Welfare Challenges Research Articles

Welfare concerns associated with captive lions (Panthera leo) and the implications for commercial lion farms in South Africa

AbstractBreeding and housing wild animals in captive environments can pose challenges for their welfare. In South Africa, thousands of lions (Panthera leo) are bred and raised at commercial captive breeding facilities, so called ‘lion farms’, for use in tourism, trophy hunting and traditional medicine. To gain a better understanding of the potential welfare challenges faced by lions on farms we reviewed 91 peer-reviewed articles relating to lion welfare, identified via a systematic review of the scientific literature. Across these studies, we identified 170 different terms relating to negative behaviours and physical health afflictions. The majority of these terms were associated with disease and injury (124; 73%), followed by negative behaviours (19; 11%), negative mental experiences (15; 9%), nutritional concerns (7; 4%), and environmental challenges or discomfort arising from the animal's surroundings (5; 3%). Of the 91 articles, 32 (35%) focused on data concerning captive lions. Only two studies focused specifically on data obtained from lion farms in South Africa, whilst the remainder reported on data collected from zoos, wildlife parks, sanctuaries, game reserves and private ownership. Our preliminary review of the scientific literature draws attention to some of the challenges associated with caring for lions in captivity, and outlines the potential significance of these welfare challenges for commercial lion farms. Our data highlight the apparent lack of scientific research involving captive lion welfare generally, particularly data collected at commercial breeding facilities in South Africa and the consequences this could have for the welfare of thousands of lions within the industry.

45 Imaging and Phenotyping Technologies for Poultry Welfare Evaluation

Abstract United States is currently the world’s largest broiler producer and the second largest egg producer (e.g., poultry and eggs had a sale value of $40 billion in 2021), but poultry and egg productions are facing grand challenges of animal welfare concerns, food safety issues, and environmental impacts. The rapid growth rate of broilers is associated with welfare concerns such as leg issues and lameness. Broilers with lameness suffer behavior restrictions, physical discomforts, and impingement of fundamental freedoms. Those welfare concerns have triggered the attention of the general public and the food industry to improve broiler well-being, and well-being evaluation. Animal welfare evaluation is currently performed manually by farm workers daily or occasionally in the poultry houses, which is time consuming, labor intensive, and subject to human errors. This task calls for the design of an automated system that can monitor poultry welfare automatically. Sensing technologies, such as ultra-wideband, radio frequency identification, accelerometer, and computer vision-based monitoring, have been and are being adapted and tested for livestock and poultry farming systems to aide well-being evaluation. Computer vision-based phenotyping technologies have been tested efficient in monitoring large animals such as cattle and pigs. However, it is technically challenging to monitor smaller animals such as broiler and layer chickens. Researchers at the University of Georgia are developing specific imaging and phenotyping technologies (e.g., deep learning models) for monitoring/tracking floor distribution patterns of broiler chickens and individual birds’ moving in different zones of feeding, drinking, and resting. The imaging technologies have also been applied to monitor laying hen’s behaviors of perching, pecking, and floor egg laying in the cage-free houses. Those imaging and phenotyping technologies will be further innovated for developing integrative sensing systems to evaluate poultry welfare indicators in commercial broiler and cage-free layer houses.

Physiological changes observed in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) with nephrocalcinosis

There is a growing concern for fish health and welfare in the salmon industry in Norway. Nephrocalcinosis, described as mineral deposits within the kidney, is increasingly observed. However, little is known about its frequency and severity in Norway. In this study 810 Atlantic salmon were sampled from 14 different fish groups in nurseries in Mid-Norway and receiving sea farm. Kidneys were examined for nephrocalcinosis by histopathological methods and all fish groups were diagnosed with nephrocalcinosis. The prevalence and severity of the disorder varied extensively between facilities. Most of the fish (68%) had mild forms of nephrocalcinosis, exhibiting at most, negligible tissue damage while fish affected by severe forms of nephrocalcinosis had an almost complete loss of kidney structure. Regardless of the severity of nephrocalcinosis, mineral deposits were mainly found in the form of amorphous cabonate apatite (amCAP), a calcium-dominated mineral. Accordingly, a majority of fish affected by nephrocalcinosis were diagnosed with hypercalcemia. Fish affected by moderate and severe forms of nephrocalcinosis also exhibited high levels of plasma magnesium, glucose, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). These imbalances in plasma chemistry are likely to be an indication of disturbed osmoregulation and increased stress levels. The results of this study therefore suggest that nephrocalcinosis is a common and serious welfare challenge in Atlantic salmon that needs better monitoring.

