ANNEX 1ANNEX 1

INVESTIGATION REPORT INTO ALLEGED NON-COMPLIANCE WITHESCAS ANIMAL WELFARE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND TARGETS:

AUSTRALIAN RURAL EXPORTS PTY LTD AND WELLARD RURAL EXPORTS PTY LTD AT ABATTOIR 1

SUMMARY

Australian Rural Exports Pty Ltd (Austrex) and Wellard Rural Exports Pty Ltd (Wellard) each have an approved Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) that incorporates the use of slaughter Line 1 in Abattoir 1. Abattoir 1 contains three slaughter lines, and the line shown in the video footage is not the ESCAS-approved slaughter Line 1.

There is no conclusive evidence that any of the cattle seen in the video footage were sourced from Australia under an approved ESCAS.

The investigation finds there is no reason for the Secretary to take regulatory action, as neither exporter had breached their ESCAS requirements.

The investigation makes two other observations.

1. INTRODUCTION

This is the report of an investigation into information provided by Animals Australia to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), of non-compliance with the animal welfare performance measures and targets by Australian exporters under ESCAS. Austrex and Wellard were identified as using a facility with a similar name to that provided by Animals Australia. For the purposes of this investigation, the abattoir at which the non-compliances were alleged to have occurred is named ‘Abattoir 1’.

2. SOURCES OF INFORMATION

1. Formal complaint and video footage sent to DAFF by Animals Australia

2. Analysis of the video footage by RSPCA Australia

3. Report from Austrex

4. Report from Wellard

5. Declaration letter from Wellard

6. Most recent audit reports of the abattoir

7. Information from the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture

8. Information from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).

3. EVALUATION OF INFORMATION

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3.1. Complaint and video footage from Animals Australia

The video footage was made at Abattoir 1. The footage shows the slaughter of two cattle in what appears to be an unmodified Mark 1 restraint box, as well as slaughter on the abattoir floor with minimal restraint. Both these slaughter practices do not use any form of stunning.

The slaughter room contains what appears to be a second unmodified Mark 1 restraint box that is not seen in use in the video footage. The room also appears to have access from the cattle race at three points along the same wall; two of them at each of the two Mark 1 restraint boxes.

The cattle seen in the video footage do not appear to have eartags, ear marks, or brands. This suggests that the cattle were not sourced from Australia.

One of the cattle slaughtered on the abattoir floor was dropped onto its side by one worker, and another was dropped onto its side by two workers. The latter animal was led into the abattoir and tied up by one worker. These events show that the cattle have mild temperaments and are relatively easily handled. Although not conclusive, this is further evidence that the cattle were not sourced from Australia.

3.2. Report from Austrex

Austrex gave DAFF an explanation that Abattoir 1 contains 3 separate slaughter floors as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Layout of Abattoir 1, provided by Austrex

Two of the slaughter floors are in the building called ‘Block 2’ in figure 1. These are walled off from each other within the building:

o one of the slaughter floors (slaughter floor 1) has one modified Mark 1 restraint box. Cattle are slaughtered with stunning.

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o the other slaughter floor (slaughter floor 2) has one Mark 4 restraint box and one modified Mark 1 restraint box. DAFF has no information on whether or not cattle are stunned, because this is not part of an approved ESCAS.

The third slaughter floor is in a separate building called ‘Block 3’ in figure 1. This slaughter floor contains two unmodified Mark 1 restraint boxes. Again, DAFF has no information on whether or not cattle are stunned, because it is not part of an approved ESCAS.

Austrex’s report states that slaughter of their cattle occurs only on slaughter floor 1 using the modified Mark 1 restraint box with stunning, with an animal welfare officer present, in accordance with the exporter’s approved ESCAS.

Austrex provided a list of cattle, and their IDs, that were slaughtered at Abattoir 1. This list shows that Abattoir 1 received cattle from Austrex from 28 January 2012 to 25 February 2012. The cattle were slaughtered from 31 January 2012 to 4 March 2012. This evidence shows that Austrex did not have cattle present at Abattoir 1 on 24–26 January 2012, the dates during which the video footage was made.

Austrex observations regarding the video footage

o The scene in the video footage is in Block 3 of Abattoir 1. This block is used only for slaughter of local cattle.

o Austrex’s supply chain manager has talked with two of the people shown in the video footage, who both confirmed that no imported cattle are slaughtered in Block 3.

o The cattle are likely to be local cattle, because of their colouring, bodyweight, temperament when handled, and lack of any eartags visible in the video footage.

Austrex has given DAFF photographs showing both slaughter lines in Block 2. DAFF has compared these photographs with the video footage, and determined that the slaughter floors in Block 2 are not shown in the video footage.

3.3. Report from Wellard

Wellard gave DAFF an explanation that Abattoir 1 contains three separate slaughter floors, and included a diagram, shown at Figure 2.

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Figure 2. Layout of Abattoir 1, provided by Wellard

Wellard stated that the slaughter floor shown in the video footage is not slaughter floor 1 of Abattoir 1. Photographs of the restraint box in slaughter floor 1 show that it is distinctly different to anything seen in the video footage.

