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Department of Agriculture

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  1. Home
  2. Biosecurity and trade
  3. Export
  4. Controlled export goods
  5. Exporting live animals
  6. Livestock
  7. Compliance investigations
  8. ESCAS investigations

Sidebar first - Export

  • Compliance investigations
    • Notifiable mortality incident reports
    • ESCAS investigations

ESCAS investigations

We have a commitment to ensure exporters deliver acceptable animal welfare outcomes.

We investigate all alleged non-compliance with the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS).

We take all allegations seriously.

Where necessary, the department acts immediately to address animal welfare issues.

Our process

Find out more about our compliance investigation process.

Publishing reports

When we complete an investigation, we publish a report.

We will not release information if doing so could prejudice:

  • the conduct of an investigation
  • subsequent legal action in relation to an incident.

This includes information requested under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

We do not release footage or images of these investigations. This type of content may fall outside accepted community standards. We have a responsibility to everyone who may access this information, including children. We want to ensure they do not see images they might find upsetting or disturbing.

Definitions of terms

Here are definitions of the terms we use to help you understand the status of an investigation. We use these terms to identify what step the report is at.

Term Definition
Report under assessment Under assessment to see if we need to complete an investigation
Assessment completed We have assessed the information. We have determined a formal investigation is not required. A statement summarising the assessment is available.
Investigation in progress The investigation is underway. It may take several months to:
  • gather evidence from relevant parties
  • determine if there are any regulatory issues
  • consider the appropriate response.
Investigation complete We have finalised the investigation. A copy of the report and any administrative actions taken are available. If there is evidence of criminal offence, a separate investigation may be underway.

Recent and ongoing investigations

You can access ESCAS reports from 2019 here. To access reports completed before 2019 see the National Library of Australia’s Trove archive.

Complaints and Investigations
Report No. Type of Report or Complaint Alleged Issue Date reported to the Department Status
193 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to Jordan. Non-compliance relating to infrastructure, handling and slaughter identified. 5 September 2023 Investigation in progress.
192 Independent Observer Report of non-compliant handling of sheep during discharge in Jordan. 27 June 2023 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2023 – 30 September 2023
191 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to Oman. Sheep were observed outside approved supply chains. 28 May 2023 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2023 – 30 September 2023

NOTE: For the period 1 April to 30 June 2023, no investigations were completed. See ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 April to 30 June 2023.

Complaints and Investigations
Report No. Type of Report or Complaint Alleged Issue Date reported to the Department Status
190 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to the United Arab Emirates. Non-compliant handling and loading/unloading from transport vehicles identified. 18 July 2022 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 October 2022 – 31 December 2022

NOTE: For the period 1 July to 30 September 2022, no investigations were completed. See ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July to 30 September 2022.

Complaints and Investigations
Report No. Type of Report or Complaint Alleged Issue Date reported to the Department Status
189 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to Jordan. Non-compliant handling and slaughter identified. 28 July 2021 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022
188 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for cattle exported to Indonesia. Cattle were observed outside approved supply chains. 27 July 2021 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022
187 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to the United Arab Emirates. Sheep were observed outside approved supply chains. 26 July 2021 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022
186 Complaint from PETA Report of non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare standards for cattle in Indonesia. Non-compliant handling and slaughter identified. 25 June 2021 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 January 2023 – 31 March 2023
185 Self reported by exporter Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for cattle exported to Vietnam. Cattle were moved to ESCAS approved facilities outside the exporter’s supply chain. 2 February 2021 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022

NOTE: For the period 1 January to 30 June 2021, no investigations were completed. See ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 January – 31 March 2021 and ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 April – 30 June 2021.

Complaints and Investigations
Report No. Type of Report or Complaint Alleged Issue Date reported to the Department Status
184 Self reported by exporter Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for cattle exported to Vietnam. Cattle were moved to facilities outside the exporter’s supply chain. 7 December 2020 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022
183 Self reported by exporter Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for cattle exported to Vietnam. Reported evidence of cattle flooding at one abattoir. 11 September 2020 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022
182 Complaint from a third party Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for cattle exported to Vietnam. A third party reported cattle outside of approved supply chains and potential flooding of cattle. 25 August 2020 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022
181 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for cattle exported to Israel and Gaza. Animals were observed outside approved supply chains. 11 August 2020 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 October – 31 December 2020
180 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare standards for cattle in Indonesia. Non-compliant handling and slaughter identified. 7 August 2020 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July 2021 – 30 June 2022
179 Self reported by exporter

Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to Jordan. Animals were observed outside the approved supply chain.

A subsequent report was received from Animals Australia on 31 July 2020 on the same issue.
28 July 2020 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 October – 31 December 2020
178 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to Kuwait. Animals were observed outside approved supply chains. 23 July 2020 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July – 30 September 2020
177 Independent Observer Report of non-compliance with ESCAS control and animal welfare standards for sheep in Kuwait. During discharge of a consignment in Kuwait, sheep were removed from the loading platform and placed into a ute. The staff moving the sheep to the ute were observed pulling a sheep by its leg. 6 May 2020 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July – 30 September 2020
176 Self reported by exporter Report of non-compliance with ESCAS control standards for cattle in Vietnam. Cattle were moved to facilities outside the exporter’s supply chain. 20 April 2020 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 July – 30 September 2020

NOTE: For the period 1 April to 30 June 2020, no investigations were completed. See ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 April – 30 June 2020.

Complaints and Investigations
Report No. Type of Report or Complaint Alleged Issue Date reported to the Department Status
175 Self reported by exporter Report of non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare requirements for buffalo exported to Vietnam at an ESCAS approved abattoir. 31 December 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 December 2019 – 31 March 2020
174 Self reported by exporter Report of non-compliance with ESCAS control and traceability standards for cattle in Vietnam. Cattle were moved to facilities outside the exporter’s supply chain and have lost traceability. 30 October 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 September – 30 November 2019
173 Independent Observer Report of non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare standards during discharge of a consignment of cattle in the Philippines. 3 June 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 June 2019 – 31 August 2019
172 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for cattle exported to Indonesia. Animals observed outside the approved supply chain, with non-compliant handling and slaughter identified. 13 August 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 December 2019 – 31 March 2020
171 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to Malaysia. Animals were observed outside approved supply chains. 12 August 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 June 2019 – 31 August 2019
170 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to Kuwait. Animals were observed outside approved supply chains. 5 August 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 June 2019 – 31 August 2019
169 Complaint from Animals Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for sheep exported to Kuwait. Animals were observed outside approved supply chains. 2 August 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 December 2019 – 31 March 2020
168 Independent Observer Report of non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare standards during discharge of a consignment in Kuwait. 18 June 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 June 2019 – 31 August 2019
167 Complaint from RSPCA Australia Report of non-compliance with ESCAS requirements for cattle exported to Israel. 19 June 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 June 2019 – 31 August 2019
166 Independent Observer Report of non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare standards during discharge of a consignment in Israel. 17 April 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 June 2019 – 31 August 2019
165 Independent Observer Report of non-compliance with ESCAS animal welfare standards during discharge of a consignment in Indonesia. 10 April 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 March 2019 – 31 May 2019
164 Self reported by exporter Report of non-compliance with ESCAS control, traceability and animal welfare requirements for cattle exported to Vietnam. Cattle were moved to facilities outside the exporter’s supply chain and have lost traceability. 2 May/10 May 2019 ESCAS Regulatory Performance Report 1 March 2019 – 31 May 2019

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Last updated: 14 November 2023

© Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.