Emily Reeves will be available online here to answer any questions you have about the Handle with Care campaign on Tuesday October 14 between 2pm and 4pm.

I think that WSPA should team up with the meat workers union to pool resources and put forward a stronger front regarding the campaign. Both parties could stand to benefit from a live export ban. Perhaps even involving abbatoir owners in the process.

With the prime minister conceding that unemployment levels will rise, it would be good to bring processing back to Australia, not only for the jobs market but the economy as well.

I think that sentiment alone will not bring about change, unfortunately as like most things, it needs to have a financial benefit. If the government were put an excise on live export it would level the playing field and make Australian labour competetive. Obviously there is a religious component that needs to be overcome. This is being done in some abbatoirs by having the beast prayed for by a muslim prior to the killing.

Thanks M&J for your post, you have highlighted an important message in the value of the chilled meat industry to the Australian economy.  The Handle with Care coalition is calling on the Australian government to end live exports and at the same time to work with industry and importing countries to expand the existing trade in chilled and frozen meat products.  

Australia currently exports chilled meat to every country that it exports live animals to, and our chilled meat trade is growing every year.  This solution not only means humane treatment of our animals, but employment for slaughterhouse and process workers as we maximise the opportunity to ‘value add’ here in Australia.

Exporting live animals exports Australian jobs.

In 2003 the Australian Meat Workers Union issued a media release in opposition to the live export industry “on the basis of its destruction of Australian jobs, its inhumane treatment of the animals and the decimation of the meat processing industry.”

Chilled meat exports are the way of the future and we call on the Government to take tangible and immediate steps towards this humane solution that protects Australian animals and Australian jobs.

Do any MP's support this idea?

Both the Labor and Liberal parties are in support of live exports.  The Greens and Democrats however have much more animal welfare friendly policies.  Having said this, there are individual MPs who are greatly concerned about the shocking treatment of our animals in importing countries, particularly sheep in the Middle East.

We are encouraging concerned Australians to bring this to the attention of their local MP at both State and Federal level

Hi Emily, This appalling trade needs to stop. I completely agree with your statements about the chilled meat trade, it is the logical answer whereby Australian farmers are able to continue exporting and Australian animal welfare standards are maintained. What can I do to assist this campaign?

Is NewZealand still exporting to the Middle East?

Is the video available and is it on You tube?

Dear Ms Reeves

Thank goodness at last, there is a world wide united front against this evil barbaric trade of thirty years. The cruel suffering of these sheep is beyond anyones' comprehension. You only have to look into the eyes of the sheep in the photos and see the pain, distress and terror. 

I farm sheep, prime lambs, I sell my lambs directly to friends and family through the correct accredited processors. My sheep travel for less than 45 minutes and are penned for no more than 12 hours in a covered area, away from sun, rain and wind before dispatch.

New Zealand do not live export, they only export chilled meat, surely Australia can follow this line of business. I understand the chilled meat export trade in Australia is booming, and giving jobs back to Australians.

The very best of luck to stop this evil trade.

Regards

Mary

Hi Emily!

A lot of The Body Shop staff are behind the Handle With Care campaign... besides the obvious benefit to the animals have you researched / promoted the economic and environmental benefit of humanely slaughtering animals in Australia?

Ie: You can ship more frozen meat and it emits less carbon per tonne? Or is this way ahead of where people's heads are at?

keep up the great work! I'm tallying the Act Beautiful campaign results now and we're over the 50,000 signatures in support of the Universal Declaration of Animal Welfare. A few more stores' results still to trickle in.

  Adam

Hi Cos,

New Zealand has tightened its regulations for the export of animals for slaughter however has not instituted an absolute ban.  Amongst other requirements outlined in the new guidelines, all animals exported from New Zealand are handled and slaughtered according to international animal welfare guidelines.  All shipments must have the approval of the Minister.  There have been no shipments of animals from NZ since these tighter regulations came into place.

In a media release following the decision, NZ Minister for Agriculture the Hon Jim Anderton stated that “The review addressed concerns about the treatment and handling of livestock, and slaughter practices in importing countries. It also looked at the potential impact on New Zealand’s reputation as a responsible exporter of agricultural products.”

