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'Safe havens' proposed for live exports
29 Oct 2003
The Australian Government will develop a group of "safe haven" markets to deal with any future rejections of live animal shipments. Plans also include further work on quarantine measures in case shipments have to return to Australia. The proposals were revealed as the Federal Government announced that Eritrea had agreed to take the sheep stranded on board the MV Cormo Express. About 57 countries were approached to take the sheep, with the Eritrean deal kept secret for more than a week after an agreement was signed.
Meat and Livestock Australia chairman David Crombie said a fallback plan is needed. We really need a Plan B, and we're working with government and with industry to achieve this, he said.
But the Federal Agriculture Minister, while agreeing that a fallback is necessary, said it's clear there are now problems in funding other markets when shipments are rejected, especially as the Persian Gulf countries have an agreement. He said that's why it's important to keep working on the quarantine protocols for returning sheep to Australia.
Weekly Times, 29/10/03, page 7.
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