Stop Live Animal Export Campaign in Australia: An Analysis

This paper analyzes and appraises Stop Live Animal Export campaign in Australia, which aims to stop the transport of live animals for slaughter within and outside the country. The paper examines the background of the issues, campaign objectives, establishment of campaign credibility, and development and implementation of strategies. The policy environment is also analyzed, including the power holders map.

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1. Executive summary
The paper analyses and appraises Stop Live Animal Export
(https://www.stopliveexports.org ) which is an existing activism campaign within Australia. Live
animal export business has been striving despite various issues that have been contentious for
many years. The main issue that forms the background of the organization’s foundation is the
cruel treatment of animals being exported and subsequent treatment during slaughter at the point
of destination. Within the background, some of the key issues that have been identified within
the campaign include the death of animals due to long transportation, weather and poor slaughter
of these animals through the cutting throat. The main objective of the organization is to stop the
transport of live animals for slaughter within the country and across the country's boundaries.
The site of cruel treatment of animals promoted formation the organization within the mid-1990s
under the name of People Against Cruelty in Animal Transport (PACAT). The organization has
developed integrated strategies that mainly compose of online campaign platforms, printed
adverts, events and other activities aiming to intensify campaign for stopping live animal export
business. The implementation of these strategies led to the formation of various activities that
collaborate with the strategic plan. These activities form the core calendar of the organization
used to promote its campaigns throughout the country. Some of those power holders are
government regulatory agencies such as Senate Committee, Department of Agriculture,
international organizations and wealthy merchants that have been doing the business for a long
time. The outcome of the campaign has been characterized by slow trade growth due to
government regulations, the low death of animal transported, government involvement in trade
and low effect of regulations of the trade as seen by activists.

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Stop Live Animal Export
2. Background of the issues
Australia is the largest exporter of live animals throughout the world and these animals
include cattle and other wild animals by sea. On the category of cattle some of the most
commonly exported are goats, dairy cattle, camel and wild animal are mainly buffalos. The live
animal export has therefore created employment and profit to the country since Australia remains
the largest exporter of these animals to the Middle East. Despite the benefits of the business to
the country animals normally undergoes very cruel treatment (Keogh, Henry & Day 2016).
Figure 1: Export destination for live animals (Future Beef 2018)
a. Identifying problems/ issues
It is estimated that more than 70% of all live animals exported to other countries undergo
throat cut while in conscience. The cruel treatment of live animals that are being exported proves

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that there is a need for a campaign to stop this export of animals. Firstly, the animals are
subjected to long oversea transportation that results in the death of many animals. It is reported
that more than 2.5 million animals have died during transportation over the last 30 years.
Secondly, these animals are subjected to cruel treatment at the point of slaughter with several
mainly have their throat cut while they are still alive. Thirdly, due to the longer transport route
that takes a long time, several animals pass through a various climatic region that is cruelly
leading to the death of animals (Abdelwhahab 2013).
b. Defining Campaign objective
The main objective of the campaign is to stop the transport of live animals for slaughter
within the country and out of the country. This objective is fostered through the need to reduce
the cruel treatment of animals that are transported for slaughter within the borders of the country.
This objective can be broken down into smaller objectives that include a sensation of the general
public to help create awareness on the cruel treatment of those animals that are being transported
(Stop Live Export 2018).
c. Establishment of the campaign credibility
Due to the site of the cruel treatment of animals that are transported or exported, many
people came together to look for ways to stop this cruel treatment of live animals. The
organization was established in the mid-1990s under the cover of People Against Cruelty in
Animal Transport (PACAT). In the course of 2008, the organization changed its names due to an
increase in activism that aims at campaigning against export hence the name Stop Live Exports.
In addition, the organization has register membership that includes people from all walks of life.

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Some of these include farmers, former meat worker, residence and community leaders who are
concerned about the distressed animals (Government of Australia 2015).
3. Developing strategies
The organization came up with integrated campaign strategies that aim at promoting stop
export of live animals. Integrate campaign strategies that were developed by the organization
include several advertisements and online media.
a. Integrated campaign strategy
Firstly, the organization designed an online media advertisement that aimed at reaching
many online users. This includes social media and website for the organization that is used to
advertise various events and activities. Secondly, another strategy that the company has is also
events that aim to campaign against the export and transportation of live animals (Coghlan
2014).
Implementation of the campaign was done through various ways that include online
campaigns, posters and road shows that aim to sensitize the public on the situation of the live
animals that are transported. Firstly, the organization uses its online websites to promote various
adverts and posters on the situation those animals undergoes as they are transported. There are
many different adverts, videos, and materials that display the cruel treatment of animals as they
are transported. The website also has several documents that are used to promote campaigns such
as pictures, events or activities schedule and reports (Caulfield 2014).

