Annabelle Broun embraces live sheep export industry

More than 52,000 head were loaded onto the Al Messilah livestock carrier at Fremantle Port on September 15, after the northern hemisphere moratorium ended.

Growing up on a mixed farm west of Beverley and having previously worked on live cattle export consignments, Ms Broun is no stranger to the trade.

However, it was her first-time managing the health, welfare and physical needs of sheep destined for Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Ms Broun described the quality of livestock being loaded this season as exceptional.

"The industry is under hard scrutiny and we need to make sure every animal is fit to load, healthy and free of injury and illness," Ms Broun said.

"There are experienced eyes on the sheep, as soon as they enter the feedlot right through to when they are loaded onto the ship.

"At any moment, we can take sheep out (that are not deemed fit), which means those that do make it onboard are in great shape."

Working in the live export trade wasn't always part of Ms Broun's plan.

Admittedly, she never imagined even pursuing a career in livestock and instead went on to study a Bachelor of Science degree majoring in psychology at Curtin University.

This may come as a surprise given her family have farmed in Beverley since 1888 and her parents Jamie and Jill run Chocolate Hills UltraWhites.

Ms Broun lived on the farm until she started high school and university in Perth, and loved helping her dad in the stockyards as a child.

"Livestock was always in the back of my mind," she said.

"But, I was enjoying the city - in particular the night life - a little too much."

When COVID-19 hit, Ms Broun was working, volunteering and travelling around Europe and Africa.

As bartending and ski fields didn't quite make the 'essential job list', she figured it was time to move back home and consider a different career.

It was a conversation with former The Livestock Collective program manager Milly Nolan a few years earlier, which had Ms Broun wanting to learn more about live export.

Ms Nolan had been working at a feedlot in Perth, preparing sheep for export to Israel and Jordan.

"I messaged Milly about it and picked up some casual work," Ms Broun said.

"With the endless sheep work and learning about another part of the supply chain, I was instantly hooked.

"I worked with an onboard stockie at the feedlot and must have driven him nuts with all my questions about the job.

"I figured it was the perfect job for me because I could combine my two interests - travel and livestock."

When the three-month northern hemisphere moratorium was in place, Ms Broun went to work on a mixed farm with one of her best mates Sophie Beasley, working as her stock hand.

Ms Beasley was livestock manager at a Kojonup property and her passion for the industry was contagious.

Ms Broun was keen to start her onboard stockperson accreditation in 2020, however delayed starting as COVID-19 restrictions worsened with hotel quarantine.

She stayed living and working in Kojonup during the pandemic until New Zealand opened a travel bubble with Australia.

No time was wasted in packing her bags, moving over and travelling the entire country to work in various livestock jobs.

"While I was in NZ in 2022, I thought about the stockie's course and wondered if it was running again anytime soon," Ms Broun said.

"After a quick search, I saw it was on in four weeks time in the Northern Territory.

"I went from the snow capped mountains in New Zealand to hot and dusty Darwin."

Once Ms Broun received her onboard stockperson accreditation, she was only provisionally accredited.

This meant her role onboard the first two voyages was to learn, ask questions and help the head stockperson.

She was fortunate the same exporter put her on the first two voyages, so she was able to gain her accreditation quickly.

Ms Broun's first voyage was in March this year, with a shipment of 3600 head of cattle being sent from Wyndham to Panjang, Indonesia.

She has since been involved in eight voyages, including from Fremantle Port this month, and has travelled from Townsville to Vietnam four times, Darwin to Indonesia twice and Wyndham to Indonesia once.

"It is anything but glamorous," Ms Broun said.

"The weather can be rough, it is sleep depriving, the Wi-Fi is limited and sometimes you'll be the only Australian and/or female onboard.

"But for some weird reason, I absolutely love it."

Ms Broun was first appointed head stockperson on her fourth voyage from Darwin to Jakarta.

So what is involved with the role of head stockperson onboard a cattle and sheep voyage?

"On any voyage the stockperson is responsible for appropriate care and management of the livestock during loading, voyage and discharge operations," Ms Broun said.

