Post-Implementation Review – Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority
On 17 May 2018, the (then) Minister for Agriculture announced the Australian Government would act on several recommendations outlined in the McCarthy Review to limit the risk of heat stress in sheep exported to or through the Middle East, to improve animal welfare outcomes while supporting the continuation of the trade.
The Australian Government’s decision was the catalyst for further regulatory changes including the introduction of the Independent Observer Program; the prohibition of the export of sheep to the Middle East in the 2019 Northern Hemisphere summer; and a reduced transition period for amendments to Marine Order 43.