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Figure 2: Stop Live Exports (2018)
Secondly, the organization also uses social media pages to promote its campaigns
throughout the internet. Some of the social media pages that the organization uses include
Facebook that is linked through its websites at the URL
https://web.facebook.com/events/270224130473591/. Another social media that is also used by
the company to promote its campaign is YouTube and the URL is
https://youtu.be/03QZbQNQros. For instance, on the YouTube several videos that show the
human channel that those animals that are transported go through with clear situation at hand.
Thirdly, another is that the organization also uses in the campaign is the printing of campaign
wares that include t-shirts and other materials that have a message printed on it. An example of a

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message that is printed on various clothes is "I AM A _____ STILL OPPOSED TO LIVE
EXPORTS” (Stop Live Export 2018).
Thirdly, the organization has implemented its many different events within its calendar as
a way to campaign against cruel treatment of animals being exported. There are many different
events that are conducted within Australia that are mainly promoted by the organization. These
events include outreaches and open day campaigns. For instance, the organization has an event
scheduled on October that is meant to encourage members of the organization to come out and
speak about the cruel treatment of animals that is still going on within the country. One such
campaign is commonly referring to Stirling Traffic Bridge Fremantle cross that is meant to show
the human chain movement of live animals (Alam 2012).
The organization is advocating for membership registration that aims at increasing the
number of people campaigning for the organization. One way through which the organization
registers its members is through online registration done on the website. registration of members
is part of the integrated campaigns as this increases the number of people aware of the cruel
situation of animal export or transport. Upon the registration of members, members are allowed
to receive various materials that contain the information pertaining campaign (Phillips &
Santurtun 2013).
There are many different printed materials that form part of campaign strategies used by
the organization to reach masses. The organization encourages members to print t-shirts that are
worn during campaigns or protests. These printed t-shirts normally contain a specific message
that is designed by the organization itself. For instance, the message that is normally indicated
within the t-shirt is one and all the people wearing those t-shirts must have the same. The
organization strategically design a message that expresses the continuous subjection of the

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animal to poor conditions indicating that the situation is still on and need to be reduced. Below is
an example of the t-shirt that has been designed as a means of the campaign (Stop Live Export
2018).
Figure 3: Stop Live Exports (2018)
4. Implementation of strategies
The organization has come up with a calendar of activities and events that are carried out
throughout the year. There are many different activities that are conducted by the organization in
an effort to intensify the campaign. Some of these include organization donations, outreach days,
campaign days and peaceful protest.
a. Campaign calendar
Firstly, the organization has scheduled a donation for supporting the activities that are
done by the organization. Members are encouraged to donate to the organization so that its
activities can continue going on. The donation is not restricted to membership only yet any
person that comes across the organization’s adverts are encourage to donate some funds to help
the organization keep running (The Centre for International Economics 2014).

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Secondly, another area of the campaign within the organization calendar is outreach days
that is set on every first Saturday of every month is left for outreach. Members are encouraged to
meet at a specific place to help campaign carrying play cards with inscriptions discouraging cruel
treatment of live animals. The event is meant to remind the public that despite all efforts that
have been advanced the cruel situation of exported live animals still persist. Therefore, the public
and government need to rise and improve conditions for transportation of these animals and even
stop the trade (Meat & Livestock Australia 2015).
Another area of implementation that is also always within the organization’s calendar of
activities is online advertisements. Based on the already mentioned series of adverts that have
been developed through online sources. The organization periodically advertises its activities and
several events that are done. This is important as it forms part of the implementation of the
strategies developed by the organization. In addition, the online campaign system is also fitted
with the donation modules that allow those people visiting sites to done at will (Goesch, Lawson,
Green & Morey 2015).
There is also peaceful protest that forms important activities of implementation of
strategies. The organization has a schedule of protest activities that it normally does monthly
while others are done periodically. For instance, the outreach days are also characterized by a
peaceful protest that is done strategically conducted every first Saturdays of every month. Such
outreaches are also scheduled within some specific places and within specific months across the
year. One example of such periodic protest is normally carried out on the seventh day of October
yearly. The annual human chain movement of live animals across the boundaries is also one of
the events normally carried out yearly to mark the movement of live animals (Department of
Agriculture and Water Resources 2018).

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5. Analyzing the Policy environment
There are many different players within the live animal export chain and those mainly
involved are the government agencies. The policy environment is also consisting of various
stakeholders that hold the power to decides various policies within the value chain.
a. Power holders map
The power holder map is generally composing of various stakeholders that are mainly
involved in policy and decision-making process. Firstly, at the legislation level, the Senate Select
Committee on Animal Welfare play an important role in probing and developing policies that
control the trade. The committee has been conducting many different investigations on
challenges that are still affecting the business. This also influences the development of legislation
and policies documents that affect the trade and this has resulted in many standards of practice
(Tasman 2012).
Secondly, the government through the Department of Agriculture is another agency that
is highly concerned with the export of live animals. The Department of Agriculture develops
policies that control and approves those involves in the business of exporting and transporting
live animals across the borders of the country. The department of agriculture is a key player as it
combines other players such as veterinaries and other regulatory authorities. Another
organization that also works closely with the Department of Agriculture is export agencies that
normally regulates other products leaving the country for other destinations (Sinclair, Tessa,
Fryer & Clive 2018).
Thirdly, there are also other international bodies that are also concerned with the trade
and this include Regional Animal Welfare Strategy for Asia, the Far East and Oceania that was

