Kuwaiti livestock buyers could snub Western Australia for packaged meat if the state ends up implementing its own summer ban on live exports, the Pastoralists and Graziers Association claims.
Disappointed by Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud's response to the Awassi Express scandal, his WA counterpart Alannah MacTiernan has warned the state may use its own animal welfare laws to restrict live exports during the Middle Eastern summer.
PGA president Tony Seabrook says he has been speaking with Kuwaiti buyers and Ms MacTiernan's plan could have wider ramifications for the meat industry.
But Labor candidate for Fremantle Josh Wilson says the PGA commentary is unhelpful and the industry should be more considered.
"I don't think there's any doubt this trade has been conducted in a very poor, effectively unregulated way and that needs to change," Mr Wilson, who was the MP for the electorate but had to quit over dual citizenship, told AAP on Friday.
"And I don't think it helps if people jump off the deep end and start making all kinds of claims about catastrophes. The catastrophes we know about are in relation to animal welfare."
The boldest change Mr Littleproud made after a livestock vet reviewed the northern hemisphere summer trade was cutting the number of animals on ships by up to 28 per cent.
But Mr Wilson says the minister didn't go far enough after talking tough initially.
'As time has gone on, that's dissipated. It seems to me that he's being drawn back into the fog.
"It's the same old making excuses, blaming it on a few bad apples and hoping that it will all going away.
"Well, we've seen that too many times and enough is enough."
Mr Seabrook has been contacted for further comment.