Australia faces these same risks to our reputation as an exporter of agricultural products as well as our reputation as a country with high animal welfare standards.

A short video on Australia’s live export trade can be viewed at http://www.handlewithcare.org.au.  People can also take action via this site.

Longer videos and images can also be viewed at http://www.animalsaustralia.org.

We are happy to provide copies of video footage for anyone wanting to meet with their local MP or other key stakeholders.

Thanks Adam and the Body Shop, it is fantastic to have your support for the Handle with Care campaign.

The environmental implications of exporting animals all that way simply to be slaughtered is another reason - on top of many - for converting to a chilled meat trade.  This is an area that needs further analysis however, in light of the growing need to protect our environment, a very important factor to consider when tallying up the real cost of Australia's live export industry.

Is there anything being done on the receiving countries' side to improve slaughter practices? Becasue this is an animal welfare issue no matter where the animals are coming from

Hi Emily,

What have people globally to support your campaign? 

Hi Cate IV - there are a number of things you can do to help bring an end to live exports.

1. Ask to meet with your local MP.  Your MP is there to represent you - and our local MPs need to hear that Australians will not tolerate live exports.  We have information that we will happily send you so that you are properly informed on the issue

2.  Write to Kevin Rudd.  Animal welfare is a national issue and the PM needs to hear your views.

We've made it simple to take action - simply visit http://www.handlewithcare.org.au to write to the PM, the Minister for Agriculture or your local MP.  You can also download the petition to end live exports.

Thanks for your support!

Hi Cos, you are absolutely right that change needs to occur not only at the Australian end but also in importing countries.  Video evidence collected over years demonstrates that the live export industry's argument that "exporting animals overseas enables us to improve conditions" is simply not true, or that improvements are insignificant when considering the number of animals Australia exports.

Next week I will be attending the very first Islamic Animal Welfare conference, to be held in Cairo.  This conference explores the way that Islamic leaders, academics and media can take a greater role in promoting good animal welfare practices

Hi Emily! What is the the main argument to continue live export? Is it just an outdated practice from a time when chilled/frozen meat trade was not a option or does the government see any financial benefit?

What about all the jobs that will be lost because of stopping this trade? This can't be good for the economy.

Hi Jessica1

Australia's live export industry is not only opposed by most Australians it is also condemned by the international community.  People from around the world have been writing letters to the Australian embassy in their country and several animal welfare organisations have held meetings with Australian embassies, all with the same message - live exports must end.

Animal welfare groups from around the world have also written to Kevin Rudd asking him to live up to Australia's reputation as a country with good animal welfare standards, and end live exports

And what has been the response form the Government and from the industry?

But Sheila, if we stop the trade, then there is actually the possibility of creating MORE jobs in Australia by enhancing the chilled meat industry -- is that right emily??

Hi Gudrun and Sheila,

The live export industry continues on the basis of the economic value it provides to Australia, income for farmers and job in the live export trade.  An immediate end to live exports would have a negative financial impact on Australia and we recognise this, therefore the Handle with Care coalition is calling on the Government to phase out live exports while expanding the existing trade in chilled meat thereby creating jobs in slaughterhouses and processing plants in rural and regional communities

How long would a phase out take?

How would stopping this trade affect our relationship with the countries we're currently exporting to?

Hi Gudrun,

The Australian Government and industry claim that by supplying animals to the Middle East, Australia has more leverage for improving standards in importing countries yet none of the countries we send animals to for slaughter have equivalent animal welfare protection laws.  While improvements have been made in some instances, video footage collected by investigators in 2007 shows extremely inhumane transport conditions, handling and slaughter techniques.  Treatment that would be neither tolerated nor legal in Australia.

Animals are often transported in inappropriate vehicles, and lack of ramps and unloading races results in physical force being used to move animals, including throwing and dropping animals and lifting and dragging them by body parts. Inhumane slaughtering methods in some importing countries includes cutting leg tendons and stabbing the eyes of cattle to bring them down, often followed by ineffective throat-cutting. Sheep are also killed without pre-stunning, have their throats cut and bleed to death.  Animals purchased for ‘home slaughter’ can face even crueler slaughtering methods.  

