Reprimand issued to Australasian Global Exports Pty Ltd The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (Department) has issued a reprimand to the licensed livestock exporter Australasian Global Exports Pty Ltd (AGE). This action follows an investigation into the sourcing and preparation of a consignment of livestock for export to the People’s Republic of China in August 2019.
The Department was not satisfied that the AGE consignment met the importing country requirements.... AGE did not have sufficient systems or controls in place to ensure that livestock sourced for export met the importing country requirements.....AGE was not able to identify and address irregularities in the timelines relating to the collection, and submission for testing, of blood samples from livestock in the consignment. THEY ISSUED A REPRIMAND....oh you naughty exporters.....tut tut. The Department has confidence in Australia’s regulatory systems WE DONT....and we certainly dont have confidence in the Department!
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Farm Weekly reported on the Al Kuwait voyage noting that forecasts and daily reports were reviewed regularly by an independent panel of experts which included a meteorologist, animal physiologist and animal behavioural experts.
It sounds great. It sounds like RETWA was bothering with animal welfare like never before (and likely never again). But really, what were these experts actually doing? The captain should have been quite capable of monitoring weather conditions - that's a key part of the job. The onboard veterinarian should have been quite capable of detecting heat stress in sheep - one hopes that is a key part of their job. And what were the panel of experts actually going to do when conditions inevitably got hot? Blow kisses from back here in Australia in the hope it would cool the sheep down? RETWA has claimed the June-July Al Kuwait voyage a success because the heat stress experienced by the sheep apparently wasn't lethal.
This insistence on measuring animal welfare by mortality rates ignores the recommendations of the McCarthy Review and implies a reversion to pre-whistleblower (and pre-historic) animal welfare assessment by exporters. It disregards the public outcry that followed the Awassi Express whistleblower footage and again neatly hides the suffering that livestock experience at sea. Sheep Central reports that KLTT would like to see the moratorium shortened: “What is the point in making improvements if it is a fixed moratorium for ever, regardless?” The answer is, simply, that there were no genuine improvements in animal welfare. Even with stocking densities so low that KLTT made a large financial loss on the voyage, sheep suffered prolonged and intense heat stress. As RSPCA points out, the hottest temperature was experienced at 0100, so even at night there was no respite from heat that far exceeded stress thresholds for several days AND it is likely that panting scores in the daily voyage reports did not reflect the scores at 0100 when the AAV, stockperson and IO were all likely to be in bed (as per IO reports). And thats just heat stress: there was pneumonia, infections and injuries, pink eye and contrary to ASEL, the birth of lambs was reported. The on-voyage image supplied by RETWA doesn't show these sheep. Instead it shows spaced sheep resting recumbent - a natural behaviour that is denied them at financially viable stocking densities. Hazlehurst backed down. There will be a riot if Littleproud does also. Mortality rates have never been and will never be an acceptable measure of animal welfare! Quotes from Mr Hazelhursts Exemption Reasons:
1. "In his updated opinion, Dr Buckley stated that voluntary observing ship data... shows that the 98th percentile WBT for June is 30.5oC... and 31.0oC for July. Dr Buckley opined that the worst case WBTs, assuming light wind conditions for the transit of the ship, would be 1oC higher.” CORRECT. And as 29 is the danger zone why was this ignored? 2. "In that respect, I also took into account the expert opinion of Dr John McBride dated 1 June 2020 that there was a very high probability of WBTs in the Persian Gulf exceeding 29oC in June 2020. On the totality of the evidence in respect of the forecast temperatures, I proceeded on the basis that the ambient WBT would be between 28.3oC to 29.8oC, and possibly up to 30oC in this region. I noted that RETWA submitted that the time transiting Strait of Hormuz is relatively short and that it estimated this time to be some 12-13 hours. INCORRECT. Environmental WBT exceeded 30 in the geographic location and WBTs were higher onboard. In addition transit time of the Straits took more than12-13h (ship was probably zigzagging!). 3. "As noted above, Dr Buckley considered that the likelihood is that the highest WBT in this region should be 30oC or lower on the basis of an actively managed ship" INCORRECT - temperatures onboard went to 32. 4. "Overall, I was satisfied that the meteorological data indicated that the MV Al Kuwait might encounter ambient WBTs in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas between 28.3oC to 29.8oC, and possibly up to 30oC. INCORRECT 5. "As set out in the Department’s RIS, WBTs found on the decks inside of live-stock export vessels are typically 1oC to 3oC above the ambient WBT of the air surrounding the ship (see p 58). The better the ventilation on a vessel, the smaller the difference between ambient temperature and deck temperature. In its current application, RETWA indicated that with the superior ventilation of the MV Al Kuwait and the lower stocking density (additional 10% than what is required by EAN 2018-06), the MV Al Kuwait’s wet bulb rise will be approximately 1oC. INCORRECT - the average deck WBT rise was up to 1.5 degrees on this ship and some spots would have been hotter. 