Monday, 08/10/2012
Capital city rallies against live exports drew crowds of hundreds, rather than thousands, over the weekend.
The Opposition's Agriculture spokesman John Cobb says those numbers could reflect what he believes is a growing understanding that Australia is a 'force for good' in international animal welfare.
He says people will always be rightly concerned about the proper and humane treatment of animals, and Australia is helping to improve that treatment around the world.
"Occasionally there will be things that happen beyond anyone's control, when you strike situations you've never struck before," Mr Cobb said.
"But by and large, Australia being in there, setting standards as we always have, is a force for good in getting other nations to actually have a standard."
Labor backbencher Kelvin Thompson, from Victoria, is a prominent critic of the live export industry and addressed the rally in Melbourne.
He says the numbers attending the capital city rallies were strong, particularly as they were organised only over a few days.
"It's clear to me that in the last 18 months, MPs and senators have received more contact from constituents on live animal exports than any other issue," he said.
"And it's also worth noting that a couple of exporters have bought abattoirs in recent months, and a number of sheep producers in Western Australia have indicated that they're intending to grow wheat instead, because of the uncertainty in the trade at the moment.
"I think the industry sees that it's better to be planning ahead and making adjustments."
Mr Thomson says there are good economic, as well as welfare, reasons why the live export trade should be phased out, and animals processed in Australia instead.
He says colleagues have come to him to express their concerns about the trade since the latest incident of sheep being brutally culled in Pakistan.
Mr Thomson says the argument that the system is working is akin to saying "that an ambulance at the bottom of a cliff works, when what we need is some fencing at the top".
Both the Labor Government and the Coalition support the continuation of the live export trade.
The Minister for Agriculture, Joe Ludwig, is travelling today. In a statement, he told ABC Rural that while "everyone has the right to voice their opinion, there are some in the community who simply do not want the live export trade to continue, regardless of the strict animal welfare requirements in place. I am not one of them".
"The large majority of exporters successfully comply with the new animal welfare requirements in place. Any breach is a concern, and reported breaches are fully investigated," the Minister said.
"But don't let that detract from the fact that thousands and thousands of animals have been exported in line with animal welfare standards the government and community expects.
"This government will continue to support the live export trade and all those who rely on it."
The Australian Livestock Exporters Council says it's confident the industry has the support of the two major parties, and that industry continues to invest in improving welfare outcomes for livestock.
Council chief executive Alison Penfold says the numbers at the weekend protests show there is a "silent majority" who support the trade.
"For every person who attended the rallies, there are thousands more out there who rely on live exports as part of their livelihood; they're the producers, they're the Indigenous stockmen, they're the transport operators.
"There was some research done earlier in the year [by industry] where a question was put, 'do you support live export where countries are adhering to OIE standards, or do you want to get rid of the trade?'.
"Eighty-two per cent said they supported live export when it meets international animal welfare standards, so I think that's a sign that people appreciate the bigger picture."
A North Queensland cattleman is warning protestors to be careful what they wish for.
Ashley Gallagher says hundreds of thousands of cattle would be killed unnecessarily if the live export trade was banned overnight.
"Everybody up here is geared up basically for the live export market," he said.
"You can't shut down the live cattle export trade unless you've got an alternative market.
"There would literally be hundreds, probably thousands, of head of cattle killed in the north, (that would) have to be put down.
"You have to work on the good side of the trade and make sure that people who are doing a good job keep doing that good job."
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201210/s3605797.htm
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