Live Export
A history of disaster |
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The history of the export of live animals for slaughter is a
miserable one, punctuated by repeated tragedies aboard transport
vessels.
In 1996, over 67,000 sheep were left to die on board the
Uniceb after it caught fire and sunk in the Indian Ocean
northeast of the Seychelles.
In 1998, 50% of the cattle carried by the Charolais Express
either suffocated during transport or were too ill to land at
their destination and were slaughtered at sea. In all, 570 animals
died.
In 1999, 83% of the cattle aboard the Temberong died
under similar circumstances to those aboard the Charolais
Express. Another 839 deaths.
In 2002, 50% of the cattle carried by the Becrux died as
a result of overheating when they were shipped from the cool of
the Victorian winter to the extreme heat of a Middle-Eastern
summer. The final death toll from the journey was 880.
In 2006, the MV Maysora offloaded Australian cattle in
Israel. High mortalities occurred both on the voyage and while the
animals were still in the quarantine facility in southern Israel.
The cattle were said to be suffering from a lung disease and were
having serious breathing difficulties.
These figures are a damning indictment of this cruel trade, but
the actual death tolls were rarely reported at the time. Initial
reports to the public often vastly underestimate the number of
animals involved in such tragic incidents. In the case of the
Becrux, it was 14 days before the true extent of the disaster
was revealed: the death rate was five times that quoted in the
original reports. And, in addition to the 880 cattle that died on
the Becrux, early reports failed to mention the 1,400 sheep
that also perished at sea. During July and August 2002 a further
four shipments resulted in the deaths of another 14,500 sheep.
But the worst of disasters was the Cormo Express debacle
in 2003. 57,000 sheep were rejected by the Saudi Arabian importer
on the basis of an unsubstantiated claim that the sheep were
infected with scabby mouth. When an alternative buyer could not be
found, the Australian Government intervened and donated the sheep
to Eritrea. The sheep were finally offloaded after an arduous
journey of 81 days (almost 3 months) costing the lives of at least
5,500 sheep.
It is only a matter of time before another tragedy like the
Cormo Express, Maysora, Becrux, Charolais Express or
Temberong happens. Continuing live animal exports leaves
Australia sailing towards another disaster.
The Keniry Report into the Live Export Industry
Following the public outcry over the Cormo Express
incident in August to October 2003 the federal Minister for
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry announced an enquiry into the
live export industry headed by Dr John Keniry.
The Keniry Report was released in January 2004 and contains
eight recommendations on the conduct of the live export trade.
Whilst the RSPCA believes that full and proper adoption and
implementation of the Keniry recommendations by the government
would have seen improvement in how the trade was conducted, some
of the recommendations were only accepted with modification. The
fact remains that there are inherent problems in the long distance
transport of animals and animals often suffer severe cruelty at
their destination. The RSPCA believes the only solution to the
cruelty inherent to live animal export for slaughter is an end to
the trade.
What you can do to help
Make your voice heard! Write to the
Australian Government Minister for Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry, your
State or Territory
Primary Industry / Agriculture Minister,
your
local MP and to local newspapers (click
here for the contact details of major newspapers). Express
your opposition to the live export of animals for slaughter.
When writing your letter, feel free to use any of the
information provided on our website. Your letter will have even
more impact if you keep it focused on why banning live exports
matters to you. It’s the personal touch that counts!
See the
Media Releases section for more information.
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