Dr Sue Foster: Vets Against Live Export (VALE)

In an industry that is mired in animal cruelty, suffering and distress, not-for-profit group Vets Against Live Export (VALE) is focused on the cold, hard facts of the trade.

VALE was founded in 2011 by Dr Sue Foster and a number of veterinary colleagues, after the ABC Four Corners program A Bloody Business unveiled a graphic and deeply disturbing expose of live animal export from Australia.

Since its inception, VALE has meticulously analysed data, crunched numbers, reviewed scientific literature and appraised industry research to provide information relating to live animal export.

“VALE came into being because livestock vets, animal welfare academics, scientists and animal care professionals wanted a united voice in this industry, a voice that would offer considered, factual opinions without fear of repercussions,” says Dr Foster, who has worked with cattle for many years during her veterinary career, which spans over four decades.

“VALE is focused on doing the forensic work around this trade, analysing voyage reports, gaining documents through Freedom of Information and via independent observers to scrutinise live export voyages and the information offered by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Farming (DAFF) and other relevant government departments.

“And over the past 14 years, despite continuous assurances to the contrary from government and industry, VALE’s position is clear – the live export of cattle, sheep and goats by sea from Australia unquestionably results in immeasurable animal suffering, despite recent measures to try to make improvements.”

Dr Foster explains that VALE analyses any available data from live export voyages from Australia, but a lack of transparency from both industry and DAFF is one of the major issues the organisation continuously encounters.

“DAFF’s main aim is to promote the trade, so really having the same department also regulating it is very much like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse,” explains Dr Foster, one of many qualified veterinarians who volunteers their time with VALE.

“Because of this conflict of interest, we find the Department often obstructive when it comes to obtaining documentation under Freedom of Information and seemingly poorly responsive to reports of animal welfare breaches on board ships, including heat stress, repetitive ship infrastructure problems and even high mortality voyages.

“Hand-in-hand with these issues, the industry has never been proactive about animal welfare what we have witnessed is that they only react when they are made to. They have known the animal welfare issues inherent in the trade for years. Their own reports and research have documented many of them. However, they have only moved to respond to them when there has been a media expose and, as a result, a significant public outcry.”

Some of the issues inherent in shipping animals live include 24/7 lighting, preventing appropriate rest and sleep, constant engine noise around 90dB for days and weeks on end, faecal ‘bedding’, heat stress, cold stress and the relentless heaving, swaying, surging and unpredictable rolling of the ocean, which must be endured by the exclusively land-based animals for the entirety of the voyage.

In addition, the ships – which make up the oldest fleet in the world and which are the most detained around the world due to concerns regarding their seaworthiness – are not air-conditioned.  Significantly, no amount of ventilation has been found to assist when the ambient conditions exceed an animal’s heat stress threshold.

“The reality is that everything is about money,” explains Dr Foster.

“The amount of food and bedding carried on an export ship, whether there is a vet on board, how many animals are being shipped and the stocking density, these are all variables which can add or detract thousands of dollars from shipments, and historically the industry has tried to cut costs and increase profits at every juncture. 

“VALE can certainly point to many instances where food has run out during voyages, where heat stress has caused many deaths, and where veterinary assistance has been needed but was not available.”

Since its inception, VALE has flagged concerns in regard to it only being mandatory to have a vet on board for ships sailing to the Middle East. Ships to Indonesia, China and Vietnam and other import countries have no legal requirements for a veterinarian to be on board except under specific circumstances.

“If the industry had wanted to lift its game over the years, if it genuinely wanted to improve its social license, it would, at the very least, have mandated a qualified vet on every ship.

“But for decades the industry has opposed the notion of independent vets and putting vets on every ship because it has known the cruelty inherent in the trade would have been more likely revealed to the public.”

Dr Foster adds that, once a ship departs, there are no robust animal welfare controls in place during the voyage, or at the animal’s destination, including how Australian sheep and cattle are slaughtered.

“These significant animal welfare issues are what the Albanese government responded to in 2024 when it listened to the justifiable concerns of the public and banned the live sheep export trade from 2028.

“This decision is consistent with the animal welfare science that VALE has analysed and scrutinised meticulously over many years.

“The absolute bottom line is that no animal should be exported alive from Australia by sea.  The industry is frankly unfixable, and the scientific evidence overwhelmingly concludes that the trade should cease as it is incommensurate with the animal welfare standards that Australians expect.”