The shameful Australian practice of live sheep trade.

Tags: Australia, Animal Rights, Animal Cruelty, Australian Live Sheep Trade
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Read Discussion
Reply to All

Alot of Americans are mad right now. It,s easy to externalize at each other through a LCD screen rather than at a person. Like wishing somebody dead because they cut you off.

"Find the faults in others and correct them in yourself"

We all do it.

0 Replies

echi wrote:

dlowan wrote:
Leaving aside your ridiculously uncouth manner, Echi, I assume your ACTUAL argument is that animals ought not to be killed.

So...fine, but this thread is about cruel treatment of animals which ARE going to be killed.

If you do not wish to discuss that, fine.

Well, I am discussing it... just not in the way that you want me to. I am simply pointing out what I see as inconsistent reasoning. The quotes given by Amigo support my point of view, so why are his ideas accepted but mine are not? Oh, yeah. It's my "ridiculously uncouth manner", I guess. Uh... Sorry about that. I am not trying to be rude. (Well, I'm not trying hard.)

You aren't really discussing it...you just keep making the same point over and over.......we all got it way back.

Meanwhile, in the absence of the remotest possibility in the foreseeable future that people are gonna give up killing animals (though it is a worthy goal, I agree....hypocrite though I am re chooks and fish) there IS a whole lot of unnecessary cruelty going on that there IS a chance we can do something about, by increments. Msolga has been attempting to discuss one of these on this thread.

0 Replies

dlowan wrote:

You aren't really discussing it...you just keep making the same point over and over.......we all got it way back.

I don't think you did. But that is my fault, not anyone else's.
Of course I want all creatures to experience as little suffering as possible. But how are we to convince people to respect animals that are being led to slaughter?
We say: Hey. You should treat that animal with respect.
They say: This animal? Oh, but I'm fixin' to kill this animal.
We say: ??? (What can we say.)
If we oppose killing animals then why not stick with that position? Would you still be so eager to compromise if these were humans instead of sheep?

0 Replies

I eat meat.

0 Replies

That's interesting, mi Amigo. But I'm gonna try to keep quiet in this thread... I already kinda feel like a hijacker. (Sorry, Msolga.)

0 Replies

echi wrote:

dlowan wrote:
You aren't really discussing it...you just keep making the same point over and over.......we all got it way back.

I don't think you did. But that is my fault, not anyone else's.
Of course I want all creatures to experience as little suffering as possible. But how are we to convince people to respect animals that are being led to slaughter?
We say: Hey. You should treat that animal with respect.
They say: This animal? Oh, but I'm fixin' to kill this animal.
We say: ??? (What can we say.)
If we oppose killing animals then why not stick with that position? Would you still be so eager to compromise if these were humans instead of sheep?

No Echi, I got it, believe me.

I just challenged your very limited view.

We can not only say a lot, but we have managed to get a lot of legislation passed re treatment of animals who are going to be killed.

A helluva lot more needs to happen, of course.

I hust see your absolutist position as leading nowhere fast.

0 Replies

Not live sheep exports, but cattle. Whether Australian cattle or not .... How appalling!:

<extract from ABC news item>:

.... The (Australian) Government has suspended livestock exports to Egypt until it is satisfied that Australian cattle are being treated humanely.

Channel Nine's 60 Minutes program aired footage last night of cattle in an Egyptian abattoir having their tendons slashed before slaughter. Mr McGauran says he is confident the cattle concerned were not Australian, because they were bulls and the country shipped only steers to Egypt last year.

......... However, Animal Australia's Lyn White, who helped to shoot the controversial footage, says that is not the point.

"In every slaughter hall that we entered, those animals were identified to us as Australian," she said.

"But I have to tell you, to even raise that as an argument is really disturbing because the industry and the Government know that we have sent millions of cattle into that country, and that the vast majority of them have been slaughtered in that terrible abattoir." ........

