MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia has suspended the live export licence of one unnamed company, the agriculture department said on Friday, as the government tightens controls on the livestock export industry after the death of thousands of sheep bound for the Middle East last year.
Footage that emerged earlier this year of the severely distressed sheep that died from heat stress while on a vessel shocked the nation and fuelled calls for an outright ban on the A$250 million ($190 million) sheep export industry.
Australia is one of the world's largest exporters of livestock, and while the bulk of its meat exports are processed, markets such as the Middle East and Indonesia prefer to buy live animals.
The Department of Agriculture said in a statement it had "suspended the live export licence of one company", without naming it.
It said the licence would stay suspended pending a full review of its response to a show cause notice, asking it to explain why a certain course of action should not be taken against it.
"The laws that regulate the export of livestock include strict requirements to ensure the health and welfare of animals. It is the responsibility of each exporter to ensure it meets those obligations," the agriculture department said.
"The department takes those responsibilities very seriously."
Australia said in May it would require ships carrying live cattle and sheep exports to reduce the number of sheep they carried during the northern hemisphere summer and have an independent observer to ensure welfare standards.
The Australian government, which relies on the support of rural voters, rejected an outright ban on live exports as it would cause too much damage to the country's agricultural sector, Agricultural Minister David Littleproud said last month.
(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Manolo Serapio Jr.)
