- Trucks delivering export sheep to be weighed dockside at embarkation, so total sheep weight can be allocated to total deck area. No more sheep should be loaded on ships when total space has been allocated.
- Aggregated voyage data, including key animal welfare indicators, to be measured and collated, with data made available to scientists so future research topics are not only based on sheep mortalities, but also causes of morbidity during each voyage.
- Space allocation per animal must be based on allometric principles and increased by at least 30 per cent for sheep that weigh 40 to 60 kg.

AVA’s export stance ‘a game changer’
The AVA is embarking on a tenacious campaign to protect live export animals travelling to the Middle East during the impending northern summer.
The recent release of live export voyage footage from the Awassi Express was described as “horrific and utterly unacceptable” by the peak body, and a short review of space allocation and body temperature regulation followed this month.
Among the key recommendations of the AVA’s submission to the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock’s advisory committee was the cessation of live export voyages for sheep to the Middle East in the hottest part of the year.
“Irrespective of stocking density, thermoregulatory physiology indicates that sheep on live export voyages to the Middle East during May to October will remain susceptible to heat stress and die due to the expected extreme climatic conditions during this time,” the report said.
“Accordingly, voyages carrying live sheep to the Middle East during May to October cannot be recommended.”
Other recommendations included: