The Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is reviewing sheep exports by sea to, or through, the Middle East during the Northern Hemisphere Summer (1 May to 31 October).
Article continues below
As an interim measure to continue to manage heat stress risks and to provide sufficient time for industry to prepare for the 2022 Northern Hemisphere Summer, the Export Control (Animals) Rules 2021 (Animals Rules) were amended on 5 April.
These amendments affect arrangements for May and June starting this year.
The changes are based on updated climatology data which indicated that changes should be made for the commencement of the 2022 Northern Hemisphere Summer (for May and June).
In particular, the climatology data indicated an increased heat stress risk (above the threshold set in 2020) for voyages to some Persian Gulf destinations in late May and a reduced risk for voyages to or through the Red Sea during early June.
The key changes are that:
• sheep must not be exported to Persian Gulf destinations (including Qatar but not Oman and Kuwait) by sea on a vessel that leaves an Australian port from 22 May to 31 May unless additional conditions to mitigate heat stress risks are met, and
• sheep can now be exported to or through the Red Sea from 1 to 14 June (export during this period was previously prohibited).
The additional conditions for the 10-day period (22 May to 31 May) for Persian Gulf destinations other than Oman and Kuwait, include measures to improve sheep heat tolerance, such as shorter fleece length and maximum sheep weight limits (for example, 56kg for Merinos) and measures to decrease the deck wet bulb temperatures, such as minimum pen air turnover rates and increased pen space allowance.
The conditions about the pen air turnover for the vessel do not apply to sheep exported to Kuwait, which has a notably cooler microclimate, or to Oman, where exports are prohibited during this period due to the high temperatures and humidity and therefore increased heat stress risks. ■