Independent observer summary reports

Independent observers (observers) monitor and provide data on exporter arrangements on-board livestock export vessels. Their observations cover loading of the vessel through to completion of discharge at the final port.

Observers provide us with data to assist with effective regulation of the livestock export trade.

We carefully review all data provided by the observer and identify any issues that require regulatory action. If we find significant issues, we require the exporter to take corrective actions.

We apply a rigorous quality assurance process to the data provided by observers. As part of this process, we prepare a redacted copy of the data for the exporter.

We publish a summary of the observer’s key observations on our website. This provides transparency of voyage activities and animal welfare outcomes. Where possible, the observer approves the summary report prior to its publication. This is to ensure it is an accurate account of what they observed during the voyage.

The information we publish may include the name of the holder of an export licence, occupier of a registered establishment or export business. This encourages compliance with our regulatory framework, and provides assurance to Australia's trading partners regarding how we regulate livestock exports.

We have also provided guidance around categories of issues or non-compliances commonly identified by observers.

For consistency and certainty on timing of publications, observer summary reports are published quarterly. Summary reports finalised during each quarter are published by the first Thursday of May, August, November and February.

We allocate report numbers at the time we assign an observer to a voyage. Changes in circumstances may result in the observer not being deployed on the voyage.

Previous observer summary reports

You can access reports from 2022 onwards on this page. To access reports completed before 2022 see the National Library of Australia’s Trove archive.

Discretion advised: These reports contain images which may be distressing to some viewers.