Animal Welfare Win: We Won’t Export Our Sheep Anymore

Australia has set an end date for the live sheep export trade, and authorities will deploy a five-year support package to ensure the industry transitions as seamlessly as possible.

The agriculture minister Murray Watt explained that exports of meat have “boomed” while live exports have “plummeted”, meaning more processing is being done in Australia, creating more jobs. “We want to ensure those affected by the phase-out are well-positioned, resilient and ready when the trade ends in 2028.”

Animal welfare advocates have long been campaigning for the end of live animal trading. A recent poll by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals found that 71% of West Australians support the policy. By legislating the date – 1 May 2028 – producers and the supply have enough time to enable “an orderly and well-planned transition away from the trade”. To that effect, Australia’s authorities have promised a five-year, $107 million support package, including $64.6 million for sheep producers and the supply chain, $27 million to increase demand for sheep products, $2.6 million to continue improving sheep welfare standards, $1.7 million for a transition advocate, and $11.1 million to implement the phase-out.