The Australian government has made the controversial decision to end all live sheep exports from the country via sea from May 2028, Reuters is reporting. The move has long been sought by animal rights activists.
Agriculture minister Murray Watt says the decision reflects a commitment made by Labor ahead of the previous election to phase out the practice.
Advocates have been calling for an end to the practice since 2018, when a Four Corners investigation revealed more than 2400 sheep had died from heat stress while being shipped to the Middle East.
The calls became louder again this year, when back in January, a ship carrying about 14,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle bound for Israel became stranded off the coast of Australia in sweltering heat after it was forced to abandon a trip through the Red Sea.
But meat export industry advocates say the decision is short-sighted and will lead to the financial ruin of part of Australia’s agricultural sector.
Tony Maher, CEO of the National Farmers’ Federation, says members of his group were “left shocked” by the decision.
“Murray Watt has decided to book us on the express train to disaster,” he said.
The ban does not apply to other livestock exports, such as live cattle exports, nor does it apply to live sheep exports by air.
Do you agree with the live export ban? Or is an example of government overreach?
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