Livestock Welfare on Long-Distance Sea Transport

Live animal transport by sea is among the most contested welfare issues in international livestock trade. Long voyages cause significant suffering and mortality that has prompted growing calls for restriction.

Key Facts

Millions of live cattle, sheep, and pigs are transported by sea each year from Australia, South America, and Europe to Middle Eastern and Asian markets
Voyage durations can exceed 3 weeks, during which animals experience crowding, heat, disease, and feed and water management challenges
Mortality rates on long-distance sea voyages typically range from 0.1-1% but spike dramatically during heat events — thousands of animals can die on a single voyage
Sheep are particularly vulnerable to inanimate dust and heat during Australian summer voyages — the Australian government commissioned multiple reviews following high-profile mortality events
Live export is defended on economic grounds by exporting countries and on food security and quality grounds by importing countries
A growing number of countries including New Zealand have banned or restricted live export following welfare concerns; Australia introduced reforms but has not banned the trade

Welfare Considerations

Long-distance live animal sea transport represents one of the most severe and large-scale animal welfare problems in international trade. The combination of long duration, crowding, heat, disease, and the complete inability of animals to escape negative conditions creates conditions of acute and prolonged suffering. The welfare argument for ending long-distance live export in favour of chilled meat trade is compelling. Market and regulatory pressure from welfare-conscious importing and exporting countries is the primary lever for change.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns to end long-distance live animal sea export in favor of chilled or frozen meat trade
Avoid purchasing meat from supply chains that depend on live export from Australia or other major exporters
Write to government representatives expressing support for stronger restrictions or bans on long-distance live animal transport
Follow live export welfare monitoring organizations that document conditions and campaign for policy change