Live sheep export is a major global trade involving significant welfare risks from crowding, heat stress, and disease. Campaigns have successfully reduced some of the worst practices.
Live sheep export welfare represents one of the most contentious and publicly debated animal welfare issues in Australia. Investigations documenting heat stress deaths on vessels, animals unable to move in extreme heat, and mortality events exceeding regulatory thresholds drove sustained public campaigns that ultimately achieved the ban on summer exports. The fundamental welfare argument is straightforward: live transport over thousands of kilometers exposes sheep to multiple serious welfare risks that could be entirely avoided by transitioning to chilled meat trade. Economic alternatives exist but require industry transition support and market development.