Identifying current best practice in the export of young cattle to Israel

Summary

The principal method used for this project has been to interview all of the key personnel involved in the trade to obtain their views on the export of calves to Israel. This information, after a secondary review by contributors, has now been summarized into Best Practice recommendations.

To date, I have reviewed the voyage reports for the 26 voyages that have carried calves to Israel from February 1999 to December 2000. I have spoken to 5 exporters, 8 veterinarians and 12 stockmen active in the trade. Comments from contributors have been considered in the production of the second draft.

Findings

1. Statistical Analysis

Unfortunately, records are not kept in a manner, which would allow any serious statistical analysis of performance. Even the mortality reports are of little use as calves are not always differentiated from other stock onboard the vessel.

The total mortality on the 26 voyages reviewed was 690 head from 115,255 head of cattle shipped (0.6%). Only 3 of the 26 voyages reported mortality rates in excess of one percent. These three voyages were completed in May and July of 2000. In these cases the mortality rates were 1.86, 1.42 and 1.78. All three involved different vessels.

2. Voyage Reports

While these reports are of some interest they provide only minimal information for a specific investigation into the transport of calves. They do however generally support the propositions derived from the personal interviews and general feedback. In the case of the three high mortality voyages, two were attributed to extreme temperature and humidity stress to calves sourced from southeastern Australian winter conditions while the third appears to be associated with inappropriate veterinary intervention by the stockman.

3. Interviews

The most striking feature of these interviews was the remarkable similarity of the

opinions provided by all of the participants. In essence, the critical factors that determine the outcome of the voyage relate to common sense animal husbandry. During the interviews a number of key observations were consistently repeated and are summarized below.

Husbandry issues can be divided into pre-shipment preparation and shipboard management. Of these, pre-shipment preparation has the greatest potential to affect the outcome of the voyage. If calves arrive at the ship in weak and stressed condition then the voyage is bound to be a difficult one regardless of the level of care provided on-board.

There are a number of husbandry matters that relate specifically to the shipboard care of calves. If these are managed well and the calves have arrived on board in good condition then the outcome of the voyage is likely to be favourable. Shipments during the southern Australian winter are the most challenging in terms of animal care and can be expected on average to have the highest levels of illness and mortality.

Calves have the capacity to travel at least as well as adult cattle under appropriate conditions. Most participants noted that, given good preparation and shipboard conditions, heavy cattle are in fact more likely to suffer from mortalities associated with injury/misadventure, high temperatures and humidity than calves. Health Protocols Of the two health protocols which apply to this trade (effectively one for WA and one for other states), the WA version is much less intrusive than the version which must be used for animals sourced from Victoria and South Australia.

This has the effect of placing the highest "protocol related" stress on the animals which will almost certainly have the highest levels of overall stress from other sources. This is due to the fact that calves sourced from the Victoria and SA will generally be subjected to more severe weather conditions and must be subjected to the additional hurdle of transport across the Great Australian Bight during the southern winter.

Recommendations in respect to the protocols are a statement of the obvious:

Existing protocols are excessive and result in unnecessary stress to calves.
There is little doubt that the application of these protocols has a significant impact on the health of calves and their capacity to travel.
The version applicable to Victoria and SA poses the greatest threat to the survival of calves as a result of the extremely high levels of intervention required.
Any reduction In the level of protocol requirements will assist the health and survival of calves
Priority for negotiations to reduce the protocol should be given to the Victorian / SA version.
It is difficult to make sensible comments on these protocols which look more like trade barriers than a logical attempt to protect the Importing country from our bovine diseases.