Australia has rolled back a ban on exporting sheep to the Middle East during the hottest months of the year in a move animal rights groups say ignores scientific recommendations introduced to protect animal welfare.
The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment announced adjustments to the summer export ban this week, based on climatological data that it said resulted in an increased risk of heat stress in the Persian Gulf in May, and reduced risk of heat stress for sheep travelling through the Red Sea in early June.