Positive Animal Welfare: Bridging the Gap or Raising Inequalities Worldwide?

Positive animal welfare (PAW) is a rising topic in animal welfare science, although its construct, definition, and operational approach remain debated. Despite this scientific uncertainty, there is societal interest to include more indicators of positive welfare in legislation, animal welfare assessment and accreditation schemes. Changes in some farming practices seem to be in line with promoting PAW (e.g., free-range housing), providing animals more opportunities for positive experiences such as rewarding natural behaviour, greater autonomy, or choice. Interestingly, some of the ideas underlying PAW are present in extensive production systems or low-input animal management practices that are common in low-income countries, for example free-roaming livestock or village dogs. Nevertheless, welfare challenges such as neglect, diseases, poor nutrition, animal abuse and other forms of suffering remain ubiquitous, especially where resources like veterinary support are limited. Living conditions for animals in low-income countries provide examples of the delicate balance between positive welfare and welfare risks relating to health and survival, with inextricable ethical dilemmas. In our view, the growing focus on PAW could stimulate a more balanced approach to animal welfare worldwide, promoting PAW while simultaneously limiting various forms of welfare challenges. However, this requires accounting for human factors such as societal and cultural location-specific aspects to find flexible solutions that also benefit and respect people whose livelihood may be at stake. Those human factors also modulate the consideration and importance of providing animals with positive welfare states and the role of underlying ethical concepts like happiness and “a good life.”

How the Responsibility of Digital Support for Older People is Allocated? The Swedish Welfare System at the Crossroads

A great welfare challenge today is to promote opportunities of digitalization while limiting social inequalities from digital divides, especially for older people. While the digital divide is a dynamic problem, shifting from physical access to skills and usage, public policies to close the divide do not necessary follow. This study explores who is providing digital support in Sweden by looking at three institutions: (1) the municipal eldercare system, (2) popular education institutions, and (3) the family. The results show that the Swedish policy rely heavily on popular education and family arrangements, leaving many young-old Swedes in need of digital support without public support, while the opposite occurs for very old Swedes who are mostly consumers of welfare technologies. Issues of dependency/independency arise. Given this, the role to the Swedish welfare state needs to be re-evaluated, especially in light of rapid demographic change.

Elephants in Nepal: Correlating disease, tourism, and welfare

ABSTRACT Asian elephants and humans have long shared their lives, but recent changes in human perspectives on animal use have created ripples through the small country of Nepal. Captive elephants are caught in the crossfire between local communities, elephant owners, mahouts, and NGOs in debates over their treatment, health, welfare and use in tourism. In addition, zoonotic disease, natural disasters and political strife affect the lives of captive elephants and mahouts. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, elephants, caregivers and owners found themselves facing income loss, decreased welfare from housing and husbandry issues, and food shortages. Many owners sold elephants, fired mahouts, and “quit” the tourism industry. Others sought help from outside organizations, community members, and governmental agencies to retain ownership of what they viewed as valuable commodities. NGOs and grassroots organizations assisted in the hopes of keeping elephants in Nepal, thus preventing them from long, treacherous walks across the border and into situations where they might face further welfare decreases. This article combines elephant stable visits and interviews with mahouts, owners, NGO, and government staff between January 2019 and December 2021. It highlights the ongoing health and welfare challenges faced by elephants and mahouts in Nepal.