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200602/s1579426.htm

0 Replies

And still the live sheep trade continues!
Shame, Australia, shame! Sad

:

Australia faces hypocrisy charge over live exports
Lorna Edwards
February 13, 2008/the AGE

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2008/02/13/rgn_exports_narrowweb__300x436,0.jpg

Live exports are worth $1 billion.
Photo: Phillip Biggs

ANIMAL welfare agencies have accused the Rudd Government of hypocrisy in opposing Japanese whaling while supporting live animal exports, as Australia became the target of a new global campaign against the trade.

An alliance of 900 animal welfare agencies in 147 countries has set its sights on Australia as the largest live animal exporter in a three-year campaign launched this week by the World Society for the Protection of Animals in Australia, Europe and North America.

The Australian spokesman for the Handle With Care alliance, RSPCA president Hugh Wirth, said Australia was considered a cruel country internationally and the campaign could lead to consumer boycotts of Australian meat products in Europe and North America.

"The live export industry in Australia say they are following world's best practice, which is exactly what the Japanese are saying about whaling," Dr Wirth said.

The global campaign targeted both road and sea transport of animals and calls for the live trade to be replaced with the export of chilled meats.

In 2006, Australia exported 4 million live sheep to the Middle East with 36,000 dying in transit.

"We are launching this campaign globally to ask the Australian Government in particular to bring an end to the cruel live export trade of sheep to the Middle East," said WSPA's director-general, Peter Davies, from the United Kingdom.

A spokesman for the industry, LiveCorp chief Cameron Hall, said he was disappointed by the campaign but defended Australia's presence in the Middle East markets through live exports as a catalyst for improving animal welfare standards in the region through training.

Minister for Agriculture Tony Burke has staunchly defended the $1 billion trade and said the Government would work with industry to improve animal welfare conditions in the Middle East.

But the RSPCA and Animals Australia said that this stance was at odds with the Government's opposition to Japanese whaling.

"We cannot condemn these terrible animal atrocities perpetuated by other nations when we are the world leader in this horrendous trade in animals," Animals Australia investigator Lyn White said.

After obtaining footage of ongoing abuses of Australian animals exported to the Middle East in December, Ms White said there was little evidence of improved conditions despite the training efforts made by Australia.

"Australia cannot separate itself from the suffering of these animals in the Middle East," she said.

But Mr Hall said halting Australia's live exports would do nothing to slow the trade because live animals would be obtained from other countries in North Africa, Asia and South America, which had less concern about animal welfare.

The WSPA-led campaign against live exports follows its three-year international campaign against whaling.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/australia-faces-hypocrisy-charge-over-live-exports/2008/02/12/1202760306649.html

0 Replies

Maybe this was discussed but why cant the Imams be prepared to slaughter the sheep in Australia and merely ship the carcasses to their destination. OR have Imams on board and begin slaughter as the ship leaves dock?
We sell sheep to Muslim customers and they have a tradition (similar to kashreth where an observant Muslim does the slaughter and then takes the meat to his family or ceremony).
In otherwords, whats the requirememnt that the sheep be shipped live and starve and lose prime condition from travel stress, stable cough, and other diseases brought on by stress of travel and overcrowding.

We take our lambs to market ina long gooseneck and we dont load more than 75 lambs in a load(this is optimal for the trips to LAncater markets) Anymore and the sheep get all stressed and can develop C&D and die before theyre even sold. We also select the holding pens and feed them a grain and hay trough and water them well so theyre not dehydrated. Our market trip is about 45 miles and they feel stress during that short run. I cant imagine one of 10000 miles at 10 knots or less.
Nope, they should re think theyre entire processing procedures . To do that would require an Imam or two on board and a competent butchery crew. The Muslims have a butchery ceremony that doesnt allow stunning (simi9lar to Jewish rabbis killing chickens).

Its amazing how, two cultures who hate each others guts , share almost the same ceremonies and procedures.

0 Replies

farmerman wrote:

Maybe this was discussed but why cant the Imams be prepared to slaughter the sheep in Australia and merely ship the carcasses to their destination. OR have Imams on board and begin slaughter as the ship leaves dock?

