Live sheep export — particularly long-distance sea transport — exposes millions of animals to heat stress, disease, injury, and death in conditions that have been repeatedly condemned by veterinary and welfare experts.
Live export causes suffering at multiple stages — crowding and loading stress, thermal stress during sea voyages, disorientation in novel environments, and handling and slaughter on arrival in countries with lower welfare standards than the exporting nation. Individual animals experience fear, heat, thirst, and injury across journeys that may last weeks. The case for replacing live export with chilled meat trade — which delivers equivalent economic value without welfare costs — has been made by animal welfare scientists and accepted by Australian legislators. This represents one of the most significant recent advances in farm animal welfare policy, and similar reform is needed in EU and UK trade policy.