Australia #5364 (v.2)

Live sheep exported to the Middle East

Australian Meat and Live-stock Industry
Export Control (Animals) Rules 2021 (Animals Rules)

As an interim measure to continue to manage heat stress risks and to provide sufficient time for industry to prepare for the 2022 Northern Hemisphere summer, the Export Control (Animals) Rules 2021 (Animals Rules) were amended (https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/F2021L00319) on 5 April 2022.
The changes are based on updated climatology data which indicated that changes should be made for the commencement of the 2022 Northern Hemisphere Summer (for May and June).
In particular, the climatology data indicated an increased heat stress risk (above the threshold set in 2020) for voyages to some Persian Gulf destinations in late May and a reduced risk for voyages to or through the Red Sea during early June.
The key changes are that:
• Sheep must not be exported to Persian Gulf destinations (including Qatar but not Oman and Kuwait) by sea on a vessel that leaves an Australian port from 22 May to 31 May unless additional conditions to mitigate heat stress risks are met, and
• Sheep can now be exported to or through the Red Sea from 1 to 14 June (export during this period was previously prohibited).
Additional prohibition periods for Qatar and Oman
Additional prohibition periods apply for Qatar and Oman because these destinations reach higher Wet Bulb Temperatures (WBTs) earlier, and WBTs in Qatar fall later, than for other destinations. This increases the period during which exported sheep are at risk of heat stress.
Departures from Australia are prohibited to:
• Qatar between 22 May and 22 September each year
• Oman between 8 May and 14 September each year.
Requirements for all voyages from 1 May to 31 October
To manage the risk of heat stress in sheep outside the prohibition periods, in addition:
1. There can be no more than 2 ports of discharge for voyages traveling through the Arabian Sea, or the Red Sea, north of latitude 11°N;
a. arriving in the Middle East on or after 1 June in that year; or
b. departing Australia between 15 and 30 September in that year.
2. Sheep should be exported with the shortest wool or hair length possible, and this must be not greater than 25mm for each animal as specified in the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL).
3. Exported sheep must have a body condition score of 2 or more and less than 4, on a scale of 1 to 5. Details of this scoring system can be found in ASEL (https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/export/controlled-goods/live-animals/livestock/australian-standards-livestock).
4. All voyages must be monitored with automated environmental measurement devices and this monitoring reported to the department.

HS 2022