Live Animal Exports From Australia Report †Free Samples for Students

Question: Discuss about the Live Animal Exports From Australia Report. Answer: Introduction Many countries concentrate their trade on products that have been processed through different stages in the industry. Industrial products are preferred because they take short duration to manufacture. However, nations have emerged with a different perspective and capitalized their trade in the agricultural sector. Australia being among these nations has become a great contributor of the live animal trade through its livestock exports. The livestock export sector is a highly valued industry in Australia currently estimated to be worth $800 million per annum and support many peoples' lives in the rural and regional areas of the Country. The government of Australia has a part to play to all the people who are involved in the export of livestock. These parties include the livestock producers, exporters and support industries like transport that depend on livestock income from livestock exports, and the entire Australian society at large that expects the Australian government to enforce standards reflecting their values together with safeguarding the welfare of exported animals. This report provides an overview of the live animal exports from Australia in line with research that was conducted regarding the same. The report provides an overview of Australian livestock exchange, type of animals and requirements that the agriculture industry demands and a conclusion. Overview of live animal export in Australia Australia is the leading country globally in observing animal welfare practices. The government of Australia condemns animal cruelty and any other activity that may compromise on animal welfare standards and punishes those liable accordingly without hesitating. The current position of Australia in the market gives the country an opportunity to influence the importing countries also to observe animal welfare (Phillips et al, 2013). The government and the livestock exporting industry of the country work with their trading partners to ensure the post-arrival welfare of the animals is observed and also work a way forward to improve the transporting means, handling and slaughter activities of animals in the outside markets. The agriculture department is funding projects with the livestock industry to improve infrastructure and offer training with the view of promoting better animal slaughtering and handling practices. The Australian Meat and Live- stock Industry Act 1977, requires that House of Parliament provide a report every six months on the carriage of live animals on any sea voyage to ports outside Australia. Australian has also signed Memoranda of Understanding with ten from the African region and the Middle East as negotiations proceed with other trading partners in this region. The MOU states that animals should be unloaded upon arrival regardless of their health status. This helps the trading partners to improve on post-arrival handling practices and slaughter through cooperative activities that aim at improving animal welfare (Chaudhri, 2014). To make sure that the partners meet these requirements, Australia warns them that if they fail to observe them the live animal trade will be substituted with the frozen and chilled meat. Australia mainly deals with companion animals and livestock. Companion animals Companion animals exported from are mainly pets that include dogs and cats. For one to get a pet from Australia, he/she is required to own a health certificate as it is put down by the Australia's Export Control Act 1982. Many countries require that animals be tested, treated and vaccinated before being exported from Australia. The steps that are involved in preparing animals such as pets for exportation are: Pre-export preparation These are preparations carried out before exporting animals from Australia. They are made to ensure that all requirements are met before the export takes place. As part of the requirement, animals should be given a vaccination 30 days before departure. Complying with importing country requirements The Australian law says that the exporter has a role to play in ensuring that the animals to be exported will comply with the importing countries expectations. One can get to know about the required information about the importing country by visiting the relevant official website of the government or by contacting the relevant government authority direct. Forward to the Australian Agriculture Department People undertaking companion animal exportation in Australia are required to a notice of the intention to export to Export Live Animals form and return it to the live animal office via email. Make arrangements with the agriculture department to collect official documents The exporter is contacted once the notice of intention has been approved to arrange an appointment of when the export permit and health certificate will be done. This is after the last inspection by a registered veterinarian within 72 hours of the planned time of departure. Organize transport of the animal The exporter is expected to organize for the transport and post-entry quarantine that may be needed by the importing country (Phillips Santurtun, 2013). Other arrangements should be made with airlines for carriage of the animals in time. Animal transport containers should comply with the specifications laid by the International Air Transport Association. If an exporter needs more clarification, he is advised to contact the Australian Department regional office during the office hours in the state he wants to travel to. Live animal offices The Australian live animal offices are open from Monday to Friday with an exclusion of holidays as shown from the countrys schedule below. Region Address Phone/ Fax Email Appointment times SydneyNSW 1 Crewe Place, Rosebery, 2018 Phone: 02 8334 7434 Fax: 02 8334 7430 ceranimalexports@agriculture.gov.au 8 am to 12 pm 1 to 3 pm Melbourne South East region ( incorporates VIC TAS ) SE Region Animal Program 1st floor 255 Melrose Drive Tullamarine VIC 3043 Phone: 03 8308 5070 03 8308 5072 03 8308 5076 03 8308 5077 Fax: 03 8308 5071 seanimal@agriculture.gov.au Mon Fri 8.30 am to 12.30 pm. Other times by prior arrangement CairnsNth Qld Airport Administration Centre, Cairns International Airport 4870 Phone: 07 4030 7800 Fax: 07 4035 9578 animalexpnoifnqld@agriculture.gov.au By prior arrangement BrisbaneQld 42-44 Qantas Drive Eagle Farm QLD 4009 Phone: 07 3246 8731 Fax: 07 3246 8798 animalsqld@agriculture.gov.au 8.30 am to 12 pm AdelaideSA Adelaide International Airport Sir Donald Bradman Drive Export Park SA 5950 Phone: 08 8201 6000 Fax: 08 8305 9820 animalexpnoisa@agriculture.gov.au 2 pm PerthWA 9 Fricker Road Perth Airport 6105 Phone: 08 9334 1555 Fax: 08 9334 1668 animalswa@agriculture.gov.au 10.30 am to 