Live sheep export ban could hurt Middle East animal welfare

Federal MP for the WA electorate of O'Connor Rick Wilson last week met with the United Arab Emirates ambassador to Australia, Abdulla Al Subousi showing him through the Peel Feedlot.

Mr Wilson said if the Australia exits the live sheep export market, countries such as the UAE would look for alternative sources of live sheep, such as North Africa or Romania.

"They are aware that the quality is not as good out of North Africa and they are also aware that the animal welfare standards are nowhere near as strict and rigid as they are out of Australia," he said.

"The UAE is a very wealthy, well-developed country and they don't want to see animals mistreated either so they would prefer to continue to source their animals out of Australia but if the Australian government decides that they are no longer able to, they will have to source their animals elsewhere."

Mr Wilson said looking at the broader perspective, the phase out of exporting live sheep by sea could perversely have a negative impact for animal welfare globally.

"I'm very proud of what we've managed to achieve in lifting animal welfare standards across the Middle East because those destination countries also apply those standards to sheep they get in from other parts of the world because our Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System supply chains are set up and are audited," he said.

"If they don't have to have to have those facilities compliant and audited to meet ESCAS requirements, some countries may go back to old ways."

It comes as concern increases through the industry on how the planned phase out could affect trade relations with the Middle East, with revealed earlier this year that Agriculture department representatives met with the wrong Kuwaiti officials about its proposal.

In a letter to Agriculture minster Murray Watt, Kuwait's minister for commerce and industry, Mazin Saad Al-Nahed raised concerns over a visit by a delegation in January to talk about Australia's intention to phase out live sheep exports by sea into the Middle East by 2025.

"This greatly concerned us, given the significance of live sheep imports from Australia to Kuwait," he wrote.

"It came to our attention that the Australian delegation met with a representative from the Kuwait Public Authority for Food and Nutrition and the Kuwait public authority of agricultural affairs.

"However, the Minister of Commerce and Industry is the main authority for all matters of trade, especially live food exports, and all policies relating to food security for Kuwait.'

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The delegation included Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Secretary Andrew Metcalfe, Australia's Ambassador to Kuwait Melissa Kelly, and a senior official of the department.

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said the visit was arranged by the Australian Embassy in Kuwait and department officials to canvas a range of matters, including to advocate for broader food and agriculture interests.

"In his engagements, the secretary emphasised that the phase out of live sheep exports by sea from Australia is a domestic policy issue that in no way relates to Australia's longstanding trading relationship with the region," he said.

"The secretary conveyed to the government officials he met, and commercial parties, that exports of Australian sheep will still take place while Australia considers the mechanism and timing to phase out the trade.

"He also repeated comments made by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Agriculture that the phase out will not commence before 2025, and not within the current term of the Australian parliament.

"The Secretary also noted that consultation will start in 2023, and that Kuwaiti and Saudi government and industry stakeholders will be included in this consultation."