Live export end inevitable (RSPCA Western Australia)

[Guest guest]

LIVE EXPORT END INEVITABLE: RSPCA

By REBECCA RAWLINGS

 

THE RSPCA has claimed farmers need to accept the inevitable end of the

live export trade.

 

In a brave address at the WA Farmers Federation (WAFF) annual conference

 

pastoral dinner last week, RSPCA president Lynn Bradshaw told producers

that her organisation's view was that the live export of animals for

slaughter is cruel, costs Australians jobs, and is unnecessary.

 

" 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, " Ms Bradshaw said.

 

Ms Bradshaw said exported livestock could be humanely slaughtered in

Australian abattoirs, which would create jobs and build more resilient

economies in rural and regional communities.

 

She said that research, and international experience, such as the

banning of live export of lambs in New Zealand, had shown banning the

trade did not need to adversely affect farmers.

 

Ms Bradshaw warned farmers not to buy into the myth that markets in

South East Asia and the Middle East demand only live animals for

religious or cultural purposes.

 

She said Australia already exports chilled and frozen meat to every

significant market for live exports, and this means Australian meat is

competing with Australian live exports in the same overseas markets.

 

" It was Gandhi who said, 'The greatness of a nation and its moral

progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated,' " Ms Bradshaw

said.

 

" The continuation of the live export trade is a sad reflection on our

country, and is hardly representative of the wishes of the vast majority

of Australians.

 

" Producer groups and farmer's federations must come to realize that 85pc

of the community supports the RSPCA, and it is the Australian community

which must be satisfied over animal welfare issues. "

 

The RSPCA's policy is that live stock exports should be banned and

replaced with a carcass trade.

 

Ms Bradshaw said the RSPCA would continue to lobby the end of the trade,

and whilst they would welcome any improvements in current animal welfare

regulations, RSPCA's position on live exports would not change.

 

" We encourage the farming community to recognise what we see as an

inevitable end to the trade, and to start working toward an orderly

transition to carcass only export before community pressure becomes

overwhelming, " Ms Bradshaw said.

 

WAFarmers pastoral president Helen Newland said the RSPCA was very

closed-minded about live export, and although Ms Bradshaw had agreed to

discuss live export at the WAFarmers pastoral conference she clearly

demonstrated the RSPCA would never support the trade.

 

Ms Newland said if the RSPCA was successful in banning live export a lot

of people would be out of work, and essentially this could put the top

end of Australia out of business.

 

Ms Newland said there was not a big enough market for boxed beef to

replace live exports from Australia.

 

If it was that simple then producers would prefer to process animals in

Australia. However this was not a reality.

 

" If Australia stops live export then other countries will take over, " Ms

Newland said.

 

Ms Newland said the RSPCA was naive to think live exports could be

replaced with a carcass only trade without having adverse effects on

WA's farming community.

 

" The RSPCA is living in la-la land, " she said.

 

" The markets for boxed beef are not there; even if live export was

banned there is not the killing space in WA abattoirs to process the

livestock numbers that would result from stopping the trade.

 

" Banning live export would definitely have an adverse effect on rural

Australia. "

 

Ms Newland said it was important industry kept trying to improve animal

welfare standards in the live export trade.

 

" Action speaks louder than words, " she said.

 

" Hopefully people will see that a less than 1pc mortality rate on live

export ships is a high standard of animal welfare, especially when the

mortality rate of sheep on farms is 3pc. "

 

Ms Newland said that education of the general public was needed to

ensure the future of live export.

 

She said she would be interested know where Ms Bradshaw's figures were

from that stated 85pc of the WA community supported the ban of live

export from Australia. She thought more than likely the results were

from a city-based survey where people had no understanding of live

export.

 

" Live export needs to be reported accurately, fairly and truthfully, " Ms

Newman said.

 

" I think the RSPCA has lost their direction.

 

" Ms Bradshaw said that banning live export would create an extra 9000

jobs in the processing industry, but this is not the RSPCA's agenda,

their main concern is animal welfare.

 

" Ms Bradshaw said the RSPCA doesn't like being aligned with PETA,

however their actions are just as radical. "

 

http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news.asp?editorial_id=62057 & class_id=2