THE federal Department of Agriculture has confirmed it is investigating complaints over alleged breaches of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) relating to Australian sheep in Jordan and Kuwait.
In a statement, the department said material to support both complaints had been provided to the department by Animals Australia.
The complaints have been received ahead of what the department and exporters say is a high risk period for ESCAS non-compliance, the Festival of Eid al Adha — one of the most important days on the Islamic calendar. During this time, animals are slaughtered as a religious sacrifice and the meat shared with family, friends and the needy.
The complaint about Jordan includes allegations that about 10,000 sheep exported from Australia under ESCAS have been held at up to 30 locations outside approved supply chains.
The complaint about Kuwait alleges that some Australian sheep are available for sale at the Al Rai market in Kuwait.
The department, as the regulator of the livestock export trade, says it has written to all exporters to these markets, asking them to detail additional measures that will be implemented to guard against leakage (animals being processed outside approved supply chains).
The regulator has also issued an advice notice to all livestock exporters about the increased potential for leakage during Eid.
As part of the standard regulatory investigation processes, the department says it has contacted Jordanian and Kuwaiti authorities and affected exporters.
Australian Livestock Exporters' Council (ALEC) chief executive Alison Penfold said an urgent investigation into the allegations must be undertaken by the department.
In a statement, Ms Penfold said ALEC was "deeply concerned" by the welfare implications of the allegations made by Animals Australia.
"Should these allegations be proven then we expect nothing less than any failure to comply with the federal regulations (ESCAS) to be called out publicly and tough penalties applied to the exporter or exporters responsible for the supply chains at fault," Ms Penfold said.
She said Eid al Adha was a challenging time of year for livestock exporters managing supply chains with additional demand and pressure for livestock, and potential leakages outside approved supply chains.
Ms Penfold said additional exporter staff and Australian welfare consultants had been deployed to the Middle East and South Asia and were "on the ground now at facilities to ensure that Australian livestock are treated humanely while respecting the religious and cultural significance of this festival".
In a statement, Animals Australia said Australian sheep were being offered for sale in road side markets in Jordan and Kuwait.
Animals Australia says during the past week in Jordan, its investigators had “documented thousands of Australian sheep being offered for private purchase and sacrifice outside of approved supply chains”.
Animals Australia says it provided evidence to the Department of Agriculture four months ago showing the widespread illegal on-selling of Australian sheep from many of the same locations.
"I was shocked to see that just months after reporting this situation to DAFF the complete disregard of Australian regulations has only increased, with over 30 road side merchants observed over two days selling Australian sheep,” said Animals Australia campaign director Lyn White in a statement.
“Disturbingly, the only response to our complaint in June has been the mass removal of ear tags from Australian sheep in what appears to be an attempt to prevent the exporter being identified.
"This is not unavoidable 'leakage' that is happening in Jordan - it is a deliberate disregard by an exporter of their legal obligations to keep animals within approved supply chains."
In Kuwait, Animals Australia says its investigators witnessed hundreds of Australian sheep being sold at the Al Rai livestock market, also in breach of Australian regulations.
"These are not isolated incidents resulting from a religious festival. This is the third time in just over 12 months that Animals Australia has alerted DAFF to illegal on-selling at this market,” Ms White said.
“Despite additional conditions placed on the exporters involved, they have again failed to stop sheep being sold to this market. Once again, the only obvious response we are seeing to these complaints is the removal of ear tags to prevent the sheep and exporter being identified.”
Animals Australia says it immediately reported the situation witnessed in Jordan and Kuwait to the Department of Agriculture and has also advised Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce.
It says it’s calling on the Abbott government to “urgently address the ongoing circumvention of Australian live export regulations.”
