live export regulation.

“The department, together with the industry, must place animal welfare at the

centre of its regulatory activities relating to live animal exports consistent with legislative

obligations,” the report reads.

“The department needs to re-establish an animal welfare branch to engage with the industry

in relation to animal welfare … the department has a role in providing national leadership

from this perspective.”

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud will appoint the Inspector General.

“Australians were appalled in April when they saw footage of sheep dying on voyages to the Middle East during a shipment in August 2017, and further angered at their assessment the report of the incident did not match the footage,” Mr Littleproud said.

Agriculture Minister David Littleproud. Picture: AAP

“Australians need to be confident the independent regulator of the live export industry will hold the industry to account. It was clear we needed an independent inquiry into the culture and capability of the regulator.”

Former law enforcement integrity commissioner Phillip Moss led the review, which today also recommends that the agriculture department undertake random, unannounced reviews of live exporters and using “enhanced on-board technology” to check on the welfare of animals on ships.