Set free: an evaluation of two break-away mechanisms for tracking collars

Context One of the welfare and ethical challenges with tracking animals is ensuring that the tracking device is removed from the animal at the conclusion of the study. However, for animals that are not readily re-trapped, the impact of devices and alternatives for their retrieval are rarely examined. Aims We compared the retention time of two types of break-away mechanisms for tracking collars deployed on mainland quokkas (Setonix brachyurus). Methods We tested a cotton thread (CT) weak-link, where the collar was cut and then a looping stitch was made to link the cut ends of the collar. We compared collar retention time of this simple mechanism with a lightweight automatic micro timed-release device (mTRD, Sirtrack). Key results Of the 17 radio collars with CT, the fates of 15 collars contributed to retention time data. Seven collars released: six fell off and were recovered 148 ± 64 (s.d.) days after deployment and another collar fell off 136 days after deployment but could not be recovered. Eight quokkas were recaptured (161 ± 109 days after deployment) and collars removed. Two quokkas were each tracked for over a year but then disappeared. Of the 11 GPS collars fitted with a mTRD, the fates of nine collars contributed to retention time data. Two released early at 16 and 29 days and were recovered. Seven fell off around the scheduled release date. There were two unknown fates. Re-trapped collared quokkas did not show evidence of injuries from wearing collars or any significant change in body mass (P = 0.442). Conclusions The timing of release for the CT weak-link was unpredictable, with a third of the collars releasing within 1 year and 7/15 lasting only about 6 months. Over two-thirds (7/9) of the GPS collars fitted with timed-release device released on schedule while 2/9 released early. Implications Tracking devices equipped with break-away mechanisms are essential for safeguarding animal welfare outcomes for species where the chance of recapture is not certain. For both break-away types examined in this study, the release timing was unpredictable and poor collar recovery rates show the importance of adding camera traps to monitor the outcomes for collared animals.

Comparison of Organic and Conventional Food and Food Production

Comparison of Organic and Conventional Food and Food Production

The Reform of Nigerian Intellectual Property Law in Perspective

As Africa’s most populous nation and its largest economy, Nigeria occupies a strategic position in the Continental architecture of human capital. As the powerhouse of Africa’s creative and entertainment industries and better than half of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) subregional economic bloc, Nigeria is arguably the hub of the Continent’s pool of creativity and innovation in search of a dynamic intellectual property (IP) system to deliver on national developmental aspirations. Given that the IP system rests eminently at the commanding heights of the new global order, intellectual property right (IPR) protection has assumed greater prominence at the international and national levels. The fundamental role of IP in harnessing creative and innovative enterprises has never been more significant than today. In the words of Michael A. Gollin (Driving Innovation: Intellectual Property Strategies for a Dymanic Word, Cambridge University Press 2008, p. 1) IP is the invisible infrastructure of innovation and a source of hidden wealth worth trillions of dollars. With the crises of access around the increasing intersectionality of IP and access to knowledge, and the spirited pursuit of global development policies, IP has become intensely existential to humanity and the flourishing of society. In the areas of health, education, agriculture, traditional knowledge, climate-crisis innovation including frontier technologies and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, these normative debates present an enduring test of the strength of IP institutions in meeting the challenges of public welfare, especially for indigenous societies who have been caught up in the systemic imbalance in the global IP regime complex.

How Happy Are Equine Athletes? Stakeholder Perceptions of Equine Welfare Issues Associated with Equestrian Sport.

Simple SummaryThe welfare of horses within equestrian sport is increasingly being scrutinised by both the public and those involved in the sector. To identify the main concerns and discuss the potential to improve the welfare of these equine athletes, a workshop involving participants from equestrian sports and animal welfare research was held. Participants concluded that the main challenges in equine welfare arise from conflicts between competition demands and the basic needs of the horse. To enable those involved in equestrian sport to monitor the impacts of management, training, and competition on the welfare of equine athletes, the use of formal welfare assessment tools was discussed, alongside interventions which would promote positive welfare across equine athletes’ lives.The international governing body for equestrian sports, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), states that the welfare of the horse must be paramount and never subordinated to competitive or commercial influences. However, there is growing unease about welfare issues from both within and outside the sport. The aim of this study was to understand stakeholder perceptions of current welfare issues within equestrian sport, determine whether there is scope for change, and explore attitudes towards welfare assessment. Participants (n = 48) from equestrian sport (n = 38) and animal welfare research (n = 10) attended a workshop that included welfare-related presentations and focus group sessions. The focus group sessions were recorded, anonymised and analysed using thematic analysis. Conflict between the demands of competition and the needs of the horse was identified as a key welfare challenge. Although the physical health of equine athletes is closely monitored, horses’ psychological needs are sometimes overlooked. Participants recognised that improving competition practices may not be as impactful as improving the general management and training of horses. The term “quality of life” was considered preferable to “welfare”, which had negative connotations. Participants appreciated the idea of incorporating formal welfare assessments into their training and competition plans but stated that existing tools are rarely used and are not deemed feasible for real-life conditions.

Vulnerability of Construction Workers During COVID-19: Tracking Welfare Responses and Challenges.

