Live animal exporters have voted in favour of measures to protect the welfare of animals, in what an industry body has called "major cultural change" in line with community expectations.
The meeting of the Australian Livestock Exporters' Council in Brisbane on Wednesday voted to support the establishment of independent observers to travel on voyages to the Middle East during the northern hemisphere summer this year.
The decision's come after the shocking footage that emerged last week of 2400 sheep dying in inhumane conditions on a ship bound for the Middle East sparked outrage.
ALEC chairman Simon Crean said the industry had embraced the need for significant changes to safeguard against high-mortality voyages.
Exporters also voted to support the establishment of an Inspector General for the Welfare of Exported Animals, a role they believe could be handled by the Inspector General for Biosecurity.
Exporters say the next stage in the reform process is to work closely with the Minister for Agriculture regarding his department's ongoing regulation of the industry.
"Exporters are listening to the community and acting decisively to achieve change in the industry," Mr Crean said in a statement.
"The welfare of the animals and the future of our industry depends on it."
Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon admitted he was surprised by the exporters' shift in attitude.
The government has launched reviews into the industry regulator and the northern summer trade of livestock, as well as a whistleblower hotline.
Cabinet minister and senior Nationals figure Matt Canavan said establishing a new independent inspector might not be the answer to preventing sheep deaths at sea.
"The key thing is to make sure we've got the right penalties and sanctions in place for those people who do do the wrong thing," he told ABC radio.
But some within the government aren't convinced the trade can survive, with former cabinet minister and ex-farmer Sussan Ley repeating her calls for the industry to be shut down.
She believes an independent inspector is at risk of being a "toothless tiger" which acts as a bandaid solution.
"I'm calling for a phase-out of all live exports of sheep to the Middle East, not of cattle to Indonesia," the Liberal MP told ABC radio.
Greens senator Nick McKim said if there wasn't parliamentary support to end the trade, his party would look at a supporting a new regulator.
"We would simply see that as a first step on an ultimate journey to ban live exports," he told Sky News.
The findings of a veterinarian-led review into live export voyages to the Middle East will be handed down by May 11.
