The Australian Lot Feeders Association complains that animal welfare activists and airborne drones are probing their feedlotting practices. The object of this article will be to analyse critically the public interest in the export of live animals for purposes of destination market slaughter, with the industry’s corporate interests. According to former Australian High Court Chief Justice French, public decisions must be made lawfully, rationally, fairly and intelligibly. The question arises as to whether decisions in the export supply chain of live animals comply with these criteria, and does the live animal export trade constitute a major breach of public trust? The prevailing public view, and therefore the public interest, may be inferred from the available facts, suggesting that the live animals export industry is only apparently in conformance with an international regulatory system. Authorities appear to have taken the side of corporate live animal export interests, and their apparent desires for production efficiencies, distorting the public rhetoric to manipulate the public interest, and reducing the quality of humane treatment of animals. On board many ships, animals have been severely ill-treated and tortured, enduring suffering through high temperatures, a lack of fresh or sufficient air causing death, and the further painful suffering of deadly diseases. Although apparently lawful, the trade does not appear rational, fair or intelligible, thus amounting to a large-scale breach of the public trust.
Keywords: Animal welfare; Feedlotting practices; Public interest; Animal slaughter; International regulatory system; Humane treatment of animals; Breach of the public trust.