Live Export
The issues |
 |
The export of live sheep, cattle and goats for slaughter has
serious welfare problems - some relate to transport conditions
resulting in high mortalities and others to a lack of control over
what happens to animals once they reach the importing countries.
RSPCA's stated and longstanding
policy is
to oppose the export of live animals for slaughter. Instead, the
RSPCA advocates the further development and adoption of a chilled
and frozen meat-only trade – i.e. animals are slaughtered humanely
in Australia, processed at Australian facilities and then
exported.
Livestock exported from Australia face a journey of up to 35
days from the farm-gate to their overseas destination. Prevailing
weather conditions and requirements of the importing country can
considerably increase the length of the journey. The main welfare
concerns relate to high mortality (due to starvation,
salmonellosis, heat stress and pneumonia), the duration of lot
feeding prior to embarkation, ship design, environment, handling,
management and contingency planning. The RSPCA has long maintained
that livestock should be slaughtered as close as possible to the
point of production because of the suffering associated with their
transport. The trade in livestock exports from Australia, which
requires the transport of
millions of animals over thousands of kilometres on arduous
journeys which can last for several weeks, could not be further
from this principle.
Apart from the general suffering resulting from long distance
transport there is a
history of disasters at sea where thousands of animals have
died. On long voyages, mortality rates of 2% for sheep and 1% of
cattle will trigger an investigation. So on a voyage of 70,000
sheep, 1400 have to die before the cause of death is properly
investigated.
Once livestock reach their port of destination, those animals
that survive and are unloaded are outside the control of
Australian law. The Australian government cannot ensure that
exported livestock are slaughtered humanely once they have left
Australia. Evidence gathered from importing countries has shown
that inhumane slaughter and handling practices that would be
contrary to Australian laws and standards are common.
Exported animals may spend several months at a feedlot for
fattening or may be transported directly to a slaughtering
facility or sold to individual buyers. Evidence has shown that
individual buyers in some countries will often transport sheep in
car boots and on roof-racks in temperatures that may exceed 40°C.
Cattle can be seen travelling on the back of utility trucks with
only a few ropes to prevent them falling off. Sheep have been
shown being herded into a slaughtering facility, and then dragged
one by one to the slaughtering area where their throats are cut
and they are left to bleed to death over a drain. In some
importing countries, cattle face an even more horrific death. In
the slaughtering hall, they will have their tendons slashed and
sometimes their eyes gouged in order to bring them down, and
finally, they will have their throats cut and be left to bleed to
death – all this in front of other cattle awaiting a similar fate.
Cattle and sheep destined for ‘home slaughter’ are not much
luckier and can face even crueler slaughtering methods.
In Australia, the slaughter of livestock is strictly regulated.
Animals intended for slaughter must first be rendered insensible
(stunned), then killed before they can regain consciousness.
The adoption of a chilled and frozen meat-only trade not only
prevents the suffering of long distance sea transport but saves
millions of animals from the cruel fate awaiting them at the point
of destination. Read more about
viable alternatives to the livestock export 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.
|
