Federal Court In Australia Permits Live Export Of 56,000 Sheep To The Middle East Despite A “Ban” Already In Place

Today, there are over 50,000 more reasons to be outraged and appalled by the horrendous conditions animals are subjected to during live exports. The latest travesty involves the ongoing plight of Animals Australia to save 56,000 sheep from this barbaric practice.

“As many of you know, new laws designed to protect animals from suffering on board live export ships in the searing summer months came into effect two weeks ago,” noted a post on the organization’s Facebook page earlier this week. “Sadly, they have just failed their first test, with the industry regulator granting an exemption that will allow thousands of sheep shipped in boiling conditions.”

Animal’s Australia and their legal team secured an urgent trial in the Federal Court in a bid to challenge the decision-making process. Sadly, yesterday, their case was dismissed, leaving the sheep victim to the live export process where they will either cruelly die on the ship or be slaughtered for their meat when they arrive in the Middle East.

“Animals Australia accepts the Federal Court’s decision, but we are, of course, disappointed. Our position remains that had the Department had all available expert evidence before it, this exemption would not have been granted,” Animal Australia’s Lyn White said in a statement, noting that the reason the legislation was introduced was to ensure commercial interests were no longer put before animal welfare. “There are no exceptional circumstances that justify knowingly putting 50,000 sheep at risk of heat stroke.”

The June 1st halt in live sheep shipments to the Middle East was implemented based on extensive scientific reviews that concluded that measures cannot be taken to sufficiently mitigate the risk of heat stress during June.

“The summer halt is in line with the industry’s own northern summer moratorium. They cannot have it both ways; animal welfare either matters or it doesn’t,” concluded White. Applying for an exemption that will result in inescapable and inevitable animal suffering indicates that animal welfare does not matter to them in this case.

The fight to save sheep and other animals from having to experience the horrors of live export in the summer must continue. Their lives depend on it!

Please urge the Australian Minister for Agriculture, David Littleproud, to demand that Australian laws be put in place to stop animals being subjected to live exports now! SIGN HERE!

You can help all animals and our planet by choosing compassion on your plate and in your glass. #GoVeg