AMIEU RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT IMPACT OF LIVE ANIMAL EXPORTS ON AUSTRALIAN JOBS

AMIEU have placed this ad in the Rockhampton Bulletin, Mackay Daily Mercury, Toowoomba Chronicle and Queensland Times today. It will also run in the Townsville Bulletin tomorrow (click on the image to see it in full).

These ads aim to highlight the impact of live animal exports on meatworker jobs. AMIEU states 'last year over 4 million sheep and 1 million cattle were exported live, causing crisis for our industry'.

The ad includes a Christmas card addressed to the Minister for Agriculture Tony Burke. In the card is written "It's a bleak Christmas for Queensland meatworkers who've lost their jobs. Most of us still with a job are only working three to four days a week." And includes a few questions directed at Burke, including "Why are you sending Australian jobs overseas?"

The ad also features a link to the Humane Chain - asking those concerned to voice their concerns via http://www.humanechain.org.au/

These ads follow massive job cuts earlier this month, whereby two of Australia’s biggest sheep meat exporters - one in New South Wales and one in South Australia were forced to cut production. Check out the article in The Australian about this @ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/industry-sectors/lamb-exporters-make-savage-cuts/story-e6frg95o-1225809998661.

Thousands of animals perish in live export disaster

It was devastating to hear the news over the weekend that nearly 30,000 animals – 10,224 sheep and 17,932 cattle – were drowned when the Panamanian-flagged ship Danny F II sank off the coast of Lebanon. While the tragedy has taken an immense human toll, with more than half of the crew members still missing, WSPA and animal welfare organisations around the world have been highlighting the plight of the animals that have met this horrific death after having suffered a needless journey.

There have been numerous tragedies of this kind throughout the history of the live export trade. It is a harsh reminder of the perils of transporting thousands of animals across long distances – not to mention the often inhumane conditions on board such ships during these journeys. Previous WSPA investigations on the Danny F II and other similar cargo ships have shown how animals are packed tightly into the ship’s hold, with limited access to food and water, suffering great distress, injuries and dehydration before they arrive at slaughterhouses at their destination.

Over the weekend, however, the live export industry claimed that 99% of Australia’s exported animals arrive fit and health at their destinations and that we set a global benchmark for the rest of the world in terms of animal welfare. As the world’s largest exporter of animals for slaughter, Australia cannot continue to ignore the evidence that live exports are cruel.

We know that every year tens of thousands of sheep die on the journey from Australia to the Middle East alone. And for many of the sheep that survive the trip, a terrible fate awaits them in countries with no or unenforced animal welfare laws, where they are handled and slaughtered in ways that are neither legal nor tolerated within Australia

As WSPA has repeatedly shown, the live export trade can be phased out and replaced with chilled and frozen meat products derived from animals humanely slaughtered at their point of origin. Apart from significantly improving the welfare of the animals concerned, this move to chilled meat products would also bring economic benefits to countries at both ends of the trade.

When will the Australian Government recognise the inherent risk and cruelty of the live export trade?

Emily Reeves, Programmes Manager, WSPA Australia

Clover Moore wants an end to live sheep exports

Sydney Mayor Clover Moore shares her opinion publicly about Australian animal welfare in today’s Sydney Morning Herald. In her opening paragraph she notes, “We are well behind world’s best practice in this area, particularly in comparison with Europe.”

Within the opinion piece she talks about the cruelty inflicted on Australian farm animals and also discusses the issue of puppy farms, a practice she is tirelessly trying end.

“Even companion animals like dogs are farmed en masse in cruel puppy farms and backyard breeding facilities to supply cheap puppies to pet shops and through classifieds. Dogs are kept in filthy conditions, bred continuously and then discarded.”

Clover goes on to focus on the live sheep export trade, whereby she points out it’s not only completely ‘cruel’, but that it’s also doing “..little for the Australian economy.”

“A phase-out of the cruel live sheep export trade will have long term benefits for the Australian economy if the trade is replaced with chilled meat exports, while an increase in processed meat exports will discourage importing countries from seeking live imports elsewhere.”

Just last month in NSW Parliament Clover tabled questions on this issue, directed at the NSW Minister for Primary Industries. Questions included:

- What assessment has the NSW Government made on the impact that live exports have on meat packing jobs in NSW?

- Is the NSW Government aware of the World Society for the Protection of Animals supported report "Australian live sheep exports: Economic analysis of the impacts of ceasing the live sheep trade" that found live exports stifle the more profitable sheep meat processing industry?

And

- Given there are animal welfare concerns and industry concerns with live exports, what is the NSW Government doing to reduce live exports and support the chilled and frozen meat industry?

She is waiting on a response.

This is not the first time Clover has raised the issue, in 2004 she along with a group of some 58 prominent figures, comprising lawyers, actors, scientists, authors, musicians (including Daniel Johns) and many others sent an open letter to the Australian Government asking for an end to the live export trade.

Clover has also recently joined WSPA’s Humane Chain saying: “I find it distressing that the live export industry compels millions of sheep to harrowing journeys during which thousands die and those that arrive suffer appalling treatment. I support the Humane Chain campaign to end this practice which is not only cruel but also costs the Australian economy.”

We are sure people all over Australia applaud Ms Moore for all her work to help end unnecessary suffering of animals.