These far more humane approaches have been suggested to the Australian authorities, farmer. But they insist that the middle eastern buyers simply won't agree ... that they want to kill the sheep themselves. Which has led to these unfortunate animals spending weeks packed in tightly together on the ships, often arriving at their destination in terrible condition & having to be destroyed. Some dying on the ships. It is a barbaric trade. I'm glad the World Society for the Protection of Animals has started this campaign. Efforts from within Australia so far by animal welfare groups have (obviously) been unsuccessful.

0 Replies

farmerman wrote:

The Muslims have a butchery ceremony that doesnt allow stunning (simi9lar to Jewish rabbis killing chickens).

Its amazing how, two cultures who hate each others guts , share almost the same ceremonies and procedures.

There are lots of Turkish & Arabic eateries around where I live. With very good food, many of them. I don't purchase any meat dishes from the "halal meat only" places for that very reason. I just don't buy the theory that the animals are "grateful" to die (for god) without prior stunning. Rolling Eyes

0 Replies

msolga wrote:

And still the live sheep trade continues!
Shame, Australia, shame! :

Australia faces hypocrisy charge over live exports
Lorna Edwards
February 13, 2008/the AGE

Live exports are worth $1 billion.
Photo: Phillip Biggs

ANIMAL welfare agencies have accused the Rudd Government of hypocrisy in opposing Japanese whaling while supporting live animal exports, as Australia became the target of a new global campaign against the trade.

An alliance of 900 animal welfare agencies in 147 countries has set its sights on Australia as the largest live animal exporter in a three-year campaign launched this week by the World Society for the Protection of Animals in Australia, Europe and North America.

The Australian spokesman for the Handle With Care alliance, RSPCA president Hugh Wirth, said Australia was considered a cruel country internationally and the campaign could lead to consumer boycotts of Australian meat products in Europe and North America.

"The live export industry in Australia say they are following world's best practice, which is exactly what the Japanese are saying about whaling," Dr Wirth said.

The global campaign targeted both road and sea transport of animals and calls for the live trade to be replaced with the export of chilled meats.

In 2006, Australia exported 4 million live sheep to the Middle East with 36,000 dying in transit.

"We are launching this campaign globally … to ask the Australian Government in particular to bring an end to the cruel live export trade of sheep to the Middle East," said WSPA's director-general, Peter Davies, from the United Kingdom.

A spokesman for the industry, LiveCorp chief Cameron Hall, said he was disappointed by the campaign but defended Australia's presence in the Middle East markets through live exports as a catalyst for improving animal welfare standards in the region through training.

Minister for Agriculture Tony Burke has staunchly defended the $1 billion trade and said the Government would work with industry to improve animal welfare conditions in the Middle East.

But the RSPCA and Animals Australia said that this stance was at odds with the Government's opposition to Japanese whaling.

"We cannot condemn these terrible animal atrocities perpetuated by other nations when we are the world leader in this horrendous trade in animals," Animals Australia investigator Lyn White said.

After obtaining footage of ongoing abuses of Australian animals exported to the Middle East in December, Ms White said there was little evidence of improved conditions despite the training efforts made by Australia.

"Australia cannot separate itself from the suffering of these animals in the Middle East," she said.

But Mr Hall said halting Australia's live exports would do nothing to slow the trade because live animals would be obtained from other countries in North Africa, Asia and South America, which had less concern about animal welfare.

The WSPA-led campaign against live exports follows its three-year international campaign against whaling.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/australia-faces-hypocrisy-charge-over-live-exports/2008/02/12/1202760306649.html

Looks like a damned good argument for hypocrisy to me.

0 Replies

I'm more interested in getting something done (finally!) about these terrible live exports than finding examples of inconsistencies (which no doubt you could find in any country, if you looked) .... however if international shaming is what's required to (finally!) get some action on this from our government, then so be it! This must be stopped!

0 Replies

Read Discussion
Reply to All

The shameful Australian practice of live sheep trade.

Related Topics