Food animals destined for live export are mustered (often from extensive properties), loaded into trucks or trains and taken to a feedlot (a penned area) for up to a week until there are enough animals to fill a ship. They are then loaded into trucks, transported to the wharf, then loaded onto the ship and, after a voyage that may last up to three weeks, the animals arrive in the importing country. There they are unloaded, transported and killed for human consumption.

Once livestock reach their port of destination, those animals that survive and are unloaded are outside the control of Australian law. The Australian Government cannot ensure that exported livestock are slaughtered humanely once they have left Australia. Evidence gathered from importing countries has shown that inhumane slaughter and handling practices, that would be contrary to Australian laws and standards, are common.

At their destination, exported animals may spend several months at a feedlot for fattening, or may be transported directly to a slaughtering facility, or sold to individual buyers. Evidence has shown that individual buyers in some countries will often transport sheep in car boots and on roof-racks in temperatures that may exceed 40°C. Cattle can be seen travelling on the back of utility trucks with only a few ropes to prevent them falling off.

Sheep have been shown being herded into a slaughtering facility, and then dragged one by one to the slaughtering area. Here their throats are cut and they are left to bleed to death over a drain. In some importing countries, cattle face an even more horrific death. In the slaughtering hall, they  have their tendons slashed and sometimes their eyes gouged in order to bring them down and, finally, they have their throats cut and are left to bleed to death. All this happens in front of other cattle awaiting a similar fate. Cattle and sheep destined for ‘home slaughter’ are no better off and may face even crueler slaughtering methods.

In Australia, the slaughter of livestock is strictly regulated. Animals intended for slaughter must first be rendered insensible (stunned), then killed before they can regain consciousness.

The adoption of a chilled and frozen meat-only trade would prevent the suffering of long-distance sea transport. It would also save millions of animals from the cruel fate awaiting them at their destination.