Camel ownership in Western Australia

Page last updated: Wednesday, 17 May 2023 - 8:20am

Please note: This content may be out of date and is currently under review.

Registration of owners and identification of livestock in Western Australia is required by law under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management (Identification and Movement of Stock and Apiaries) Regulations 2013 [BAM (IMSA) regulations]. Camels are prescribed stock under the BAM (IMSA) regulations. All camel owners must be registered as owners of stock and have a current property identification code (PIC) for the property/s where their animals are kept. There is no prescribed identification for camels.

Owners must register

People with any livestock and/or bees in WA must be registered as owners with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Brands Office.

There are now two avenues to register as an owner: via the new online Brands Portal or with the existing paper-based applications. The Brands Portal is a secure website that allows Beekeepers, Livestock owners and operators to manage their registrations online. It is the preferred option for submitting registrationsTo register as an owner of stock, login to the Brands Portal online.

You will be taken to the Welcome page, which will guide you through the Digital Identity setup and the Brands Portal login procedures.

If you are unable or prefer not to use the Brands Portal, you can download and send in the completed paper forms via email or post.

On registration, a property identification code (PIC) will be allocated to the owner to indicate who owns the animals and where they are kept. A PIC card is issued that lists the properties that the owner has nominated to run stock on and the registered identifiers for use with stock, namely their stock brand, earmark and pig tattoo. Although there are no relevant identifiers for camels, being a registered owner allows you to own any type or number of livestock.

For more information see:

Property identification code (PIC)

The PIC is used to identify the property on which the camels are normally kept, whether you own the land or not. When you register as an owner of stock, you enter the details of the property/s on the registration form. If you do not own the property, it is the owner of the property who must sign the registration form to confirm their consent for the camel(s) or any other stock to be kept on their property.

Having your own PIC on a shared property will allow you to be notified should anything occur on that property that could affect your camel, as the PIC represents location and owner of the stock.

Short-term movements to other properties — such as to a veterinarian or an event — do not constitute where the camel is normally kept and so do not have to be listed on your registration form (these locations will need their own non-farming PIC to indicate that stock are present but are not owned by the premise operator).

Identification requirements

Your registration provides you with registered identifiers (stock brand, earmark and pig tattoo) as the one registration allows you to own any type of prescribed livestock. However, there is no requirement or prescribed method for identifying camels. It is up to the individual to identify their animals if they wish to claim ownership or distinguish them from feral populations or camels owned by another party. 

Moving camels

A waybill is not required when moving camels unless they are being consigned to an abattoir for human consumption. 

Offences under the BAM (IMSA) regulations

It is an offence under the BAM (IMSA) regulations:

  • For a person to own or purchase stock unless the person is a registered owner of stock.

The penalty for a breach of the legislation may be up to $2000.

Contact information

Livestock ownership, identification and traceability
1300 926 547