MoUs dropped from new live exports

RSPCA Australia said in a statement it was disappointed at the announcement.

"While MoUs are not legally binding, the importance of negotiating the terms under which live export can be conducted, and setting out agreed processes should normal arrangements fail, should not be underestimated."

RSPCA said a key element of these MoUs was that animals be unloaded on arrival regardless of their health status and the MoUs helped Australia's trading partners improve post arrival handling and slaughter through cooperative activities based around improving animal welfare".

"Without these arrangements, there will be no measures in place in new markets to reduce the potential for rejected cargoes such as the Ocean Drover by Bahrain in 2012, or the Cormo Express by Saudi Arabia in 2003," the statement said.

"The dismissal of MoUs is yet another step backwards for animal welfare by the Coalition government, following its dismantling of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy at the end of 2013 and the closing of the Department's Animal Welfare Branch, which shuts its doors today."

The live export MoUs were implemented as a risk management agreement with importing countries soon after the MV Cormo Express disaster in 2003.

This incident saw 58,000 sheep, which were loaded at Fremantle, Western Australia, rejected by their destination, Saudi Arabia, and left with nowhere to unload.

The Australian government purchased the sheep from the importer, but it wasn't until 79 days after they left Fremantle and having been knocked back by 30 countries that the sheep were eventually unloaded to a feedlot in Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa.

"Then out of that came a decision by the government to put in place MoUs in markets in the Middle East, particularly focused around agreements that ships will discharge," said Australian Livestock Exporters Council (ALEC) chief executive officer Alison Penfold.

"That's been the policy of successive governements."

Ms Penfold said ALEC's view was each market be approached on a risk-based basis and the industry has articulated this to the current and previous governments.

She said ALEC was reinforcing its view to government that agreements were needed to make sure all livestock were discharged from a vessel upon arrival.

The aim was that any issues, should they arise, were dealt with quickly and don't manifest in terms of a rejection or failure to discharge a vessel.

"Written assurances are a part of it, but there are a range of other activities that we need to complete as well and that's why we will live within the boundaries of this MoU decision made by the Minister."

Mr Joyce said MoU's were first introduced in 2004 following the Cormo disaster, but the policy was expanded by Labor in 2013 to include all new livestock markets.

"I have decided to reverse this decision - trade can go ahead in new markets without an MoU," he said.

With the Australia-Bahrain supply chain having not been utilised for the past 18 months Ms Penfold there wouldn't be any shipments going straight away.

Assessments of the supply chain and the identification of any necessary infrastucture improvements as well as identifying any necessary training will need to be taken care of first.

"Under the ESCAS regulation they have to be re-audited... but of course there'll still be the commercial arrangements between the exporter and importers," she said.

"There's not going to be ships going immediately, but what this certainly does is signal - in a market that we have had a relationship with for over 30 years - that we're back in a position to recommence exports."

She said market-wise this was a good signal, as numbers to Bahrain had dropped away in recent years, unlike cattle exports to the region which was strong.

"We certainly want to see a return to better export numbers in the sheep industry," she said.