When I found out about this campaign I rang the Islamic Council of Victoria to ask them a few questions about why it's important to receive the animal alive. A lady there explained to me that people in Muslim countries have more trust in doing the butchering themselves or by Halal 'qualified' Butchers in their own country. Have you heard similar Emily? If it is true, couldn't we do a promo campaign in the export countries to build confidence in Australian Halal slaughterhouses & butchers ... we do it for the tourism industry why not the animal meat export industry?

The basic principals behind Halal are to treat the animals with respect and to slaughter them humanely... it's such a shame that the practice isn't always match the preaching.

Hi Sheila,

We currently export chilled meat to every country that we send live animals to and we wish to not only maintain but expand this trade relationship.

In fact abattoirs in Australia currently have the capacity to slaughter at least one million more animals every year - if they were not currently being exported live.  These animals would be slaughterd according to Australian regulations and legislation - in line with Halal requirements for slaughter. 

Morally, I just don’t understand how we can we simply shut our eyes when our sheep arrive at a foreign destination? What level of animal suffering is our nation willing to sanction? At what point will we say enough? These are issues that need to be defined by our leaders. The corporate and business sector will always claim they are just working within the rules of society.  

 Struggling farmers and contractors cannot be expected to champion the rights of sheep going to market. Perhaps the department of Agriculture can exercise our clever country credentials and identify other untapped markets for chilled Australian sheep meat, so that our farmers can remain viable in a humane country.

Wherever animals in our care suffer needlessly, we as a people are diminished.

Thanks again

Jess

Thanks Adam, while acceptance of Australian Halal-certified meat is certainly growing in Australia there is certainly room for the chilled meat industry and Government to further promote this trade.  Particularly as the slaughter methods used on many animals does not respect Halal slaughter requirements.

The Australian Federation of Islamic Council has also echoed the call of Australian abattoirs, stating that they have the capacity to slaughter many more animals in Australia if they were available i.e. not being exported live

But don't a lot of people in these countries like to slaughter the animals themselves? Is it possible that there might not be a market there for an increase in chilled meat? Might they not just go to another exporter of live animals instead?

@Shelia: yes but if the price is right and they are assured by the Islam Community in Australia that it's 100% quality Halal I'm sure they'll change their ways. So maybe the price of Australia Halal Chilled Meat can help motivate a change in behaviour in the Middle East?

It's important to highlight that the HWC coalition is not opposed to farmers making a living raising animals for slaughter.  We understand that the vast majority of farmers care greatly for their animals and are horrified to learn of the treatment of Australian animals overseas.  We have been inundated with messages and calls from farmers who are opposed to live exports.

The HWC coalition wants to see a solution that protects the livelihoods of Australian farmers, creates more jobs in slaughterhouses and processing, and ultimately treats Australian animals in accordance with the laws we have designed to protect them

The live export trade has increased competition among Australian meat processors, thereby reducing margins for Australian processors. By ending live exports and increasing supply to domestic meat processors, processing costs are lowered and Australian meat becomes more competitive on the international market.
In fact, in some importing countries meat processed from Australian animals directly competes with Australian export meat.

Marketing efforts must be focused on further increasing the  trade in chilled and frozen meat. The fact that this trade is increasing steadily every year demostrated that there is indeed a growing demand for/acceptance of Halal certified meat from animals humanely slaughtered in Australia

Do you think with the recent financial troubles the government may be less likely to want to phase out a trade that is helping so much with the economy?

To highlight the fact that live exports is not only a concern to people in Australia but also to some in importing I have cut and paste the following update we recently uploaded on our HWC website http://www.handlewithcare.tv/au

Dr. Mohamed Sayed Tantawy, the Grand Sheikh of one of the most respected Islamic Universities in the world, the Al Ahzar University in Cairo, has issued an important legal opinion (fatwa) about the long distance transportation of animals and slaughter.

The fatwa states about the transportation and slaughter of animals: “We hereby say that the call of Islam is to be lenient with the animal and to treat it with mercy, among which is transporting the animal” and “The Islamic law has made it a must that the animal would be treated at the time of its slaughter with lenience and by the means that guarantee treating it with mercy.”

