2023-05: Amendments to the Export Control (Animals) Rules 2021 – Northern Hemisphere summer conditions

17 March 2023

Attention

• All

Purpose

To advise all stakeholders that today, amendments were made to the Export Control (Animals) Rules 2021 (the rules). These amendments are based on recommendations from the Review of live sheep exports to, or through, the Middle East during the Northern Hemisphere summer (the review) which was finalised in September 2022.

• The amendments will commence on 1 April 2023 and can be found here.

Key points

The 2023 Amendment Rules implement several recommendations made in the review, to improve conditions for sheep exported on voyages to or through the Middle East during the Northern Hemisphere summer, including that:

• Sheep must be fed a minimum of 3% of their liveweight daily while on vessels.
  • This reduces competition for fodder, as more fodder will be available after aggressive feeders have eaten.
• Each vessel exporting sheep must deploy a minimum of 1 data logger on the bridge to record the ambient wet bulb temperature.
  • This will provide a baseline comparison to wet bulb temperatures recorded by data loggers on sheep decks.
• Exporters may discharge sheep in Oman first, en route to other destinations, provided the prohibition dates for Oman are met.
  • This will result in less travel time for these sheep.
• Voyages must be west of a longitude of 116° east, no later than 31 May if travelling to the Persian Gulf or no later than 14 June if travelling to the Red Sea.
  • This will prevent sheep arriving in the Middle East when conditions are hotter and more humid, even if the voyage departs from a port other than Fremantle.
• The 2023 Amendment Rules reflect feedback received during the review, stakeholder engagement received during targeted and public consultation, and findings and recommendations of the review.
• The department will work with relevant exporters to manage and communicate the changes required in order to comply with the amendments, including updating approved arrangements and approved export programs.
• These arrangements will need to be assessed and approved by the department before exporters can export sheep during the non-prohibited periods of the Northern Hemisphere summer.

Background

• In September 2022, the Australian Government published a review of live sheep exported by sea to, or through, the Middle East during the Northern Hemisphere summer (1 May to 31 October).
• The review assessed the effectiveness of the current regulatory settings in protecting sheep from the risk of heat stress.
• In undertaking the review, the department considered an updated climatology analysis based on 42 years of accumulated climate data (from 1979 to 2021) from the Bureau of Meteorology, voyage reports from 15 voyages that occurred during the Northern Hemisphere summer months (1 May – 31 October inclusive) from 2019 to 2021, scientific literature, an analysis of data from environmental data loggers placed on sheep decks, and internal and external stakeholder feedback.
• The review also made several date-related recommendations to reduce the prohibition period in August and September to destinations where heat stress risks are less than previously understood. These recommendations will not be implemented.
• Pending finalisation of the review, the Export Control (Animals) Rules were amended in April 2022 to manage animal welfare risks more effectively at the start of the Northern Hemisphere summer (EAN 2022-07). These changes will remain.

Acacia Pyner
Director Animal Welfare Branch
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

Linda Wallner
Contact officer
Phone: 02 6272 3412
Email: Animal.welfare@aff.gov.au