"On cattle voyages, the stockperson is also responsible for treatments and reporting.

"On the sheep voyages where an accredited veterinarian (AAV) is onboard, the stockperson supports the AAV in their duties as requested."

Leading up to a shipment, Ms Broun likes to get her hands on the vessel's stowage plan to familiarise with what livestock will be onboard, numbers, weights and different lines.

Usually, she arrives at the port a day before loading, to catch up on sleep and load up on snack supplies.

"When the last animal has walked off the ship, and the final reports are submitted, my job is done," Ms Broun said.

"We leave the livestock in the hands of the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), which ensures the humane handling and slaughter of livestock in the importing country.

"Australia is the only country in the world with this kind of regulatory system."

Taking a look at the most recent sheep shipment, Ms Broun also served as a quality assurance inspector for sheep receivals into the feedlot from September 6-7.

It provided her with a great opportunity to see what sheep would be onboard the Al Messilah to the Middle East.

The inspection process involved rejecting any sheep that did not comply with the Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock (ASEL).

This involved pinkeye, scabby mouth, longhorns or ewes/rams that were not in the consignment.

Also rejected were sheep that were not fit to load, with arthritis, old injuries, blindness, flystrike, emaciated, pizzle rot or any other transit injuries.

Wool length was measured and anything over 20mm was sent to be shorn.

The day before loading, Ms Broun returned to the feedlot, checked out all the sheep in their final lines and familiarised herself with the load and stowage plan.

She said the voyage from Fremantle to Kuwait would take 14 days, with an additional two days for discharge, and one day to sail back to the UAE, with another one to two days discharge.

Sometimes there are three port discharges involved, which makes sheep voyages a little longer.

Ms Broun said there were too many highlights of working in live export to pinpoint just one but she does have a favourite.

"Celebrating Seafarers day onboard, sailing on a beautiful calm night past the Philippines islands with the Filipino crew," she said.

"The crew set-up a pool and a live band on the top deck and we sang karaoke all night.

"The chef made an incredible feast, Filipino and western food and desserts.

"I was so happy seeing the crew enjoy themselves as much as they were - life onboard can be tedious at times."

When asked what she loves most about the livestock industry Ms Broun said she thought it would have been working onfarm and out in open paddocks, but now life was the opposite.

"I'm back to living in the city and working on livestock export boats," she said.

"I love the physical work involved, being around animals all day and constantly learning about different parts of the supply chain and animal health.

"I'm constantly meeting new people across the supply chain and enjoy the challenge of cultural differences onboard and in importing markets."

As a cloud of uncertainty hangs heavy over the WA live sheep export trade, Ms Broun said there were endless reasons why the industry was important.

This includes providing thousands of jobs, and for a lot of people, it is their generational livelihood and passion.

"I have worked for various farmers and contractors in WA who send their (mainly) wethers to the live export ships," she said.

"It is pretty awesome when you recognise the property of origin of the incoming sheep.

"These farmers and contractors I have worked for, who I call my friends and family, and communities I have lived in, rely hugely on the live export trade as an alternative market.

"That is for sheep that are less desirable to Australian abattoirs, who supply local butchers and supermarkets or export chilled and frozen meat."

Ms Broun said the alternative market also provided an option for sheep producers to manage risk in drier conditions.

With few processing facilities in WA and a relatively low state population, she said live export created diversity and competition for farmers.

"We have a strong international demand for our livestock due to many economic, religious and cultural reasons," she said.

"Australian livestock is deemed to be safe, reliable and a quality source of protein.

"If the live export trade was to be banned, not only would Australian farmers, shearers, truck drivers, feedlot workers and many other roles in the supply chain be affected, but animal welfare standards and food security all over the world would diminish.

"Importing markets will not stop demanding livestock and would simply seek alternative exports from countries, who may have no standards or regulations, of exporting livestock.

"The live sheep export industry is an important contributor to Australian agriculture and regional economies, generating export income, underpinning prices and delivering solid returns for producers."

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