Wellard provided a declaration letter stating that their cattle are slaughtered only on slaughter floor 1 of Abattoir 1.

All Wellard’s cattle are slaughtered using pre-slaughter stunning in a modified Mark 1 restraint box, with an Animal Welfare Officer present.

3.5. Most recent audit reports

The audit reports for Austrex and Wellard at Abattoir 1 show no non-conformities in any area.

4. FINDINGS

4.1 Is the abattoir part of an approved ESCAS?

The slaughter line and the slaughter practices shown in the video footage do not match the slaughter line and slaughter practices of Abattoir 1 for any Australian exporter under an approved ESCAS. Austrex and Wellard have an approved ESCAS that incorporates the use of slaughter floor 1 in Abattoir 1 which was not shown in the footage.

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The abattoir shown in the video footage is not part of an approved ESCAS.

Picture 1. Still scene from the video footage, showing two

unmodified Mark 1 restraint boxes

Picture 2. Still scene from the video footage, showing an unmodified Mark 1 restraint box and separate race access to the right

The abattoir diagrams and the photographs (Pictures 1 and 2, above) the two exporters have separately provided in their reports closely match each other, corroborating their evidence. Each exporter’s written explanation and diagrams support their contentions that Abattoir 1

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contains 3 separate slaughter floors, and that both exporters send cattle for slaughter only on slaughter floor 1.

Slaughter floor 1 of Abattoir 1 in the approved ESCAS of Austrex and Wellard contains one modified Mark 1 restraint box only, and that is used for slaughter with stunning, as evidenced by information the exporters submitted as part of their applications for ESCAS approval, and the exporters’ reports. In the video footage of Abattoir 1, no modified Mark 1 restraint box can be seen, and no part of the video footage matches the photographs of slaughter floor 1 provided by each exporter.

The video footage shows the slaughter of two cattle in a room with two unmodified Mark 1 restraint boxes, both along the same wall, each with access through the race. There is a third point of access to the race to the right of the restraint boxes (shown in Pictures 1 and 2). This configuration is consistent with Block 3 of Abattoir 1 as referred to in the report from Austrex. The diagrams of both exporters support this claim, as does Austrex’s report, which includes confirmation from an employee who has visited Abattoir 1.

The video footage does not show the slaughter of cattle on slaughter floor 1 of Abattoir 1 under an approved ESCAS because the line seen in the video footage does not contain the modified Mark 1 restraint box shown in Pictures 3 and 4 (below), and no stunning equipment can be seen to be used.

Picture 3. Photograph provided by Austrex, of the ESCAS-approved slaughter floor 1 of Abattoir 1

Picture 4. Photograph provided by Wellard, of the ESCAS-approved slaughter floor 1 of Abattoir 1

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4.2 Were the cattle sourced from Australia under an approved ESCAS?

DAFF analysed the video footage to determine whether any of the cattle were sourced from Australia under an approved ESCAS. Animals Australia stated in their complaint letter that one animal slaughtered in the Mark 1 restraint box resembles an Australian droughtmaster steer; however, MLA have informed DAFF that Indonesia has a range of cross-bred cattle that have a genetic link to Australian cattle breeds. This means that cattle bred in Indonesia may resemble cattle bred in Australia.

No eartags, ear marks or brands are visible on any of the cattle seen in the video footage, including those slaughtered in the Mark 1 restraint boxes.

Information provided to DAFF by the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture states that staff at Abattoir 1 confirm that the cattle in the video footage are local cattle, and not sourced from Australia.

4.3 Is there any non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare performance measures and targets?

The slaughter shown in the video footage does not occur in a slaughter facility approved under ESCAS and there is no evidence that any of the cattle seen in the video footage were sourced from Australia under an approved ESCAS. For these reasons, there is no non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare performance measures and targets.

4.4 Is there any non-compliance with other aspects of ESCAS?

This issue is not relevant because the slaughter line at Abattoir 1 shown in the video footage is not part of an approved ESCAS and the cattle were not sourced from Australia under an approved ESCAS.

4.5 Is there reason for the Secretary to take regulatory action?

There is no reason for the Secretary to take regulatory action, because the slaughter shown in the video footage does not occur in a slaughter facility that is part of an approved ESCAS for either of the exporters, Austrex and Wellard.

5. OBSERVATIONS

The investigation revealed risk gaps in terms of lack of information in the current process of DAFF’s assessment of applications for approval of an ESCAS. These risk gaps could be closed by the following measures:

1. The Secretary could require in future ESCAS applications that exporters supply diagrams and photographs of all proposed abattoirs, showing all slaughter lines.

2. The secretary could require in future ESCAS applications that when an exporter submits an application for approval of an ESCAS that uses multiple slaughter lines, the application should contain procedures that will prevent diversion of cattle sourced from Australia, from a slaughter line that is part of an approved ESCAS, to one that is not.

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