This paper takes stock of the cash assistance provided by the government to construction workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the role of the state construction welfare board has been crucial, some existing issues related to boards and challenges emerged during the crisis have also been discussed. Results show that cash benefit through direct benefit transfer has partially helped workers to overcome their financial distress, but 65% workers did not receive any benefit due to various issues related to registration and seeding of bank accounts with Aadhar. Sluggish process of registration has been a major issue which is being addressed by different mechanisms, but results would be known later. Proper cess collection and its utilisation is still an important issue as 61% of the cess collected in 2019 was not utilised. Even during the crisis, 15% cess was used at most in direct benefit transfer and in-kind (food distribution) support. Majority of the states are running a number of welfare schemes, but the coverage is poor despite proper guidelines set under the Model Welfare Framework of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The objectives of Mission Mode Projects are appreciable, but the outcomes are not known even after the completion of deadlines. Above all, the emerging issues of maintaining health and hygiene at worksite and living place and getting vaccinated are major challenges for the sustainability of the construction sector. Hence, a collective effort of the government, employers, and workers’ organisations is the need of the hour.

Full production cycle, commercial scale culture of salmon in submerged sea-cages with air domes reduces lice infestation, but creates production and welfare challenges

Structural modification of sea cages is continually changing to counter major production issues associated with commercial salmon farming. For example, snorkels and skirts are added to cages to reduce salmon lice infestations, and submerging cages can reduce salmon-lice encounter rates, minimise the effects of storms or avoid other unsuitable sea surface conditions. Unlike snorkels and skirts, the uptake of submerged cages has stalled due to negative effects associated with salmon buoyancy, as salmon require frequent access to the surface to gulp air and fill their swim bladders. Fitting submerged cages with underwater air domes provides an underwater air surface and appears to resolve buoyancy associated issues, but they have not been tested over a full production cycle. Here, we used three 1728 m3 cages submerged to 15 m fitted with air domes and three standard surface cages (i.e. control cages) to grow ~6000 fish per cage from sea transfer (~ 0.2 kg) to harvest size (~5 kg). We tested if growth rates, swimming behaviour, key SWIM (Salmon Welfare Index Model) welfare parameters and lice infestation levels differed between control and submerged cages. Submerged cages had 93% lower lice levels than controls during a large lice pulse event in mid-winter, which was visible through the subsequent lice stages. Swim bladder fullness, swimming behaviour and surface activity rates indicated submerged fish competently used the underwater airdome to maintain neutral buoyancy for the full production cycle. However, after 12 months, harvested mean fish weight was far smaller in submerged (2.8 kg) than control (5 kg) cages and overall mortality 2.5 times higher. Likewise, SWIM welfare scores for eye condition and mouth jaw wounds were worsened in submerged than control cages. The poorer outcomes in submerged cages reflect the suboptimal environmental conditions experienced deeper in the water column, where colder water and/or lower oxygen levels for long periods may have compromised growth. We conclude that while submergence can reduce lice infestation rates, strategies to do so must ensure that fish do not encounter sub-optimal environments for fish growth and welfare.

Minding the Gaps in Fish Welfare: The Untapped Potential of Fish Farm Workers

The welfare of farmed fish is often regarded with less concern than the welfare of other husbandry animals, as fish are not universally classified as sentient beings. In Norway, farmed fish and other husbandry animals are legally protected under the same laws. Additionally, the legislature has defined a number of aquaculture-specific amendments, including mandatory welfare courses for fish farmers who have a key role in securing animal welfare, also with regards to noting welfare challenges in the production process. This article uses fish welfare courses as a site from which to inquire about the common-sense understanding of fish welfare in Norwegian fish farming. The focus is specifically on fish farm employees, their experiences of welfare-related issues and contradictions in their daily work, and the struggle to act responsibly in aquaculture settings. Through participant observation at welfare courses, as well as interviews and conversations with fish farm workers, the article details how challenges are experienced ‘on the ground’, and suggests how fish farm workers’ own experiential knowledge might be mobilized to improve the general welfare of farmed fish.

