Long-distance live export of livestock causes severe welfare harm during voyages and is the subject of ongoing regulatory reform.
Long-distance live export causes severe welfare harm through the combination of extreme crowding, temperature extremes, weeks of confinement, feed and water challenges, and the stress of handling across multiple transshipment points. The welfare case against long-distance live export is strong enough that Australia — historically one of the world's largest live exporters — has committed to phasing it out. Substituting live animal trade with chilled and frozen meat trade achieves equivalent food security outcomes without the welfare costs of live transport.