Austrailan Live Exports

[eve]

this message with images comes from Animals Australia:
http://www.animalsaustralia.org/takeaction/live-export/
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Dear Friend,
At this very moment, tens of thousands of Australian animals are on the open
ocean heading for the slaughterhouses of the Middle East.

Australia's live export industry has exported over 140 million animals to
countries notorious for cruelty to animals. At least 2.5 million animals have
died on ships en-route. However, they may well have been the lucky ones, saved from enduring the brutal handling and slaughter that awaited them in the Middle East.

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* This is the video that the industry doesn't want to you see:
http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take...ort/video.html

* Vote against live exports:
http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take...akeAction.html

Lying bound and helpless across a blood drain in a Middle East slaughterhouse, these sheep are 10,000 kms from home and the protection of our laws. They and millions of others, have been knowingly supplied to endure acts of cruelty that would be illegal in Australia.

The 'activities' of this immoral industry have been far away from Australian
eyes and consciences. Those who profit from this industry don't want you to
know what happens to our animals in the Middle East or on ships. They know that for every person who becomes aware - it brings their final judgement day ever closer.

They won't want you or other Australians to watch this video
(http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take...rt/video.html), hear their protestations and then see the truth. Live animal export is Australia's greatest shame.
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*** HELP US END AUSTRALIA'S LIVE EXPORT INDUSTRY. ***
-- It's not about animal rights - it's about animal wrongs --

STEP 1: Vote against live animal export:
http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take...akeAction.html
Send a message to our government and show them that you will not accept live export cruelty.

STEP 2: Bring their plight 'home':
http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take...adTheWord.html
Send this important message to your friends, family, and workmates.

STEP 3 Support Animals Australia's live export campaign:

www.animalsaustralia.org and find out how you can help reduce animal cruelty.
For more information about live exports, contact Animals Australia:
www.AnimalsAustralia.org or phone toll-free: 1800 888 584

[eve]

livestock exports to Egypt resume within weeks, now that Australia and Egypt have agreed to new animal welfare arrangements. The live trade to Egypt has been suspended since footage was broadcast earlier this year showing animals in an Egyptian abattoir that were not being treated to industry standards.

Under agreements signed today, 3 Oct 06, only three Egyptian abattoirs will be authorised to slaughter Australian cattle and the livestock will be tracked from the time they arrive in Egypt.

Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran says the two governments will jointly appoint supervisors to oversee every slaughter at one abattoir. "It will be a suitably qualified person, it may well be an Egyptian or Australian veterinary surgeon or it might be a person in whom both governments have confidence on the basis of their credibility and experience," he said.

[akaredarcher]

In today's Sydney Morning Herald:
'Call for end to live exports'
"ANIMALS Australia has renewed its call for an end to the live export trade after 248 cattle died aboard MV Maysora, which sailed to Israel in October.
The main causes of death were "shipping fever" pneumonia, heat stress and blood poisoning, a quarantine service report said."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/...648060469.html

Still in the news because it's still going on...

[BlackDog]

From Animals Australia:
'Dear friends,
As you know, the Howard Government deems it acceptable to send millions of Australian animals to the Middle East each year to endure horrific cruelty and the terror of having their throats cut whilst fully conscious.
Acting on an industry tip off, Animals Australia alerted Federal Agriculture Minister McGauran to the alarming news that a Victorian abattoir is killing sheep by this barbaric method to fill a contract for a Middle Eastern buyer.
In Australia, slaughter standards require that sheep be electrically stunned to ensure that they are unconscious at the time, or immediately after, their throats are cut.
Animals Australia met with Minister McGauran last Wednesday. We expected him to immediately close the 'loop-hole' being exploited in the standards. Instead—rather than acknowledge the barbarity of slaughter without stunning—Minister McGauran is considering allowing it to continue! He wants to debate whether being conscious for up to 20 seconds whilst your throat is cut and you are bleeding to death causes suffering!
Allowing this to continue is unconscionable. Islamic authorities in Australia have deemed stunning acceptable as part of religious slaughter. As a result millions of animals are being killed more humanely here and being exported chilled, rather than being exported live to the Middle East.
Animals Australia’s legal advice is that killing animals without stunning is illegal under federal laws (failure to comply with a ‘Standard’ required under the Export Control Act 1982), and that it also breaches the Victorian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. It is therefore also within the power of Victoria’s Agriculture Minister Joe Helper to stop these practices.'

You can sign letters to the ministers at the Animals Australia website.
It's an election year!

[eve]

BlackDog, you say:

millions of animals are being killed more humanely here

So how does one kill animals humanely? Incidentally I once saw a doco that proudly showed off humane killing of cows wherein the creature is stunned, then put onto a conveyance belt, where first of all parts of her face are cut off, then chest, arms etc, and arriving at the end of the conveyance where the pieces finish up wrapped in plastic. Now they may be stunned, but they are not dead, and can certainly be aware but unable to move etc.