Threshold models using Gibbs sampling and machine learning genomic predictions for skin fluke disease recorded under field environment in yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi

Ectoparasitic infestations, such as skin fluke due to Benedenia seriolae, represent substantial fish health and welfare challenges that have caused significant industry implications. Unfortunately, existing methods used to control this disease such as bath-administered compounds or therapeutic (dietary) trials are labour intensive, costly and only temporarily effective. Genetic (genomic) methods may provide sustainable long-term solutions to improve host resistance to parasitic diseases in marine finfish species. This study thus explored possibilities for applying genomic selection to improve resistance to B. seriolae and deformity in yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi. Specifically, we used a total of 752 animals with individual records and 14,448 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) developed de novo from Diversity Arrays technology (DArT, a combination of genome complexity reduction methods and next generation sequencing platforms) to assess accuracy of genomic predictions for the incidence of skin fluke and deformity recorded under field (farm) condition. Our multi-locus linear and threshold mixed model analyses showed that heritabilities for the incidence of skin fluke and deformity were small (mean range h2 = 0.02–0.03). Genetic correlations of skin fluke with body weight and deformity were not significant. Our threshold Gibbs sampling and machine learning models revealed that the accuracies of genomic prediction were low for both traits (mean range from 0.151–0.432). Imputation of missing genotypes improved the prediction accuracies for skin fluke and deformity by 0.5–13.2%. Multi-trait analyses outperformed single trait models, only for deformity. Our findings suggest that genomic selection for reduced skin fluke and deformity, albeit possible in yellowtail kingfish, genetic progress made for these traits may be slow because of the low prediction accuracies across models used in this study. To enable the application of genomic selection for skin fluke or disease resistant traits recorded under field condition, it is necessary to sequence a larger number of individuals and families as well as to develop large-scale routine data recording of new phenotypes (e.g., parasite counts) to increase the prediction accuracies for these traits in the breeding program of yellowtail kingfish S. lalandi.

Czy zwierzęta mają prawa na Słowacji?

This article focuses on assessing whether the current Slovak legal framework provides animals with a sufficient level of protection against cruelty and maltreatment. Past and current Slovak legislation on animal protection was analyzed in light of the major animal welfare challenges that Slovakia faces today. Contrary to what the title of the study suggests, a different approach was chosen to strengthen the protection of animals – not through the concept of animal rights, but the concept of human rights to a favourable environment. In addition, the possibility of using the already existing environmental law legal instruments when the well-being of animal is threatened was discussed.

Medical, welfare, and educational challenges and psychological distress in parents caring for an individual with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: A cross-sectional survey in Japan.

Parents of children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) experience distress not only due to multimorbidity in the patients, but also due to professionals' lack of understanding about 22q11DS and insufficient support systems. This study investigated relationships between medical, welfare, and educational challenges and parental psychological distress. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted on primary caregivers of children with 22q11DS. Participants included 125 parents (114 mothers, 91.2%; average age = 44.3 years) who reported their challenges, psychological distress, and child's comorbidities of 22q11DS. Results showed that the difficulty in going to multiple medical institutions (β = 0.181, p < 0.05) and lack of understanding by welfare staff and insufficient welfare support systems for 22q11DS (β = 0.220–0.316, all p < 0.05) were associated with parental psychological distress, even after adjusting for child's comorbidities. In the subsample of parents whose child attended an educational institution, inadequate management in classroom and mismatch between service and users in educational settings were associated with psychological distress (β = 0.222–0.296, all p < 0.05). This study reveals the importance of assessing not only severity of comorbidities in 22q11DS, but also the medical, welfare, and educational challenges for parental mental health.

Optimised environments for horse health and wellbeing: the use of alternative grazing

Despite the role of the horse having changed from working and sporting toward leisure, types of management have remained similar for the past century, with horses still being kept in small stables and paddocks which were predominantly designed for rest and recuperation after hard work. Many of the UK's major equine welfare challenges, such as stress and obesity, can now be traced towards management that does not fit well with horses' ethological needs. Some UK horse owners are now using creative strategies to manage their horses' welfare in a domestic setting, by structuring their turnout areas in ways that are designed around the horses' three key needs of ‘forage, friends and freedom’. Owners suggest that these management systems can be particularly useful for managing some of the most common equine health and wellbeing challenges, including equine metabolic syndrome, laminitis, stress or behavioural issues and arthritis. A better understanding of these systems could therefore be particularly useful to veterinary professionals who commonly need to assist owners in managing those conditions. This article describes the most frequently used alternative grazing systems, and the common advantages and pitfalls of each.