6. "The Department’s Animal Welfare Branch reviewed logger data from the 19 April 2020 voyage of the MV Al Kuwait held by the Department which showed a difference of 2.2oC, and at times in excess of 3oC, between the lowest average WBT (kestrel 1) and the highest average WBT (kestrel 16) onboard the MV Al Kuwait. This information was put to RETWA for comment on 10 June 2020. In response, RETWA submitted that neither the logger data nor the AAV voyage data that it has also reviewed could be relied on, in particular because of anomalies in the data. In the further explanatory notes and information provided on 12 June 2020, RETWA accepted that >1.5oC would be the upper limit of the wet bulb rise for the MV Al Kuwait given the limitations of the existing data." PARTIALLY CORRECT: RETWA were correct in the AVERAGE WBT rise but should not have been allowed to over-ride both the AAV (apparently they are the Govt representative on the ship) and the Kestrel data for this ship which would represent all areas on the ship rather than an average. 7. "In light of the limitations identified in the logger data for the MV Al Kuwait’s last voyage, I placed no weight on the T-deltas between Kestrel 1 WBTs (the coolest) and Kestrel 16 WBTs (the hottest). I gave weight to RETWA’s confirmation that the hottest deck, Deck 5 Aft (Special 5), would not be used for the proposed voyage. Overall, I was satisfied that 1.4oC was a reasonable estimate of the wet bulb rise onboard the MV Al Kuwait." INCORRECT in terms of both WBT rise and that Deck 5 was the hottest deck (clearly not the case). It may be that Deck 5 Aft did not figure in the Deck 5 temperature calculations provided but other decks were clearly hotter than Deck 5 itself. 8. "The average WBTs that a typical vessel might encounter in the Strait of Hormuz if it departs Fremantle on 31 May are 27oC to 28oC. Assuming a wet bulb rise of between 1oC and 3oC, this would mean that the vessel could face deck WBTs between 28oC and 31oC. Given that the estimated deck WBT for the MV Al Kuwait in the Strait of Hormuz is between 29.7oC and 31.4oC, I found that the upper limit of the range is similar to the upper range of the risk of higher WBTs for a vessel departing on 31 May that was contemplated in the RIS. Having regard to the totality of the weather information including RETWA’s submissions and Dr Buckley’s reports, I found that the deck WBTs onboard the MV Al Kuwait could be expected to reach between 29.7oC and 31.4oC, but that this was not a materially greater risk than what was contemplated in the RIS that informed the making of the Northern Summer Order." INCORRECT: temperature went to 32 9. "I had regard to the other expert material provided by RETWA. However, I preferred the findings in the RIS that informed the introduction of the Northern Summer Order and give weight to the assessment in the LiveCorp and MLA Veterinary Handbook for Cattle, Sheep and Goats that WBTs above 29oC are considered the ‘danger’ zone for sheep." NOTE: WBT were above 29 with no respite for numerous days. 10. "On the basis of the above information, I found that an MV Al Kuwait departure date between 15 and 17 June 2020 posed a risk of heat stress, when the vessel would transit through the Gulf of Oman, Strait of Hormuz and adjacent Persian Gulf. However, I gave weight to Dr Buckley’s assessment that this period was likely to be some 24 hours and that the WBTs should not exceed 28ᵒC anywhere across the Arabian Sea. I also gave weight to the WRI predictions of around 25-26ᵒC. This suggested that notwithstanding that sheep experience cumulative heat load, deck WBTs would not rise above 29ᵒC during the days before the MV Al Kuwait transits through the Gulf of Oman, the Strait and the adjacent Persian Gulf." INCORRECT. The sheep experienced WBT>29 with no respite for a number of days. 11. "I noted that duration was a consideration in determining the overall animal welfare impact of exposing sheep to high WBTs. As noted by Professor Maloney, the impact of the duration of continuous exposure to heat stress thresholds is still under investigation (HSRA review). However, sheep cope better if periods of high WBT are broken by periods where the WBTs drop for a number of hours. This is most commonly seen where WBTs follow a diurnal pattern, i.e. routinely drop each 24 hour period (typically at night). The AWB analysis notes that the WBTs in the Strait of Hormuz (and in Middle East maritime locations generally) show minimal diurnal variation, with the average minimum WBTs in mid/late June being less than 2oC lower than the average maximum temperature. In light of this, I was not satisfied that the risk of heat stress in the Strait of Hormuz would be mitigated by any diurnal variation and consider it likely that the sheep will have little diurnal respite during this part of the voyage. However, I was satisfied that the risk of heat stress in Kuwait Port for a departure on or after 15 June 2020 was very low." CORRECT ASSESSMENT so why was it considered acceptable? Perhaps listen to Tina next time?? So update 3 is now available from RETWA. The exporters are patting themselves on the back for the low mortality rate and claiming minimal heat stress.
But the Wet Bulb Temperature graph tells a pretty terrible story. By the industry's own admission WBT above 29 is danger zone and this was exceeded for numerous days with no response. In fact on one deck, WBT went up to 32. The company claimed that only 190 sheep were panting but as the temperature peaked at 1am, one wonders whether some of the panting went unobserved...usually only skeletal ship crew up at that time and not vets, stockies or independent observers. The HOTSTUFF model itself has heat stress threshold at 28.6 for adult Merinos and 26 for Merino lambs coming from this part of Australia at this time of the year. There is no doubt that these sheep suffered....they just didnt die. That does not mean it is acceptable animal welfare. The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) were again victorious in the Grahamstown High Court today after an Urgent High Court Application was brought against them by Al Mawashi and their counterpart, Livestock Transport and Trading Company KSC (KLTT), to have the interim interdict of 9 June 2020 reconsidered.
Al Mawashi alleged that such a delay in shipment would cost the company exponentially as they have to continue to feed the animals at the feedlot, and the costs of having the Al Messilah vessel at the East London Harbour for this prolonged period, would cause the company substantial financial losses to the degree that they would have to close their operations in South Africa. I guess given that Mr David Hazlehurst from the Australian Ag Dept gave in to arguments about impacts of trade and reversed a former decision based on animal welfare, KLTT thought they would try it again in another country. It didnt wash in South Africa. SEE NSPCA Media Release here. 8 days in and a perfect voyage according to RETWA Update 1 and 2. Update 2 photo show sparses stocking density and sawdust bedding ...interesting, bedding not usually provided for sheep export.
But they do admit to 2 cross bred ewes lambing and state that they were not required to be pregnancy checked by ASEL. ASEL requires any ewes over 40kg to have preg checks 30 days prior to export and the minimum recommended liveweights for ewes at joining are 45 kg for crossbreds according to NSW DPI. One assumes that these ewes must have been <40kg when sourced. But as for that close departmental inspection claimed by the Government: well so far VALE has detected sheep >50kg, sheep with likely scabby mouth (see photo) and sheep with >20mm wool on the trucks (see previous blog) headed to Fremantle Port. Now we find that some late pregnant ewes missed that close and observant Dept eye as well.....oh dear perhaps they didnt look too closely after all. Photo truck KO 855, back plates 9ST624. Leach Highway 16 June 2020 The National Farmers' Federation has called for state and federal governments to revive domestic manufacturing and processing amid concerns the agriculture industry relies too heavily on countries like China.
Chief Executive Tony Mahar told Landline the COVID-19 disruption presented an opportunity to strengthen supply chains and regional economies. "We need to have the food and fibre value-adding and processing here in this country," he said. Yep.....and perhaps extend that to processing meat here also???? With the South Africans heading to Court and Australians imposing a ME summer moratorium (of sorts!), the EU Parliament has now approved the setting up of a Committee of Inquiry on live animal transport by land and sea, with 605 out of 689 members of parliament in favour.
The Parliament notes that the EU Commission has regularly been informed of systematic and severe animal welfare violations relating to handling, feed and water, bedding, ventilation, transport of unfit animals, etc. One of the welfare issues is heat stress, and the concerns are much the same as those that are curtailing live exports from Australia and South Africa. As an EU report released in April this year notes: “In southern EU ports, the temperature frequently reaches and surpasses 30°C during the summer. Frequently, the authorities at departure do not take this into account when allowing the journeys to take place. In many vehicles arriving to ports during the summer, animals endure temperatures over 35°C.” The EU report also states: “Currently, neither the Member States nor the Commission have information or statistics on the health and welfare state of the animals during sea journeys.” That ignorance is global. Australia's Department of Agriculture has tried to whitewash the industry here, but whistleblowers continue to bring the truth to light. VALE, for its part, has worked tirelessly to obtain information through FOI requests, and analysing any little crumbs that the Dept does make available. The live export industry is under the spotlight like never before, and its future, like the truth about its animal welfare record, is grim. Links EU Committee https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2020-0191_EN.html EU report https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/overview_reports/details.cfm?rep_id=137 A quick look out at sea has just revealed the Al Kuwait heading back into Fremantle Port with hovering ?News helicopters overhead.
Its now the 19 June....surely whatever the problem is will now result in the sheep being offloaded and processed in Australia??? Or wiill they be allowed to sail even later into the season. Watch this space... |
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