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mainly developed by the Australian government. The organization aims to control and sets
policies that monitor the movement of these animals beyond the boundaries of Australia as a
country. Moreover, the organization also is concerned with the standards of transportation of live
animals as a way of reducing the impact of poor transport conditions (Kingwell, et al. 2011).
Fourthly, another player within the animal export channel is wealthy business people that
also control the trade. There are some wealthy merchants that have been in the live animals
business for many years and are also determinants of policies that control the business (Teh-
White, 2016). These business people composed of farmers and middlemen that get animals from
farmers before exporting them overseas. It has been an area of concern as many activists feel that
these business people influence the government decision making thereby determining policies
and policy implementation. Some of these business people are also government officials and are
involved in the business thereby affecting the rate at which the campaign is moving (Foster &
Overall 2014).
Power holder map
Government
regulatory agencies
e.g parliament, DoA
Farmers and
merchants
International
organizations e.g.
Regional Animal
Welfare Strategy
Importer
Develop policies,
regulate and approvals
Buy, sell and
transport live animals
Regulate
international live
animals trade

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6. Critical discussion of Outcomes
There are many different outcomes that have resulted from a campaign that is visible
within the country. The campaign has taken effect within the Australian market with different
people showing a varied reaction from the activists. Some of the outcomes of the campaign
include slow growth of the animal export business, reduced number of death of animals and
limited change in the overall live animal export trade.
Firstly, the slow growth of live animals exports business due to several campaigns that
have portrayed the business as cruel treatment of animals. Several players that include business
people within the animal export and transport chain has shown that the business has been
adversely affected by the campaign leading to slow growth. The slow growth rate is attributed to
the government policies and framework that are currently put in place to reduce the cruel
treatment of animals. This is the result of the intense campaign that has been done mainly by the
organization (Cranley 2011).
Secondly, there is reduced the animal number of deaths during transportation due to new
legislation framework aiming to reduce cruelty. Farmers mainly involved in live animal export
trade shows that the number of animals that are dying in the course of transportation has greatly
reduced due to a campaign that prompted the government to develop policies that improve the
standards of live animals transportation. Farmers and other people that are particularly doing the
business has celebrated the move by the government to set standards as this reduces loss incurred
due to the death of animals. In the past, several deaths of animals were attributed to the poor
transport conditions that have been improved through continuous legislation and policy
development (Gannon 2018).

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Thirdly, the government actively involved in regulating the treatment of animals that is
witnessed in the recent past. Another outcome of the campaign is government strict measures
that control live animal export trade. This is also coupled with various investigations that have
been conducted in the recent past due to a breach of these rules (The Centre for International
Economics 2011). In addition, the government currently determines the approval of exports
before the actual exportation of animals to ensure that the exporter complies with those set
standard, regulations and policies. The government continues to improve the standards of
practices within the live animals export chain through the trade itself has not reduced (Deards,
Leith, Mifsud, Murray, Martin & Gleeson 2014). Therefore, the government has come up with a
framework that is followed by various stakeholders that are involved in export and an example of
such a framework is shown in the figure below (Future Beef 2018).
Figure 4: FutureBeef (2018)

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Despite the campaigns for the cruelty of the animal export, the exportation of animals
remains alive and challenges continue to take place. An activist on their side indicates that the
standard that is mainly Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (Escas) is not effective thereby
having minimal effect on the trade. Activist indicates that the effort to reduce the cruelty of
animal export trade has taken little effect as the business is still going on as usual. For instance,
some vet activists have been arguing that for the past five years there are few changes that have
been developing to improve animal transportation via ships (Brett 2018).
7. Conclusion
In conclusion, the live animal export campaign remains an important activism as it seeks
to solve the issue of live animal’s exports that is characterized by cruel conditions. Live animals
export has been conducted within the country for a long time in history making Australia the
largest live animal exporter in the world. The campaign mainly promoted by Stop Live Exports
organization seeks to stop this big business that is controlled by many wealthy business people.
In addition, the organization has designed integrated strategies that are mainly composed of
online campaign platforms and materials, activities and events and registration of membership to
help promote the organization’s activities. There are many players within the live animal export
business channel and some of these include the government agencies that develop policies,
business people and international bodies that are also corned with conditions of transportation for
these animals.

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8. References
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Caulfield, M.P. (2014) Heat stress: A major contributor to poor animal welfare associated with
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9. Appendix I live animal export report
Figure 5: Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) Reports to Parliament (2018)