LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – 1 Territory Party does not support a ban of the live export of sheep nor cattle.
Yesterday’s announcement of the mothballing of the Livingstone Abattoir (owned and operated by AACo), located out of Darwin, says it loud and clear.
There is only one market available for a large percentage of cattle produced in the NT, Northern Queensland and the Kimberleys and that is the live export market.
The Bill as introduced by MP Susan Ley of the Liberal Party to “ban the live export of sheep from Australia” is the thin edge of the wedge for the NT live cattle export market.
The Liberal Party are acting with a knee-jerk reaction on behalf of animal activists. We have seen before in 2011 in the Northern Territory when Labor, the Greens with the ABC came together to ban live cattle exports.
Are Territorian’s now faced with the same experience for the live export of cattle?
Ms Ley is not alone. Labor, the Greens and some crossbenchers will support the Bill next Monday in Parliament.
That is, Northern Territory Labor MP Luke Gosling, MP Warren Snowden and Senator Malarndirri McCarthy will all be told to vote to support a ban on the live export of sheep.
No need to ask where they stand on the live export of cattle. The last time the Australian Labor Party was in power Federally, they banned the live export of cattle and NT Labor (in power at the time) supported that ban too.
The Northern Territory cattle industry should be very concerned. They know they can’t trust Labor, the Greens or the ABC and now they can’t trust the Liberals.
1 Territory feels for those workers who very soon will not have jobs. Hopefully they will be able to take up employment in other areas of the NT pastoral industry and not have to leave the NT.
1 Territory supports the growth and development of the live export of sheep and cattle in conjunction with best animal husbandry techniques and improved regulatory controls for animal welfare and international trade.
Braedon Earley (pictured)
President
1 Territory Party
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Labor MP Luke Gosling, MP Warren Snowden and Senator Malarndirri McCarthy don’t need to be told to vote to support a ban on the live export of sheep.
Along with other Australians who hate animal cruelty they will willingly support the ban.
No-one could watch Animal Australia’s vision of sheep being literally cooked alive and support the trade.
The government’s terms of reference in their review of the sheep export trade did not allow a ban during the hot summer months.
That means that the suffering of animals will continue.
So banning the sheep trade entirely is the only available option.
No ban is proposed for cattle.
Hopefully the cattle trade’s animal welfare standards have improved.
@ Ralph: The footage as shown by Animals Australia didn’t do the industry any favours, but like every industry there are those who take short cuts and don’t care about the consequences of their actions. These rogue traders do need to be removed from the industry.
The review’s findings recommended increased space for sheep by 30%, allowing better ventilation and increased comfort levels.
With reference to hot summer months, I think you will find that the temperature where the sheep come from is actually hotter. No mention of this anywhere? Most if not all sheep to be exported are recently shorn of their wool, as the price of wool is nearly $2,500 a bale (eastern seaboard) and all export vessels have forced air throughout the decks (not reported). Again missing information to suit an agenda.
Again, our politician’s are knee jerking to the sentiments of those enraged with misinformation or lack thereof.
What a shame the same knee jerkers aren’t as worried about our Territory children suffering worse abuse than export sheep at the hands of their drunken parents What would they ban if they were genuinely worried about them?
I digress, but let me leave you with this:The left of the Liberal Party is joining with the Labor Party, led by an MP whose electorate takes in some of the most productive sheep and wheat belts of NSW.
Sheep are a labour intensive activity, with very little reward.
A ban on this industry will see a reduction in sheep numbers across Australia, increased prices for wool and clothing, increased costs of lamb in shops, decrease in population of sheep, decrease in value of sheep properties, decrease in GDP, increase in mortgage debt failure, increased suicide numbers and displacement of more rural men and women.
But, a ban on the live sheep exports is still a good idea for the latte sipping, travel rorting tax payer funded politicians based in shiny towers, because they have no idea about alternatives or impacts.
To top it off a Federal election is looming and every one wants to look like they are doing something, ill informed as it may be.
Two years ago, a sheep transporter — the Al Messilah — lost 3,000 sheep.
2,400 sheep died on the Awassi Express on a voyage to the Middle East last year,
In 2013, more than 4,000 Australian sheep died on the Bader III as temperatures in the Gulf soared — turning the ship they were traveling on into a floating oven.
The Australian Veterinary Association report notes cumulative stress over an extended period including transportation and loading stresses, high-stocking densities, lack of rest, inability to get water, exposure to loud noise, human handling, changes in day length and light intensity and a different climatic zone.
High levels of ammonia and the stressful and unfamiliar conditions on board ships results in animals failing to eat (resulting in death), eye infections, salmonellosis and pneumonia.
Live export of sheep is cruel from start until brutal end.
But the economics of live sheep exports are so marginal that without cruelty it is uncommercial.
Live sheep exports are on the way out on economic grounds as clean/green locally processed meat displaces it.
In the Territory Government and industry should be supporting local processing of sheep, creating far more jobs than any losses through the end of the live sheep trade.