Dr. Mohamed Sayed Tantawy’s opinion was prompted by a question from the Egyptian Society of Animal Friends (ESAF), a WSPA member society in Egypt, describing the suffering animals are forced to endure during long journeys and the torture they undergo in slaughterhouses all over the Middle East.

His opinion, if followed by those involved in this trade, could save the lives of thousands of sheep and cattle that die every year as a result of cruel long journeys from Australia and Brazil to several Middle Eastern countries.

WSPA International’s Long distance transport Programmes Manager, Sofia Parente, said: “Unfortunately the shortage of animals and the tradition of slaughtering animals locally during religious festivities in the Middle East have resulted in an increasing number of animals being transported into the region. The Handle with Care Coalition, spearheaded by WSPA, has always maintained that transporting animals long distances and slaughtering them under cruel conditions does not serve any religious purpose, and we are happy to say that this view is now supported by one of the most influential Islamic scholars in the world.”

Is there a significant price difference for the Middle East consumer between chilled meat and purchasing the animal live?

Hi Emily, and thanks for organising this!

Surely the recent financial troubles make it more important to stop exporting the jobs and to keep the meat processig jobs in rural communities in Australia?

Why is this issue not picked up more by the media, I would like to get information and see more footage on television?

Thanks Sheila, certainly econonics are the primary reason for live exports continuing (since when were economics a reason for allowing animal cruelty).  However what many people don't realise is that last year - for example - the export of meat from sheep was more than four times as valuable as the export of live sheep, and the export of beef more than ten times more valuable than the export of cattle.

Touché Ms. Reeves, touché

Hi Lainie, when people in importing countries purchase chilled meat from Australian animals the do so, just like us, through the freezer section in their local supermarket rather than purchasing an entire animal.  Having said that many Australian animals are slaughtered in abottoirs in importing countries before being processed and then sold to local consumers.  In this case the value-adding occurs in the importing country, and the meat from these animals sits alongside the meat from animals humanely slaughtered in Australia. One is a humane option and the other not

Hi Gudrun, a great way to increase media interest in this important issue is for people to write to their local paper and current affairs program and express their concerns.  Let the media know that Australians are appalled by live exports and want to see it end.  A letter to the editor of your local or national paper is a great start.

Interestingly when media (such as the 7.30 Report) do a story on live exports they are inundated with calls from viewers who are appalled by the trade and want to see it end.

This afternoon HWC spokesperson and Dr Hugh Wirth will be taking talkback calls on Adelaide radio station 5AA on the issue of live exports.  HWC ran a public forum in Adelaide last week in conjunction with RSPCA SA.  Following this forum, the local radio station received lots of calls from people concerned about live exports and calling for it to end.  A timely example of how public pressure can influence what the media cover

While economics are obviously essential to consider in any solution to Australia's live export shame, we can not forget that over the past 30 years more than 2.5 million animals have died during the sea journey from Australia to the Middle East.

In recent years the average mortality rate (much applauded by industry) has been 1% and, while this sounds like a small percentage, when you consider the real numbers, this translates to tens of thousands of animals dying every year on vessels bound for the Middle East.

For every animal that dies, many more suffer but survive.

Well you've convinced me Ms. Reeves! My eyes have been opened. Best of luck for the rest of the campaign!

Thanks Sheila

I concur!

Can people take action by spreading the word in other ways, i.e electronically?

Those numbers are extremely overwhelming and to think that each and every animal had to suffer in this way is beyond my comprehension!

Absolutely, we encourage everyone to use their email address books, facebook pages, myspace pages or any other social networking site you're part of to spread the word about live exports.

It's always a good idea to include a link to our site http://www.handlewithcare.org.au as this makes taking action easy.

Hi Emily,

I came along to your forum in Adelaide last week. It was interesting to see the variety of people, thanks for putting it on. To be honest I send my sheep to the Middle East, however I was never that sure about what happened to the buggers when they got there.

Im not happy about it and I will be looking into alternatives. I think more farmers need to know about where their sheep are going and how they are handled on arrival. The government obviously needs to pull their finger out too and promote chilled meats. No farmer wants his sheep to be treated badly.

Thanks for that Emily, I'll definately spread the word!!