Sorry, IMHO all killing is inhumane.

[BlackDog]

Sorry, IMHO all killing is inhumane.

So, between the only two options currently available, you prefer that sheep are exported live to the Middle East (in horrendous conditions), sold on the dockside, trussed and stuffed into car boots then have their throats slit whilst fully conscious?

Of course I know that all killing is inhumane. That's why I'm vegan.

[eve]

Did I give a preference? All slaughter is inhumane. I know that the preference of many is that we sell frozen bodies to the Middle East, but if it were possible for me to be an advocate of something, it would be to bring an end to ALL killing.

The overwhelming proportion of the population here and elsewhere is to eat meat, and the numbers of animals killed is increasing exponentially. The only way to overcome that is to demonstrate to consumers that eating meat is detrimental to their health. Nothing else seems to count, because if they "care" about animals, they dont want to be told the details of abattoirs etc, so they can go on eating the meat. If they dont care, they also go on eating the meat. It is SELF that matters; they need to be convinced that it is in their own health interest to stop eating the flesh of dead animals.

[eve]

There was some good news this week from the courts here. You may recall that someone in Western Australia organised a method to stop an export of sheep to the middle east for halal slaughter. The method used was to put some shredded ham in the food for sheep about to go on the boat. Of course this made it immediately unacceptable by the halal authorities, and the shipment didn't go ahead.

Of course the matter went to court on various charges, because of the cost to the farmers concerned, but this week the judge ruled that it was not illegal to put ham in the sheep feed, as the law was based on damage to property, which did not happen here. Naturally the farmers are furious, and possibly there will be an appeal if they can find the grounds to appeal.

[eve]

Just got on line, only to read - too late - an email from Animals Australia that the 7.30 Report was about the subject of live sheep exports. Guess I'll be able to read the transcript tomorrow.

[Kitteh]

I missed it too.

I think their national day for awareness is Nov 10th. Tshirts are avail online @ Animals Australia. There is an email going around atm so you can take action now.

[eve]

It's election time, and the Labor party are keen to get in, and here's what they say about live animal exports:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599...007133,00.html

[Kitteh]

The title is *might* end it, if the public pushed for it. There would need to be some serious public protests etc and a lot of letter writing I think if we were to get the ALP to end Live Export.

Don't like that other guy's quote about not caving to "extremists" and saying it would continue because we're such a world leader in it.

[eve]

You're right Kitteh, and I certainly won't hold my breath waiting for the labor party to act. It's just that it is good to get the subject an airing.

[eve]

I sent an email to Mr Rudd, and here's his reply after I edited out his comments on Mr Howard's inactions:

"The Labor Party's position on standards in the live export industry is quite clear and consistent with the producers and exporters in the industry - cruelty to animals is unacceptable.

"Labor has long advocated measures to better secure the welfare of animals shipped to overseas markets, including more modern transport, holding and slaughter facilities and improved training for handlers. We believe these measures should be subject to regular audits. Over recent years Labor has liaised closely with representatives of the live export industry to address genuine community and international concerns about animal welfare in the live export trade.

"A Rudd Labor Government would work constructively with producers and
exporters to continually enhance Australia's live export industry and improve animal welfare standards. Labor would fully enforce the MOU with Egypt.

"Labor also recognises the importance of the domestic meat processing
sector. Growth in this sector will bring higher animal welfare standards, a better return to the Australian economy from the sheep and beef sectors, and more jobs in regional communities."

Nothing here about ending the live exports if the public pushes for it.

[Kitteh]

Disappointing.

[eve]

Perth court throws out cruelty charges against live sheep exporter.
February 8, 2008, 7:48 pm

A landmark Animal Welfare case against a Western Australian live sheep exporter has been thrown out of the Perth Magistrates Court.
Emanuel Exports was charged with three offences when 1,000 sheep died on a boat while travelling from Fremantle to the Middle East in 2003.

Emanuel was charged with transporting animals in a way to cause harm, not providing proper food, shipping sheep at the wrong time of the year and not providing proper health checks.

Magistrate Catherine Crawford found the WA Animal Welfare Act to be invalid, because live export is governed by Commonwealth Law, and that overrides State Law. Trevor De Landgrafft from the WA Farmers Federation says farmers around the state will be breathing a sigh of relief.

"Quite clearly this decision could have affected the viability of many of our sheep producers," he said. "It's worth a lot of money to the economy."

Animals Australia is now considering persuing the live trade through Commonwealth law.

[Roxy]

The Magistrate is probably very relieved that she was able to pass the buck (no pun intended) on this one.

I hope Animals Australia does pursue this through the Federal Courts. However, I'm wondering why their lawyer pursued the matter through the State Courts? Surely a lawyer must now what is under Commonweath jurisdiction and what isn't.

[eve]

I thought exactly the same thing. Does Animals Australia use cheap lawyers or what? There must have been some expenditure involved, and for nothing.