12 pm DarwinNT 1 Pederson Road (cnr Henry Wigley Road) Marrara 0812 Phone: 08 8920 7000 Fax: 08 8920 7011 animalexpnoint@agriculture.gov.au 8 am to 4.20 pm CanberraACT 18 Marcus Clarke Street CANBERRA CITY 2601 Phone: 02 6272 4581 Fax not available animalexp@agriculture.gov.au 8.30 am to 12.30 pm 1.30 pm Table 1: Live animal schedule and centres Livestock The livestock export industry is crucial to Australia as it was valued at $1, 780 million in the financial year 2015- 16 and helps many people to earn a living in Australia (The national statistics, 2016). The livestock in export in Australia is under the department of agriculture and water resources. This department oversees and controls all the activities that occur within the livestock industry. To partake livestock exporting in Australia, livestock exporters must meet high animal welfare standards through regulation bodies such as the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System. The ESCAS was introduced in July 2011 to ensure that export of slaughter and feeder cattle to Indonesia, and extension of all other livestock destinations was significantly reformed (Little, Tiki Debsu, 2015). The ESCAS has the role of ensuring accountability and transparency of how the animals exported from Australia have treated right away from the farm to slaughter in the importing countries (Mara et al. 2014). The introduction of the ESCAS implies that Australia's commitment to ensuring welfare practices does not come to an end when the animals are unloaded from the exporting vessel. Australia is the only country in more than 100 other nations that demands that its exporters have certain animal welfare outcomes for the animals they import from the country (McGreevy, et al, 2014). Australia has exported over ten million livestock under ESCAS from October 2013, including about two million sheep in the financial year 2015- 16 (Pines Phillips, 2013). Also, Australia is a member of World Organization for Animal Health and therefore highly supports the OIE objectives and activities on animal welfare. A report from the Parliament as required by the Agriculture Department on animal mortalities for animals exported via sea has shown that the mortality rates have decreased highly since the year 2000. The department plays a great policy role in the export livestock industry by regularly carrying out policy reviews and driving improvements. It also helps the export livestock industry to attain high standards of animal welfare. The department mission is to provide a long- term stability for the industry and its partakers. The department's international work is an important activity in the export of livestock. "We engage with overseas governments to negotiate MoU's and facilitate trade within a framework of high animal welfare standards." The advantages of live animal export in Australia. Australian cattle farmers could increase their pre-tax earnings by 245% if they had to access local abattoir. Through this activity, the country earns $204 million per year, and over 1,300 people get jobs (Clarke, Morison Yates, 2007). Growing chilled and frozen meat is expensive as it increases the productivity through meat processing facilities. The money saved by not undertaking to process been allocated to people who are employed in different areas in the export industry. The animals would be saved from the great suffering of voyage overseas and be processed in a humane way under the Australian law that advocates for high animal welfare. Challenges of live animal export in Australia The live animal export in Australia has been highly criticized by many people within the country. Though the industry constitutes a lot to the country's economy, most citizens feel that it should be substituted with the chilled and frozen meat (Tonsor Schroeder, 2006). Some of the challenges that the Australian government faces are: Removing trade distortions and more Australian meat markets overseas. Encouraging development of new meat processing facilities in north Australia. Boosting skills and educating workers on meat processing is costly. The transition of farmers and the meat processing sector is quite challenging. Establishing teams to undertake reforms with the Australian government is a huge task that could take a long time. Conclusion The information from the overview, companion animals, and livestock animals shows that Australia is a major contributor of the live animal export in the market. Australia also is in the front line to ensure that animals' welfare is ensured both within the country and on departure and arrival at the importing country. The live animal trade has some advantages but the critics about the trade have immense making the disadvantages overshadows the merits (Munro, 2015). Though people have called for an alternative which is the chilled and canned meat trade, they should consider the lives of people who are currently working with in the live animal export industry. References Caulfield, M. P., Cambridge, H., Foster, S. F., McGreevy, P. D. (2014). Heat stress: A major contributor to poor animal welfare associated with long-haul live export voyages.The Veterinary Journal,199(2), 223-228. Chaudhri, R. (2014). Animal welfare and the WTO: the legality and implications of live export restrictions under international trade law.Fed. L. Rev.,42, 279. Clarke, M., Morison, J., Yates, W. (2007). The Live Export Industry: Assessing the Value of the Livestock Export Industry to Regional Australia.Meat Livestock Australia: Sydney.) Available at: https://www. mla. com. au/Research-and-development/Final-report-details. Little, P. D., Tiki, W., Debsu, D. N. (2015). Formal or informal, legal or illegal: the ambiguous nature of cross-border livestock trade in the Horn of Africa.Journal of Borderlands Studies,30(3), 405-421. Miranda-De La Lama, G. C., M. Villarroel, and G. A. Mara, (2014). "Livestock transport from the perspective of the pre-slaughter logistic chain: a review."Meat Science98, no. 1 9- 20. Munro, L. (2015). The live animal export controversy in Australia: A moral crusade made for the mass media.Social Movement Studies,14(2), 214-229. Phillips, C. J., Santurtun, E. (2013). The welfare of livestock transported by ship.The Veterinary Journal,196(3), 309-314. Pines, M. K., Phillips, C. J. C. (2013). Microclimatic conditions and their effects on sheep behavior during a live export shipment from Australia to the Middle East.Journal of animal science,91(9), 4406-4416. The National Statistics (2016) Tiplady, C. M., Walsh, D. A. B., Phillips, C. J. (2013). Public response to media coverage of animal cruelty.Journal of agricultural and environmental ethics,26(4), 869-885. Tonsor, G. T., Schroeder, T. C. (2006). Livestock identification: Lessons for the US beef industry from the Australian system.Journal of International Food Agribusiness Marketing,18(3-4), 103-118.