A NEW federal government report into the welfare of live export animals has been lauded by industry and denounced by animal welfare proponents.

The report into the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System aimed to test Australia’s animal export chain, tracking beasts from their departure to their slaughter overseas.

The report says more than 99 per cent of animals are treated according to the guidelines’ high standards. The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council says the report shows exporters have improved greatly since the “dark place” the industry was in back in 2011.

ALEC chair Simon Crean, a former Labor primary industries veteran, said in a statement “vastly improved treatment of Australian livestock overseas has been achieved,” but he acknowledged 22 incidents “that do not reflect well on the industry”.

Katrina Love from Freo-based Stop Live Exports says the report is like “a book review written by the book’s author”.

She says the 99 per cent rate is misleading, saying it means there were complaints about one per cent of animals, but there are likely unknown cases of abuse not complained about.

Ms Love says standards (known as OIE) set a very low bar, noting they allow “cutting their throats while they’re fully conscious”.

Agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce says the report shows Australia is a world leader in live animal shipping welfare.

Ms Love concedes that’s probably true, but with standards so low that’s nothing to crow about.

by DAVID BELL