| February
24, 2006
NEW LIVE EXPORT
FOOTAGE AIRED BY “SIXTY MINUTES” SICKENS THE NATION
“Sixty Minutes”
has aired harrowing and shocking new film footage of handling and slaughter
practices of cattle in the Middle East which will again horrify the nation.
In the wake of the recent live export demonstration in Devonport, Against
Animal Cruelty Tasmania (AACT) representatives revealed why their protest
became so volatile.
“We know what happens
in these countries”, said Suzanne Cass, AACT’s Live Export
Campaign Co-ordinator. “And it has been confirmed again by the
“Sixty Minutes” program, and by other information gained
by Lyn White of Animals Australia. It is not only cattle; these sorts
of atrocities are normal practice for all animals, across the Middle
East and in South East Asia as well.
“When we were in Devonport,
the information we received was so terrible that some people had to
leave the room. Others were crying.
“The “Sixty Minutes”
film showed absolutely appalling scenes of the leg tendons of the cattle
being slashed to disable them, their eyes being stabbed to disorient
them, and the sheer brutality of their handling and slaughter. And even
that wasn’t the whole story, they had to edit the worst of the
scenes.
“The recent departure
of the “Al Messilah” was a terribly emotional time for all
the protesters who were in Devonport”.
Primary Industries Minister
Steve Kons, preparing for the State election, last week praised the “Al
Messilah”, saying it would reassure the community that the sheep
and cattle on board would be well cared for. The Federal Government has
suspended the live cattle exports to Egypt, but it is understood that
the temporary ban only applies to cattle. Minister for Agriculture Peter
McGauran was clearly uncomfortable with what he saw – but wanted
to take issue with whether the cattle shown were Australian. The focus
of the Tasmanian government at the Devonport protest was only about conditions
on the ship; handling and slaughter practices in these countries were
never discussed, much less addressed. There is one veterinarian in the
Middle East, based in Bahrain, whose focus is to do with meat quality
and human health standards, not animal welfare.
“We just cannot believe
that the Australian government, the exporters and the farmers can continue
to ignore what happens to these poor animals once they leave the ship”,
continued Ms Cass. “All the arguments advanced by the government
and the exporters by way of self-justification have been shown to be
false. There have clearly been no improvements at all to the non-existent
animal welfare practices in these countries, despite government claims
which even go so far as referring to Bassetin as “best practice”
“How many more animals
have to be tortured to death – suffer such atrocities - before
the government says “enough is enough”? Where are the consciences
of these people? We have animal protection legislation here, yet we
send these animals to what we know – and more importantly, the
government and the exporters know - is obscene cruelty, and a violent,
brutal, terrifying death”.
“Both the major parties
in Tasmania allow this to go on, claiming to support the farmers’
right to “get the best price” for their livestock. Please,
make your vote one for morality, and don’t vote for a government
that allows animals to be sent on these horror journeys to this shocking
brutality”, concluded Ms Cass
For further information,
please contact Suzanne Cass, Live Export Campaign Co-ordinator, 0414 726935
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