LOCAL campaigners against live animal exports say they’re planning to ramp up protests in response to the Abbott government’s push to boost the industry.

Katrina Love, who co-ordinates Stop Live Exports from a house in Beaconsfield, says they’re planning to protest outside Fremantle Port and the offices of exporter Livestock Shipping Services, which may face charges over the deaths of 4179 sheep en-route from Fremantle to Qatar in September last year.

Recently federal agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce flagged ramping up sheep exports to Bahrain and Iran.

Ms Love says she’s perplexed by the decision to woo Bahrain, saying the country had increased its importation of Australian chilled meat to 13,000 tonnes annually which could mean Australian abattoir jobs could be at risk over a decision to extend a cruel trade.