Australian live export industry
Australia is the world's largest participant in the live export of animals for slaughter. The trade involved over 3 million animals in 2011 valued at approximately $1AU billion of which the majority were cattle and sheep. However, the live export trade only accounts for 0.4% of all types of Australian exports, as of 2014[update].[1]
The export of live animals from Australia remains a very controversial issue, with animal rights organisations such as Animals Australia asking it to be banned. This is because countries where animals are shipped to have no laws to protect them from cruelty. There has been a number of protests calling for a ban in the trade, with the Gillard government in 2011 suspending the trade and coming close to a ban.[2] Exports have since resumed. The exports of live animals is banned in New Zealand due to the numerous implications the trade has on animal well-being.[3]
Overview
Australia exports live animals to many countries, including Indonesia, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Russia, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Iran, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and China. A number of ships, mostly converted container ships, move animals from Australia to these countries.[4]
Statistics
In 2011, the Australian Bureau of Statistics[5] estimated that:
- 2,458,448 sheep were exported from Australia, worth $328 million
- 694,429 cattle were exported, worth $629.4 million
- 63,663 goats were exported, worth $8.5 million
Animal rights controversy
The live export industry has been a source of controversy for many years.
In March 2011, Animals Australia conducted an investigation of the treatment of exported Australian cattle in Indonesia.[6] The investigation revealed animals had their throats cut while fully conscious and remained conscious for more than 30 seconds after the initial throat cut. This sparked mass protests across Australia calling for the live export trade to be banned.[7]
In September 2012, 20000 sheep were killed when a shipload of animals, rejected by Bahrain due to disease claims were offloaded into Pakistan. The mass slaughter was featured in a four corners program called "Another Bloody Business".[8]
References
- ^ "Live Animal Exports in Context".
- ^ Lentini, Rosemarie. "Julia Gillard halts live cattle exports to Indonesia".
- ^ "Is it true that New Zealand has banned live export?".
- ^ "The First Livestock Carrier in the World".
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014). "7215.0 - Livestock Products, Australia, 2014". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Indonesian live export investigation on Four Corners damning".
- ^ "Rally for an end to live export".
- ^ "Another Bloody Business".
