Australia: Investigations into sheep being taken outside of approved supply chains in Oman

ALLEGATIONS of Australian sheep being taken out of approved supply chains in the Arabian Peninsula country of Oman are being investigated by the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry. The Australian Livestock Exporters Council last night advised that an investigation by the department into non-compliances of the Export Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) is underway. The allegations made by a third party, believed to be an activist operative, refer to 14 instances where Australian sheep may have been out of their approved supply chains in Oman, ALEC said. ALEC said DAFF received the complaint on the evening of 28 May and exporters were advised on 29 May. Upon receiving this advice, the two exporters with sheep in Oman immediately commenced reconciliations of their traceability records and deployed staff to Oman to address any potential issues on-ground. These processes are underway, and exporters will inform the Department of the outcomes immediately after completion, ...