Push for vets on every live export voyage grows after sheep deaths

The deaths of 151 cattle in March and 80 sheep this month en route to Indonesia has prompted a growing chorus of vets to push for change.

Momentum is gaining to have a vet accompany animals on every voyage departing Australia, following the deaths of 151 cattle and 80 sheep en route to Indonesia this year.

But proponents of the $2 billion live animal export industry say mandating a vet on board every journey is unnecessary and would do little to change the animal welfare outcomes.

The RSPCA said the deaths of 151 cattle on board the Brahman Express in March and 80 breeder ewes sent to Jakarta by plane was proof industry standards needed to be updated to ensure a vet was on board all journeys, not just those longer than 31 days.

The exact cause of the cattle deaths remains unknown, but it is believed botulism or coccidiosis are the most likely causes.

The Department of Agriculture is still investigating the cause of the sheep deaths, which is speculated to be due to a ventilation issue or collapsed crates.

“We continually call for stronger regulatory control of live export, and in particular, the need for a veterinarian to be on board every voyage to respond to such events and provide the appropriate care, treatment and intervention for the animals,” RSPCA chief science officer Suzie Fowler said.

Lynn Simpson while working as a livestock vet on a live export vessel in the 2000s.

Respected retired veterinarian Lynn Simpson said every animal put into a confined space was vulnerable.

“Essentially, if an industry reliant on good health and welfare of live animals refuses to, or is incapable of, providing veterinary care to their animals based on bed numbers or cost, then they are in the wrong business. They should export inanimate non sentient ‘cargo’ instead,” Dr Simpson said.

Livestock veterinarian Jane Vaughan, who prepares animals for export by air, recently told a Senate inquiry into the phasing out of the live sheep export trade that every live export voyage should have a veterinarian on board.

“Vets have a six year university degree to diagnose and treat shipboard diseases compared to the four-day stock person’s course,” Dr Vaughan told The Weekly Times.

“In the event of high mortality events, vets are able to intervene rapidly and collect and store appropriate tissue samples to make sure a diagnosis is made.”

Australian Livestock Exporters' Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton says stockhands are extremely competent. Picture: Martin Ollman

Australian Live Exporters Council chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said vets did travel on a significant number of voyages, but the smaller ships that completed the shorter trips to Asia were often limited in space.

“So having space for a vet in addition to crew can be a practical limitation,” he said.

“We also know Australian standards are based on significant scientific rigour and it’s very clear that for short haul voyages, when you have very experienced stockhands, a vet is not required. However I know exporters make sure there’s optimum care, and stockhands are extremely competent.”

Jim Teasdale, who chairs the South Eastern Australian Livestock Exporters Association, said the livestock deaths in March and earlier this month were very unique, unfortunate events unrepresentative of the industry’s standards.

“Without being intimately aware of what happened, these things happen very quickly and regardless of whether a vet is there to take photos and write a report, it generally does not change the outcome for those animals,” Dr Teasdale said.

“It’s adding additional cost and complexity without any expected improvement in outcome.

Probably just another strategy to add cost to an industry of 1000 cuts to destroy animal agriculture.”