Currently, Australia is the largest exporter of livestock in the world, with exports providing a valuable market for Australia’s livestock producers. They’re a number of challenges that exporters face such as travelling long distances between Australia and the importing countries. These challenges pose significant and unavoidable risks to the health & welfare of the exported animal if the risks aren’t properly managed. (Australian Position Statement on the Export of Livestock, 2006)
Recently there have been lots of controversies surrounding the exporting industry in regards to the export of live animals. Animal activist groups protest against the cruel treatment in which the animals face from the minute they leave the farm to the moment they
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Animal’s Australia is Australia’s leading national animal protection organisation; they have a remarkable record for investigating and exposing any form of animal cruelty. (http://www.animalsaustralia.org/about/)
Most cases of animal cruelty within the export industry is being exposed by Animal Australia, standing up for the rights and to ensure that the same level of animal welfare that is occurring in Australia is also being applied by the countries that receive the Australian livestock. Animals Australia has compiled a range of videos filmed by civilians showing Australian cattle being abused by trained workers in “Australian Approved” slaughterhouses.
Case 1. Jacob (Egypt)
Named Jacob by Lyn White (Animals Australia Investigator), an Australian Brahman. He was exported to Egypt only to be slaughtered in a facility that is lauded as a ‘success story’ by the Australian live export trade. He is terrified, his front right leg is torn and his eyes were stabbed under the stressful conditions he is being brutalized and eventually dies from the blood loss of the wound in his neck.
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The welfare standards in Australia are relatively stable but rather the change should be made in the imported country so that there are laws those guarantees that the exported cattle are safe.
Conclusion
The export industry is an important part of the Australian agricultural community it provides jobs for people that incorporate livestock with their livelihood.
Thus far there have been many investigation that have been conducted that indicate that the animals are being treated in a cruel manner upon arriving in the foreign abattoir and that the government seems to be turning a blind eye to the situation.
My previously stated hypothesis; is the animal export industry conforming to the expectations of the Australian community? It appears that during present times that it hasn’t reached the point were it meets the expectations of Australians. There is a lot of improvement that is required to be done so that in the near future it reaches that standard which is