The Australian government has cancelled the live export licence of Perth, Western Australia-based livestock shipper Emanuel Exports Pty Ltd, after investigating the death of thousands of sheep during a shipment to the Middle East last year.
In July the country’s Federal Department of Agriculture (FDA) suspended the licence of livestock exporter EMS Rural Exports. As a result the export to the Middle East of 45,000 of 60,000 sheep stranded in Western Australia was prevented. EMS Rural Exports is a sister company of Emanuel Exports. The FDA had already suspended Emanuel Exports’ licence.
In the government’s statement, issued late on Tuesday August 21st, the government did not specify why the licence had been revoked, but said that the decision had followed “a thorough investigation and show cause process”.
Emanuel Exports, which has shipped sheep to the Middle East for 55 years, said that it would appeal the decision.
Emanuel Exports Director Nicholas Daws said, “We have a proud history of complying with government regulation over many years…we will appeal this notice as a matter of priority.”
Australia is one of the world’s largest exporters of livestock, with Middle Eastern and Indonesian markets preferring to buy live animals.