Care. Connect. Change.

Stop Live Exports represents the majority of Australians who think live animal export is cruel and needs to end.
We want to see the live animal export trade replaced with a progressive and ethical alternative that looks after producers and their farm animals too.

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Petition to Western Australian Premier Roger Cook

Petition to Western Australian Premier Roger Cook

Dear Premier,

Western Australian organisation Stop Live Exports, and its supporters, call on our State Government to support an end to live sheep exports by sea. 

Once again, Australians have just witnessed the cruelty inherent in the live export industry, with the aborted trip to the Red Sea of the MV Bahijah. For over one month, 16,000 sheep and cattle were confined to the vessel, including days off the coast of Perth during shocking heatwave conditions. Animals showed signs of stress and fatigue and a number died onboard or soon after.

In spite of this tragedy, the regulator (the Federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) allowed the Jawan, a larger live export ship carrying 60,000 animals, to continue on the same fraught and dangerous journey to the Red Sea, at a time when a grain ship was fired at by Houthi Rebels.

These are just some recent examples that demonstrate that it is impossible for the regulator to adequately regulate an inherently risky and cruel trade. This is why a whopping 78% of Australians support an end to live sheep exports, with farmers being supported through the transition[1]. In addition, 71% of the Premier’s fellow West Australians, including 69% from regional and rural areas of the State, support a phase out.[2] Consistent with these views, the Federal Labor Government has committed to phase out the trade.

We call upon Premier Cook and his government to join their fellow Australians, and their Federal counterparts, in supporting the end of this cruel trade and transitioning to a more humane, sustainable and ethical alternative. This position would be consistent with the 2022 WA Labor Platform 82–83 regarding live export, that recognised that “there are strong economic, jobs and animal welfare reasons for transitioning from the live export trade to domestic processing of animals for local consumption and the chilled and frozen meat trade”.

The live sheep export industry is worth a tiny fraction – just 0.1% – of Australia’s agricultural exports.[3] However, this matter is about more than protecting commercial interests –  Australians don’t want our animals treated badly Premier!

[1] McCrindle 2022

[2] McCrindle 2022

[3] Based on Rural Bank data for 2022/2023

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Care. Connect. Change.

Stop Live Exports represents the majority of Australians who think live animal export is cruel and needs to end.
We want to see the live animal export trade replaced with a progressive and ethical alternative that looks after producers and their farm animals too.

How you can help
SIGN OUR PETITION!

Together, we can and we will, end this cruel trade

Australians don’t want our animals treated badly, and while live animal export continues there is no way to avoid unfathomable cruelty.

A common misconception is that if the live animal export trade ends then our producers (who already do a tough job) will suffer a great loss. This simply isn’t true.

In fact, almost seven out of 10 Australians in rural areas want to end live animal exports, and more people from rural areas, than from anywhere else, are concerned over the inadequacy of current standards.

Ending live animal export isn’t disadvantaging producers, or denying people the choice to eat meat. This is just what a handful of exporters want everyone to believe. 

What it’s about, is ensuring that animals don’t suffer unnecessarily.

Other countries are ending live animal export, we can too.

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Why we want to end live animal exports

Live animal export is cruel.

Animals that are exported live endure stressful transport by sea and air, in cramped, unclean conditions for days or weeks at a time, often in extreme temperatures and exposed to high levels of ammonia from urea, which makes it difficult for them to breathe.

They then find themselves in countries with no animal welfare laws or protection, where they often endure slaughter without stunning.

Live animal exporters have a decades-long history of animal cruelty. Think back to the vision of Tommy the steer being slaughtered in front of his friends in 2011 in Four Corners’ ‘A Bloody Business’.

Or to the footage of sheep literally cooking alive and drowning in their own faeces en route to the Middle East in August 2017, or of terrified Australian steers in Indonesia during Eid al-Adha in August 2019, being roped and held down, having their throats cut in a sawing motion without stunning.

The live animal export trade is an industry in decline, with annual exports dropping by an average of 16% per year between 2017 and 2021.

We want the live animal export trade replaced by a reliable chilled meat trade that looks after producers and their animals too.

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Practical ways you can get involved

There are many ways you can make a difference to the live animal export trade that don’t require a financial contribution. 

We run campaigns to lobby government and industry stakeholders which everyone can participate in. Making your voice heard is a simple and effective way of letting decision-makers know that a modern society like Australia doesn’t need to export live animals to maintain a healthy agricultural sector. 

We also run events and fundraisers to connect with each other to bring about change, and we’re very active on Facebook, so get social!

Sharing our social media posts helps raise awareness and generate conversation about the need to end live animal export. It also helps build our supporter base and generates donations to help us end live animal export sooner.

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