The assistant secretary of the agriculture department, Narelle Clegg, breaks down while describing ‘dreadful’ footage

The assistant secretary of the agriculture department, Narelle Clegg, broke down during a Senate estimates hearing while describing the conditions on a live export ship that led to the deaths of 2,400 sheep.

The sheep began to die on day 15 of a voyage in August to the Middle East on the Awassi Express after a sudden surge in temperatures, Clegg said. There were 900 sheep deaths in one day and hundreds more in the days that followed. Distressing footage of the conditions on board the ship were released in April.

“There was so much footage of empty troughs – it was dreadful,” Clegg said through tears.

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Clegg was questioned about how the department conducted investigations following a mass death event such as that on the Awassi, including what information was sought by investigators from the exporters.



Clegg said the department looked at any reports available from veterinarians or stockmen aboard the ship, the original application for export and evidence about whether the voyage was prepared for adequately.



“The cause of death was heat stress,” she said, adding that no regulations had been breached.



She also said the vet on board euthanised as many critically unwell animals as possible, according to regulations. But she could not say how many of the dead sheep were euthanised and how many died from the heat stress.

The deputy chair of the rural and regional affairs and transport committee, the Nationals senator Barry O’Sullivan, put it to Clegg that it would be relevant to know if a vet would have euthanised more animals if they had more resources or time.

“What this episode shows, particularly the video footage, it shows the inadequacy of the information we’re asking the vets to provide,” Clegg said.



Bur Labor senator Lisa Singh told Clegg it showed “the inadequacy of the department as an independent regulator”.

Clegg responded: “It may well, that’s your view.”

Sullivan also asked Clegg if the temperatures during the voyage were foreseeable.



Clegg said soaring temperatures in the region where the sheep had died at the time of year the ship had taken its voyage were expected. But the days in August when those high temperatures might occur were not foreseeable, she said.



“The heat stress risk assessment model is meant to evaluate that risk and set a stocking density for that risk,” she said. “The model uses the average temperature of the month.”

Clegg also said the count of animals on board a vessel was not always accurate and there were often discrepancies between the numbers recorded at different ports, adding it was something the department could address in the future.

“I think technology has moved on a lot and it will be something we focus on,” she said.