Job losses show impact of live exports on Australian economy

Reports in several media, including The Australian, over the last few days have confirmed that the live export industry is having a negative impact on the Australian sheep meat industry. Two of Australia’s biggest sheep meat exporters - one in New South Wales and one in South Australia - have been forced to cut production, citing pressure from the increased demand for live exports as one of the main reasons.

Surging demand for Australian lamb has driven up its price while Australia's sheep flock is at its lowest level since federation. AMIEU industrial officer Lee Norris has blamed the live export industry, in particular demand from the Middle East, for pushing prices higher. He said: "The current situation of serious job losses and stand-downs is really a culmination of a problem that has been unaddressed for decades. The devastating effect on the workers and their regional communities cannot be overstated."

In New South Wales, the Mayor of Dubbo, Allan Smith, has called for an end to live exports following the announcement of job losses there. He said: “Industry and government need to think seriously about the impact of live sheep exports. Surely it would be better to slaughter sheep in Australia instead of sending jobs overseas.”

We welcome Mr Smith’s comments. The ACIL Tasman report commissioned by WSPA earlier this year demonstrated that the domestic sheep meat processing industry is worth 20 per cent more to the Australian economy than live exports. It showed that a phase out of live exports, replacing them with sheep meat exports, is possible and would benefit both Australian animals and the Australian economy.

Australia cannot continue to ignore this issue. How many more Australian job losses will we have to see before the Government steps up? How many more millions of Australian sheep will have to suffer the cruelty of live exports before the Government takes action?

INSIGHT BUS ART SAYS “STOP LIVE TRADE”

Insight's road trip dubbed: “Repeat after me: I am free” left from Sydney in July of this year, bound for Byron Bay’s Splendor in the grass music festival. They were joined by International surfers, skaters and artists including Daniel Shimizu, Kai Otton and Luke Stedman. It looks like the group had loads of fun hitting the beach and the streets for a surf and skate road trip.

George Gorrow creative director of the extremely popular Australian fashion label and his friends at Insight decorated their tour bus with messages about issues important to them. Messages included ‘Stop live trade’, Handle With Care coaliton’ and ‘Ban live Ex’ in support of WSPA's campaign to end live sheep export from Australia to the Middle East.

Gorrow joined the Humane Chain earlier this year saying:

“Last year over five million animals were unnecessarily and inhumanely transported for slaughter across the world. This barbaric act is not a reflection of the constantly evolving beings that we are, and as such we need to take responsibility and make changes to prevent it from happening any further. Please give your support to the Handle With Care coalition to help put an end to this cruel and again absolutely unnecessary trade.”

WSPA leads the Handle With Care coalition, which includes the RSPCA, Animals Australia and Compassion in World Farming. The Handle With Care coalition is calling on the Australian government to phase out the live sheep export trade and in addition work to promote our more humane chilled meat trade.

Dr Teresa Buss-Carden says: the slaughter of kangaroos and live animal exports are both intrinsically cruel

Whilst working for the World League for Protection of Animals (WLPA) my main aim has been to stop the massacre of kangaroos in Australia, which is currently the largest land wildlife slaughter on our planet. However I am also deeply concerned about the live sheep export trade. Both "businesses" are intrinsically cruel and none of their attempts to carry out so called "improvements" to the welfare of animals affected by this industry can alleviate the ultimate cruelty & suffering animals are forced to endure.

Every year in Australia approximately one million joeys die a cruel death, as a result of being the by-product of commercial slaughter of 3-4 million adult kangaroos. In-pouch joeys are ripped from their mother's pouch and bludgeoned to death or have their head cut off, and this is actually authorised by the Australian government! Joeys at foot who cannot survive without their mothers' care and guidance flee in panic into the bush only to die from starvation or predation. A very high percentage of adult kangaroos are not shot outright and wounded, they run away, suffering a lingering horrific death. The total number of killed kangaroos does not include the illegal killings, road kill, killing for "sport" and for so called "damage mitigation". Populations of kangaroos are crashing (according to the governments own data in 2001 there were about 57 mil kangaroos; in 2007- only 24 mil). In some areas populations have dropped by over 65% in the last seven years. For more information please visit: http://www.awpc.org.au/

As for live export - 2.5 million animals have died en route to the Middle East from Australia since it started 30 years ago. Most of these animals have died un-aided in horrible conditions.

I find that both trades are not only cruel but unnecessary and I’m not alone. During the course of my work I have had the opportunity to speak to many people from all walks of life. They have ALL echoed the same sentiments; they all want live animal export to end. It seems the world opinion regarding animal welfare standards is changing dramatically.

Interestingly Australians pride themselves on being part of an enlightened nation. However, Australia is fast loosing it's good reputation overseas because of the live sheep export and the kangaroo killing industry. It is abhorent that Australia is at the forefront of two industries that are condemned as cruel and unacceptable by every major international animal welfare organisation and by everyone who is informed of the intrinsic cruelty of these two industries. I invite everyone to join the Humane Chain and act to stop the cruelty to all animals, go to http://www.humanechain.org.au/ as soon as you can.

To take action to help our kangaroos go to http://www.wlpa.org/kangaroos_pravdaemail.htm

- Dr Teresa Buss-Carden