Thanks Peter, it is great to hear from a farmers perspective.  From the comments we've received from farmers we know that most farmers are appalled when they learn how their animals are treated in importing countries.  We would never tolerate this kind of treatment in Australia.

And thanks for coming along to the forum in Adelaide.  I am encouraged to hear that you are looking for a humane alternative now that you have seen the treatment of Australian animals on foreign shores.  There is simply no way that we can ensure the protection of Australian animals once they leave our country.  The only humane alternative is to have Australian animals slaughtered in Australia.

Thanks for all the info Emily, and I'll send that website link on too! :o)

Also Peter, if you have suggestions for ways to reach farmers with this message - and most importantly this video footage which is hard evidence of the treatment our animals receive - I would love to hear them.

With the Eid coming up soon, Australian farmers have to make the decision whether to send their animals to the humane domestic market or the inhumane live export market.  We need to make sure that farmers are as educated as possible about all aspects of the trade before making this important decision.

Thanks everyone who participated in this Handle with Care forum and we look forward to a future where Australian farmers, workers and animals all get a fair go.

Hi Emily

I also attended the forum in Adelaide and was really impressed by the efforts/knowledge of WSPA and the other organisations. Thank you again for attending. Since the forum i have spoken to several people about the topic to spread the word. The concensus seems to be that the farmers hold most of the pull when it comes to the Government continuing live exports. The farmers are concerned that they will lose money if we switch to a frozen meat trade only. Can anything be done to ensure that the farmers will not lose out? This will likely increase the level of support from farmers, as I am hoping that if they saw that footage, none of them would want to support that tade continuing.

Also from what the MP said, the Government doesn't seem to want to get their act together and come up with a solid plan and time frame to phase the trade out. Is there anything more that the animal welfare organisations can do to do some or all of the work (eg come up with the plans and solutions, research the accurate statistics etc) to make the Government a lot more willing to consider putting an end to the trade? It's not fair that the public and your organisations have to work so hard and practically beg to stop the suffering, but it seems that it could be the only solution to getting the Government to take notice. If they can see that the results will be in our favour if we end it and get more support on our side from the Australian Farmers...surely they can't keep saying that it can't end overnight!

Thanks
Erin

Thanks for your comment and also for coming to the Adelaide forum.  We want to work with Government and industry to create a solution that ensures that farmers do not lose out for making an ethical choice.  The solution requires input from all sides, led by Government, but we are prepared and willing to put the facts on the table so that the Government can see all the benefits - to animals, to economy, to environment, to our reputation - of ending live exports

Hi all

May I suggest you also visit http://www.liveexportshame.com; in particular Sheila, where you will find the true facts and figures of employment generated by by the live export trade. As far back as 2000, it was found by independent analysis that, far from supporting "9000 jobs", the industry in fact supported less than 3000. Many of the jobs claimed would continue to exist without exporting the animals live. In its industry sponsored report, the jobs claimed included doctors, dentists and hospitality and banking and insurance workers, to name a few.

The ships used are foreign flag of convenience ships with third world crews.

The AMIEU (Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union) puts the figure of DIRECT jobs lost as a result of this trade at 40,000.

The problem is that too many politicians are either farmers or have been bought by the farming lobby. They are capable of turning a blind eye to immeasurable suffering. And Jess is quite right - allowing this to happen to our animals shames and diminishes us all.

Nicky

Dont you think it is up to every responsibile farmer to check as to what actually happens to their animals? I mean if you are willing to send them to their death, the least you can do is ensure that their fate is at the minimum as humane as we can make it and if it is not then they are not sent?

We hear so often that farmers care about their animals. Well lets see it then because all I see is that farmers care about their money? Otherwise there would be no sheep for supply to the most barbaric and shocking trade.

I find it most interesting that the Aust govt along with exporters still maintain that we have great stds in the country when it is a plain as the nose on your face that there is NO enforcement of that trade. From the time the animals leave the farm until the time they are loaded, there is very little if no enforcement as the export stds.

hi, i have a business and at present i am looking for expanding it through exporting. Can you help me letting me know what commonsecurity problems I will face while exporting using a B2B service.

Are u there