A coalition of 38 animal welfare and protection organisations spanning Europe, Australia, South Africa and Latin America, including Stop Live Export South Africa, has written to the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI), calling on the marine insurance sector to examine the risk profile of the global livestock carrier fleet.
The letter, sent on 21 July 2026 on behalf of the Global Stop Live Exports Network, cites the newly released 2026 Global Livestock Fleet Report, an independent analysis by Robin des Bois, Animal Welfare Foundation and Tierschutzbund Zurich covering 159 vessels involved in maritime livestock transport worldwide.
Key findings cited in the letter include:
- The average converted livestock carrier is 45 years old, with 51 vessels aged 50 years or more.
- 84% of the fleet (134 of 159 vessels) was never purpose-built for livestock transport.
- 47.3% of the fleet flies’ flags blacklisted by the Paris Memorandum of Understanding.
- Livestock carriers have been the worst-performing vessel category recorded by the Paris MoU for at least six consecutive years, with a detention rate of 15.1% in 2024, almost four times the average across all inspected ship types.
- 54.7% of the fleet is owned by shell companies, most of them single-ship entities registered in tax havens, complicating liability recovery when vessels are lost or abandoned.
Lisa Baker, President of Stop Live Exports Australia, who signed the letter on behalf of the network, said the initiative was not a call on the ethics of live export.
“This is a request to examine the documented maritime risk profile of this vessel category, and to consider whether current underwriting practices, industry due diligence standards and reputational exposure frameworks adequately reflect that risk,” Baker said.
Michelle Taberer, Founder and Chairperson of Stop Live Export SA, says, “For Stop Live Export SA, joining this global initiative provides another opportunity to highlight the risks and consequences of the live export trade to the broader network of industries that enable it. This initiative forms part of a wider effort to encourage accountability across the live export supply chain. While insurers do not operate vessels or load animals onto ships, insurance remains an essential enabler of the trade. We will continue working with our international partners to scrutinise the systems and industries that support the export of live animals by sea.”
The letter asks IUMI and its member associations to commission an independent actuarial assessment of the livestock carrier fleet, develop industry-wide due diligence standards for underwriting livestock carrier risk, review whether current premium structures reflect the documented risk profile, and consider the reputational exposure to member underwriters of continued association with the sector.
The network has requested a meeting with IUMI representatives to discuss the report’s findings.
In a response dated 28 July 2026, IUMI acknowledged the coalition’s concerns and agreed that awareness of the risks associated with the live export trade, including its reputational implications, is important. IUMI confirmed that livestock transport is already included on its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Watch List and advised that the entry will be updated to reference the 2026 Global Livestock Fleet Report. The organisation also accepted the coalition’s invitation to meet virtually with its members to discuss the report’s findings. While IUMI declined the request to develop sector-specific underwriting standards, citing competition law considerations and its role as a trade association rather than a regulator, the Global Stop Live Exports Network welcomed the engagement as a constructive step towards greater scrutiny of risks associated with the livestock carrier sector.
- The full letter to the IUMI is available at: Stop Live Export SA adds its voice to global challenge over trade risks.
- The 2026 Global Livestock Fleet Report is available here .
- The Global Stop Live Exports Network comprises 38 animal welfare and protection organisations across Europe, Australia, South Africa and Latin America.
- Further information regarding IUMI’s response is available at: Marine insurance union responds to global campaign over live export shipping risks.
