(AU) Australia faces hypocrisy charge over live exports

[Guest guest]

Australia faces hypocrisy charge over live exports

Lorna Edwards

The Age

February 13, 2008

 

Live exports are worth $1 billion.

 

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-liv\

e-exports/2008/02/12/1202760306649.html