A RECENT government report has highlighted the constant watchful eye of animal activists on the live export trade from Australia, although questions could be asked if they were really serious about improving animal welfare or just trying to disrupt the industry and make life harder for exporters.
Animals Australia (AA), the organisation that was under investigation by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) for alleged payments to crew members aboard the Awassi Express in 2017, was named twice in the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), Regulatory Performance Report dated March 1 - May 31, 2019, as the group requesting an investigation into alleged exporter breaches of government regulations.
After the organisation was given the all clear by DAWR, AA said to Farm Weekly that it would "continue to play an active role supporting the regulator of the live trade through independent reporting - a role acknowledged by the Moss review as providing improved oversight and compliance across the live animal export trade".
It would do that via donor funding of which $4m was spent on an anti live export campaign last year.
The Regulatory Performance Report said that in August 2018, AA reported "Australian livestock were allegedly available for purchase and slaughter at an abattoir at Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip".
AA provided video footage taken of cattle in the abattoir, of which they alleged that "one steer had an identifiable ear tag" linked to Livestock Shipping Services (LSS).
DAWR said there had not been any approved ESCAS facilities in the Gaza Strip since 2014 and because AA did not provide GPS co-ordinates to investigators they were unable to determine if the abattoir was previously included in a supply chain or subject to a previous investigation.
"As the footage appeared edited, the department requested the original unedited version be provided," DAWR said.
"The requested footage was not supplied.
"Additionally audio evidence was not provided by (AA) to support the claims that the investigator was advised that Australia-tagged cattle were available for purchase at the abattoir."
LSS conducted an internal investigation and reported back that "the ear tag was not consistent with the format of the ear tags they use for cattle exported to Israel".
The ear tag was different to those used currently (or in the preceding two ears) by the company.
LSS also noted that the steer in the footage had two ear tags in the same ear which was not consistent with their cattle, which are only tagged with one tag per ear.
DAWR said due to a lack of evidence the result was it did not record a non-compliance against LSS's Israeli supply chain.
An AA spokesperson said that "DAWR did in fact have all of the material that we'd been provided with".
She said the video footage "was supplied to us that way".
"And there was audio - they could hear it properly on the vimeo link, but I think they had issues with the USB, which is where the confusion came in.
"Importantly, they could still view/hear it via vimeo."
If this is the case it raises questions about the thoroughness of the investigators.
A DAWR spokesperson said "it is not uncommon for information to be in a format that can't be accessed by the department - or that there's not enough information to enable an investigation".
"In these instances DAWR seeks further information or an alternate format for the provided information.
"Opportunity is also provided for the reporting party to submit additional information during the course of an investigation.
"In relation to Report 162, the department requested information from AA and it was not provided during the investigation."
In the second instance the report said in October 2017 AA requested DAWR investigate a high mortality rate which occurred on a voyage of sheep exported by Wellard Rural Exports to Israel in October 2016.
The reportable mortality rate was not reached at 1.98pc.
"AA also provided a report obtained from the Israeli government showing that a further 645 mortalities occurred after arrival in the Israel quarantine feedlot and requested DAWR investigate this as well," the report said.
DAWR said the ship left Fremantle with a load of 26,479 sheep, of which 25,954 were discharged at Eilat, Israel, having lost 525 head on the voyage.
DAWR looked into the feedlot deaths which were finally put down to "suspected acidosis".
The report reveals that Wellard had to search through its archives to find the details of the mortality event in the quarantine feedlot, which was "sparse and limited" due to the time between the incident and AA's report being received (12 months later).
Wellard had in that time closed its Israel supply chain and because of that its commercial relationship with its partners "was no longer functional", meaning Wellard was unable to "obtain comprehensive records of the cause of the illness, mortalities or the treatments and care provided to the sheep at the facility".
The final outcome was that DAWR did not record a non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare requirements against the Wellard supply chain in Israel.
AA said the information was "obtained by a local third party after a lengthy internal freedom of information process in Israel".
"Animals Australia reported the matter to the department immediately upon receipt of the information," the Animals Australia spokesperson said.
"This matter points to the limitations of the current regulatory system (ESCAS).
"That is, that the department does not receive regular reports on welfare or mortalities in feedlots in importing countries."
Wellard said it could not count the cost of the internal investigation because it was done by employed staff during their normal work hours.
DAWR said it was not possible to provide a specific cost for the investigations because they were not charged individually.
"The department assesses information from third parties who report possible non-compliance with departmental requirements or legislation," DAWR said.
"The department assesses the information provided to determine whether an investigation and/or regulatory action is required, regardless of timeframe.
"DAWR has a responsibility to ensure that exporters meet regulatory requirements and therefore investigates all reported non-compliances."
AA has a stated position to see the live export trade banned from Australia and has even been working overseas to promote that position in Israel and other contries.