The Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System: A case study of performative regulation in Australia’s live animal export trade

This thesis examines an element of Australia’s live animal export trade regulatory framework. The ‘Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System’ was introduced following the 2011 exposé of Australian cattle being cruelly treated in abattoirs overseas. Ongoing welfare problems in the trade demanded greater investigation into the ESCAS. The case study makes a distinctive contribution through its critical socio-legal perspective and empirical interview research with key live export trade stakeholders. The thesis finds the ESCAS to be a performative regulatory regime deployed to enable and legitimise a future for the contentious trade, while making little meaningful difference in the interests of animals.