RSPCA accused of lying about live sheep export industry

Proponents of the industry including producers and organisations responded, calling for the organisation to look at the industry's data, while also asking Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt why he would endorse the views of the RSPCA, when they were not fact-based or supported by any evidence.

The Livestock Collective labelled the information as false, explaining to the RSPCA that sheep are allocated space based on research and allometric principles.

It stated that RSPCA's, so-called evidence was incorrect and sheep were in fact able to all lay down at once in the pens on-board.

The Livestock Collective went on to encourage the RSPCA to check out its virtual vessel tour or take them up on the invitation for a real, in-person tour of a vessel.

The RSPCA was adamant the information it posted was based on facts and stood by it.

"What these infographics show is what the animal welfare science clearly and overwhelmingly tells us - that live sheep export by sea has cumulative and inherent animal welfare issues that simply can't be fixed," said an RSPCA spokesperson.

"The RSPCA has had this position for decades and it should be no surprise to anyone that we are continuing to talk about what the science tells us."

The tweet claimed that Australian animal welfare standards were not enforceable in international jurisdictions.

Australia's trade partners have to be compliant with the Export Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) that was applied to all live export markets in January 2013.

ESCAS has since also been supported by the Livestock Global Assurance Program (LGAP) and Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL) have been reviewed and recommendations implemented on several occasions.

"For every one of the thousands of sheep sent abroad, there are just too many potential welfare risks," the RSPCA said.

"Even if the exporters are able to partially address one or some of them, the trade remains beyond salvation."

Australian Livestock Export Corporation (LiveCorp) analysis of mortality rates showed the average voyage mortality rate for sheep had been consistently dropping year-on-year and in 2022 a record low of 0.16 per cent was achieved.

To further demonstrate its commitment to best practice animal welfare, in December 2018 the live export industry voluntarily implemented and observed a three-month moratorium on sheep shipments to the Middle East during the northern hemisphere summer months from June 1 to August 31 - this was then legislated by the government in April 2019 and has been in place ever since.

Kulin farmer Bryn Davies replied to the RSPCA infographic referencing the proposed new government laws to stop the spread of misinformation.

"This is a blatant lie," Mr Davies said.

"If the new government rules come in, you'd (the RSPCA) be liable on social media for mistruth."

The controversial 'close' relationship between the RSPCA and Mr Watts office was revealed in texts obtained earlier in the year, so many people within the agricultural industry are wary of the policy being based on what has been described as an activist agenda.

Corrigin producer Steven Bolt said the information disseminated by the RSPCA was incorrect and was sensationalised in an attempt to get attention.

"It is an absolute disgrace that an organisation like the RSPCA would put something like this out," Mr Bolt said.

"Claims like animals go 48 hours without access to food or water, which is not the reality, transport from on farm to feedlot is on average two to four hours.

"The whole message really was full of misinformation, as a way to create fear by demonising the live export trade.

"In no way do they depict the truth of the highly regulated and respected trade that has professional vets and qualified staff throughout the supply chain."

Mr Bolt said it was disappointing that in this day and age when there was so much information available and the RSPCA had been offered the opportunity on numerous occasions to personally tour a live export vessel, they still continued to distribute false propaganda.

"I think it looks like a desperate attempt to try to damage the live export industry's reputation," he said.

"The latest research shows that public opinion of the trade is increasing with its increased knowledge of the processes involved.

"The industry has been really open about the improvements it has made to increase the standards of animal welfare to the highest of their kind in the world and the public values the truth not being lied to."

This is the second incident where RSPCA has been called out in as many months.

In June RSPCA Australia CEO Richard Mussell was called to retract statements he made to Sheep Central criticising CSIRO affiliated Voconiq's research into community sentiment regarding the live export industry, this research was labelled a push poll - a claim that has since been removed from the RSPCA website.

LiveCorp chairman Troy Setter said the claim was a slight on both LiveCorp and Voconiq, the independent company that carries out the research.

"As a rural research and development corporation, LiveCorp is not allowed to operate in the agri-political space," Mr Setter said.

"We take that very seriously and object in the strongest terms to accusations made by RSPCA, which is clearly active in the activist and lobbying space itself.

"Our role is to provide objective and factual information to industry and stakeholders, and LiveCorp commissioned this project in 2019."

Voconiq produces a comprehensive public report after each survey and the most recent report summarised the third national survey of around 4,500 Australians, providing an analysis of trends over time.

"Participants are recruited from an online panel, agreeing to the survey before knowing the topic," Mr Setter said.

"They are then provided information about who is funding the work and how the data's going to be used - a key tenant of ethical research practice.

"LiveCorp stands by the independence of the approach used by Voconiq and the results it has delivered, and calls on RSPCA to retract the false statements."

In his address to the recent Let Farmers Keep Farming meeting in Katanning, Federal National Party leader David Littleproud said Australia was the first country in the world to have export standards predicated on animal welfare.

"We're the only country in the world that can measure the pants per minute of a sheep on those boats, on those shipments going to the Middle East, the airflow going through those boats and the score, individual scores of those boats that take them, giving the stocking density of those boats in being able to take your sheep to the Middle East," Mr Littleproud said.

"But we measure to the kilogram and we measure to the millimetre of not only their weight, but also the wool on their back because science, science took us there and science will continue to take us there."

He said Australia was the first country in the world to move to adopt a methodology predicated on animal welfare.