Abstract
There is significant public interest in the Australian live animal export industry and a need to develop a program that can measure and monitor animal welfare throughout the supply chain. An online survey of stakeholder opinions of this industry and animal welfare measures was carried out in 2015 with 921 respondents: 30% from the public who identified as animal welfare advocates (AWAs); 44% from the public who did not identify as AWAs (general public; GP); 26% live export industry (LEI) workers. AWA and GP respondents expressed greater concern than LEI respondents for animal welfare throughout the supply chain but had less concern for animals at Australian feedlots than in other parts of the supply chain. The majority of AWA and GP respondents believed data collected on animal welfare should be made public and should be collected by independent welfare officers and used to regulate the industry and impose penalties for poor welfare. LEI workers believed that data should be confidential, collected by LEI workers and used by the industry to self-regulate. AWA and GP respondents rated the importance and practicality of a number of welfare indicators greater than LEI workers, while respondents shared an analogous view of the importance and practicality of these indicators. Results can be used to develop welfare assessments that ensure a better understanding between industry members and those not in the industry, while facilitating welfare improvements and promoting greater transparency for the live export industry.
Highlights
The Australian live animal export industry is a major contributor to the Australian economy, in 2018/9 worth AUD 1.79 billion to the Australian economy [1]
These questions were used to categorise all respondents into three categories: respondents who currently worked in the live export industry (LEI), members of the public that identified themselves as animal welfare advocates (AWAs), or members of the public that did not identify themselves as animal welfare advocates
Almost a third of the 921 respondents identified as animal welfare advocates (AWA; n = 279)
Summary
The Australian live animal export industry is a major contributor to the Australian economy, in 2018/9 worth AUD 1.79 billion to the Australian economy [1]. In 2018/9, Australia exported via sea and air a total of 2.32 million head of livestock; this total was composed of 1.26 million cattle worth AUD. 10,000 people employed in the live export of cattle industry across Australia, including livestock producers, transporters, and exporters [1,2]. Many of these jobs are located in rural and regional areas across the country and, many communities directly and indirectly benefit from this trade. The rise of animal advocacy groups and the broad recognition of animals as sentient beings have led to the need for a better understanding of the various perceptions of animal welfare that exist among stakeholders [3]
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