Australian Greens Animal Welfare Spokesperson and Senator for NSW, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, has called the Federal Government’s decision to approve a live export shipment of 30,000 sheep on the MV Maysora in the Middle Easter Summer an absolute disgrace. She has called on Liberal MPs in the Lower House who are supportive of her bill to end live sheep exports to the region to put their money where their mouth is and vote for it.

A Greens bill that would ban live sheep exports has passed the Australian Senate.

Monday, 10 September

An Australian Greens bill that would end live sheep exports has passed the Australian Senate, immediately banning the live export of sheep from Fremantle Harbour during the Northern Summer and transitioning to a complete ban within five years. The bill was co-sponsored by Independent Senators Derryn Hinch and Tim Storer.

Australian Greens Senator and Animal Welfare Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has welcomed the cancellation of Emmanuel Exports live exports licence, but said fiddling around the edges won't end the cruelty of live exports, calling for a complete end to to the practice.

Senator Faruqi said:

"While I welcome the cancellation of Emanuel Exports’ license, the reality is that the live export trade is incompatible with animal welfare. Suspending individual licenses will not end the cruelty of cramming thousands of animals in hellish conditions on ships.

Greens animal welfare spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon has called on the federal Minister for Agriculture to refuse permission for the export of up to 60,000 sheep by owners of Emanuel Exports that has had one of its export licenses suspended over investigations into systemic animal cruelty.

“Media reports that an owner of Emanuel Exports is applying to use the license of its sister company EMS Rural Exports to ship up to 60,000 sheep straight into the most dangerous of the northern hemisphere summer months are alarming,” Senator Rhiannon said.

Senators Lee Rhiannon and Derryn Hinch are working together to stop the emerging global live export trade in donkeys and horses. The donkeys are slaughtered for their skins, which are boiled into a glutinous glue called Ejiao that is being marketed as a “vitality tonic”.

The Export Control Amendment (Equine Live Export for Slaughter Prohibition) Bill, to be introduced into the Senate tomorrow, if passed would prohibit the live export of horses and donkeys for the purpose of slaughter overseas.

The Greens are calling on the Turnbull government to recognise that the live sheep trade is winding down and to immediately provide transition packages to both the farmers who sell sheep to the live export trade and to the local meat processing industry to take up those affected sheep.

Greens animal welfare spokesperson Senator Lee Rhiannon said, “The government must act on the news that tens of thousands of sheep will not be exported this year due to the actions of two live export companies.

MEDIA RELEASE – 20 June 2018

Greens call for live export transition plan in wake of LSS summer sheep export suspension

Greens spokesperson for Animal Welfare Senator Lee Rhiannon has called on the Turnbull government to legislate a transition out of the live sheep export industry in response to the temporary suspension of summer sheep exports from Western Australia by Livestock Shipping Services (LSS).

Monday, 18 June 2018

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (11:15): I'm very pleased to co-sponsor the Animal Export Legislation Amendment (Ending Long-haul Live Sheep Exports) Bill 2018 today with Senators Derryn Hinch and Tim Storer. This bill sets out a framework over five years to transition away from the very worst of the live-export sea voyages, those long-haul live sheep and lamb shipments that sail into the Northern Hemisphere summer months and into the riskiest of shipping routes through the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

This week in the federal parliament myself and Senators Hinch & Storer introduced our Animal Export Legislation Amendment (Ending Long‑haul Live Sheep Exports) Bill 2018 to the Senate.