| Departure | Export Licence Holder | Actions taken |
|---|---|---|
| 28 January 2018 -Indonesia | Australian Rural Exports Pty Ltd (Austrex) | The mortality rate for this consignment was 1.85 per cent (29 out of 1570 cattle exported) exceeding the reportable level of 0.5 per cent for cattle voyages of less than 10 days.
Austrex’s assessment of the incident attributes wet and cool conditions in the registered premises prior to export and rough seas causing Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) as the main cause of the high mortalities primarily in the older, medium and heavy bulls, all of which came from the same property. Austrex has revised their selection and heavy cattle management plans, both designed to mitigate the risks of BRD mortalities. Since the incident, Austrex has undertaken 20 voyages to Indonesia with no reportable incidents The investigation of this incident is being finalised for publication on the department’s website. |
| 31 May 2018 - China | Phoenix Exports Pty Ltd (Phoenix) | The mortality rate for this consignment was 1.45 per cent (46 out of 3180 cattle exported) exceeding the reportable level of 1.0 per cent for cattle voyages of 10 days or more.
This incident is currently under investigation by the department. The interim findings suggest a combination of BRD and heat stress were the main causes of the mortalities. Phoenix implemented additional processes around sourcing, preparation and onboard management of cattle to China. The department required an independent observer be onboard the next voyage leaving Australia. The observer reported the cattle to be in good healthy condition for export, however this voyage also recorded a reportable mortality incident. The department has suspended Phoenix’s ability to export to China, while they review their processes and implement effective corrective actions to prevent recurrence. |