European Integral Urban Policies from a Gender Perspective. Gender-Sensitive Measures, Transversality and Gender Approaches

Integrated policy strategies represent an increasingly popular approach in urban development and gender policies. This article analyses the integration between integral urban policies and gender mainstreaming in the European Union. A specific analytical proposal is elaborated and applied to urban policies promoted by the EU in Spain between 1994 and 2013. The Comparative Urban Policy Portfolio Analysis is used to study the inclusion of gender-sensitive policy measures in local project portfolios, their transversality across policy sectors, and the relevance of two main approaches to analyse them. The results show that integral urban development programmes have incorporated gender-sensitive policy measures. Results also show a low level of transversality focused mainly on social integration, although they combine objectives focused on a women-centred approach to classical areas of gender inequality affecting women, i.e., employment, education, health, and a gender approach focused on new welfare challenges linked to care and defamilisation. These results show the relevance of analysing gender approaches included in integral urban policies to comprehend the character of their gender mainstreaming and their potential effects on more gender-equal cities.

Anthelmintic‐like Activity of Leucaena leucocephala Aqueous Extract Against Gyrodactylus spp. in Naturally Infected Tilapia Fingerlings

AbstractAquaculture represents the fastest growing food‐producing sector worldwide. However, the intensification of fish farms has led to environmental, health, and welfare challenges. The monogenean ectoparasite Gyrodactylus spp. has been considered one of the most pathogenic ectoparasites affecting fish, and no specific control strategies besides formalin baths have been established. The use of bioactive plants has been recently proposed as an alternative method to control gyrodactylid infections. Leucaena leucocephala is a tropical legume that has been found with anthelmintic activity against both internal and external parasites of cattle. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the anthelmintic‐like activity of L. leucocephala aqueous extract against Gyrodactylus spp. in hybrid tilapia Oreochromis spp. fingerlings and its effect on host health through histopathological analysis. Five concentrations of L. leucocephala aqueous extract were employed (2.00, 1.00, 0.50, 0.25, and 0.125 mg/mL) to estimate the mean effective concentration (EC50). Distilled water and formalin (1:4,000) were used as negative and positive controls, respectively. The aqueous extract of L. leucocephala showed a dose‐dependent behavior, with an EC50 of 0.228 mg/mL. Quercetin was identified as the main phytochemical present in the extract. Postmortem analysis of fingerlings exposed to the plant extract had no treatment‐associated pathological findings, thus indicating that the use of L. leucocephala baths had no negative impact that could jeopardize the lives of treated animals. After the in vivo assessment, the aqueous extract of L. leucocephala appears to be a promising alternative to control gyrodactylid infection in tilapia.

Progress With Livestock Welfare in Extensive Production Systems: Lessons From Australia.

The extensive livestock production industries are vital to the national economy of Australia. Continuing improvements to extensively-raised livestock welfare is desirable, necessary and in some situations mandatory, if the social license for animal sourced food and fiber production is to continue sustainably. However, meeting increasingly high welfare standards is challenging. The changing climate in this millennium, has seen the occurrence of two of the most severe drought periods on record in Australia, resulting in complex welfare issues arising from unforeseen disease, trade and environmental catastrophes. The onset of the first drought coincided with an uncontrolled epidemic of ovine paratuberculosis. It ended just prior to a temporary ban on live export of tropical cattle to Indonesia that induced a major market failure and led to severe morbidity and mortality on some beef properties. The second drought period progressed in severity and culminated in the most extreme bushfires recorded, causing unprecedented levels of mortality, morbidity and suffering in farmed animals and wildlife. Temperature extremes have also caused periodic heat-associated or cold-induced hyopthermia losses, requiring increased vigilance and careful management to reduce both temperature-induced stress during transport and the high ovine peri-parturient losses traditionally observed in extensive sheep farming. Several issues remain controversial, including surgical mulesing of wool sheep to manage flystrike, and the continuing live export trade of sheep and cattle. However, in reviewing the increasingly complex welfare challenges for the extensive livestock population industries that are export trade dependent and remain vulnerable to welfare activism, it appears progress has been made. These include development of prescribed livestock welfare Standards and Guidelines and the introduction of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) to address export concerns. Further, the sheep mulesing crisis led to improved producer welfare attitudes and practices, including pain management during aversive husbandry procedures that is now occurring globally. Finally, innovations in animal welfare surveillance and assessment, are additional encouraging signs that suggest improving change management of extensive farm animal welfare is occurring that provides lessons well-beyond Australian shores.