Summary

The project aim is to develop evidenced-based and feasible recommendations and strategies that improve the health and welfare outcomes for harvested buffalo throughout the entire supply chain.

The project has four main objectives to achieve its purpose:
1. Analyse current evidence, practices, risk factors, and indicators of adverse animal mortality, health, and welfare outcomes throughout the free-range buffalo supply chain.
2. Evaluate the influence of animal-, management- and environmental-based factors on key animal welfare outcomes for a range of supply chain conditions.
3. Develop evidence-based and feasible recommendations for policy and practice changes that will reduce the risk of animal mortalities and adverse health and welfare outcomes.
4. Identify the opportunities for economically feasible buffalo harvesting on traditional lands whilst achieving acceptable animal welfare outcomes and meeting the economic development, cultural, and ecological goals of indigenous communities.

The ultimate outcome of the project is to reduce mortality rates to comparable levels with the cattle industry across the supply chain and to meet the Australian Standards for Export of Livestock (ASEL 3.0, Department of Agriculture 2020) conditions. The project includes extensive engagement and consultation with industry, government, and indigenous stakeholders to understand the issues, review new evidence and explore feasible solutions and changes throughout the entire supply chain.

The outcome of the supplementary work, which is covered by the fourth objective, will be a plan for sustainable harvest of buffalo across Arnhem Land that meets the aspirations of traditional owners and reduces the environmental impact of buffalo on sensitive areas.

Expected outcomes

The project will contribute to improving the health and welfare outcomes of harvested buffaloes throughout the supply chain while promoting the sustainable economic development of the industry and respecting the ecological and cultural needs of the natural resources and indigenous assets. Based on a robust evidence base about the factors affecting mortality, animal health and welfare outcomes in the buffalo supply chain, the project will produce the following critical outputs and initiate their implementation:

• Adoption and implementation of lessons learned from the research by industry into commercial practice.
• Recommendations for monitoring and evaluation for industry to track compliance in satisfying Federal welfare standards.
• Recommendations for economically feasible buffalo harvesting on traditional lands whilst achieving acceptable animal welfare outcomes and meeting the economic development, cultural, and ecological goals of indigenous communities.

The ultimate outcome from the project is to reduce mortality rates during buffalo export to meet the Australian Standards for Export of Livestock (ASEL 3.0, Department of Agriculture 2020) conditions.

The aim is that that the risk of mortality for buffalo on board live export vessels (currently 0.30%) should not be statistically dissimilar to that of cattle (currently 0.10%). Similarly, health and welfare indicators such as appetite and maintenance of weight along the supply chain should be equivalent to cattle in similar circumstances. This will be achieved by developing evidenced-based and feasible recommendations to improve the health and welfare outcomes for harvested buffalo through the entire supply chain, from wild capture in the Top End of the Northern Territory to delivery to market, either to an NT abattoir or a live export destination.

Achieving the project outcomes and impact beyond the project will most likely require changed practices by the buffalo industry and policy changes, and or adoption of recommendations and actions plans by industry groups, Government agencies and non-Government organisations.

The key industry bodies, Government institutions and non-Government institutions include:
• The Australian Buffalo Industry Council (ABIC) and NT Buffalo Industry Council (NTBIC)
• Northern Territory Department of Industry Tourism and Trade (DITT)
• The Central Agri Group’s Rum Jungle abattoir
• The Northern Land Council (NLC)
• Arnhem Land Indigenous organisations, such as MIMAL Land Management Aboriginal
Corporation, Arafura Swamp Rangers Aboriginal Corporation (ASRAC) and OenpelliGunbalanya/ILSC.
• NT Live Export Association (NTLEA)
• The Animal Welfare branch and Live Export Animal Welfare Advisory Group of the Federal
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF)
• Livecorp
• Natural resources and conservation group