Debat in Australië over export schapen voor offerritulelen in Midden-Oosten

Going, going - Australian sheep for sacrifice in

the Middle East

11-11-2008 The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia

The issue of live animal exports is about to hit a raw nerve. In early December, many Australian sheep exported live to the Middle East will be sold for use in private sacrifice to people celebrating the annual festival of Eid-al-Adha.

In one corner is Animals Australia, the animal protection organisation whose website carries now familiar images from previous festivals of trussed sheep on roof racks and in car boots being driven away for slaughter. In the other, are organisations like Meat and Livestock Australia and the Australian Livestock Export Animal Welfare Group whose website has pictures of contented animals, along with a statement from Peter Dundon, the Livestock Services Manager for the Middle East for the MLA and LiveCorp, insisting that the Animals Australia images aren’t typical of how Australian animals are handled during the rest of the year.

As the festival nears, both sides of the debate are mounting awareness campaigns. Animals Australia has a National Day of Action against live export on November 14, while in Bahrain, one of many Middle Eastern countries to which Australia exports live animals, the MLA will run an awareness campaign for local people buying animals for sacrifice. The campaign, consisting of newspaper ads and brochures, recommends buyers have suitable vehicles for transporting the sheep - meaning vehicles with ramps allowing them to be walked on to a vehicle, rather than trussed and lifted.

“I’m not saying we’re going to get 100 per cent compliance, but that’s our objectve,” said Dundon when I spoke to him last week. What about handling practices when the animals are taken home? “I suppose it’s like dog owners. My wife breeds dogs and when you sell a dog you can’t be sure how that animal will be looked after,” he said.”It amazes me that people have the expectation that you can guarantee the welfare of every sheep that’s sold.”

Dundon who lives in Bahrain and was in Australia last week, doesn’t pretend that the festival isn’t difficult from an animal welfare point of view, but feels the focus on the festival is unfair when during the rest of the year animals are generally handled well.
“We’re happy to admit it’s challenging during the festival, but the animal rights groups focus on poor handling practices, yet in the four years I’ve been in Bahrain I don’t think I’ve seen anyone being deliberately cruel to an animal.
“We are trying to make changes. Everything’s not perfect, but it’s not perfect anywhere. But when there’s a small minority of animals that aren’t treated well, it’s used to beat us up,” he says.

Banning live exports from Australia altogether won’t solve the problem either, says Dundon who believes this would create worse conditions for other animals.

“Shutting down sales will cease livestock coming from Australia, but the livestock will be replaced by other livestock from places like Africa and South America which don’t have the same standards of animal welfare. It would be counterproductive. No other country has standards of welfare like we do that require a vet to be on board, or limit the number of animals on a vessel. Cutting off the supply won’t fix the problem.”

To check out both sides of the issue, see the Live Export Care website to read Peter Dundon’s message and see a video clip of his work in the Middle East, and go to Animals Australia for information about its National Day of Action

Do you think Australian sheep should be sold for private slaughter in the Middle East?
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Posted by Paula Goodyer

(Bron: http://www.smh.com.au/)
(Bron foto’s: archief Kraaijer)