FEDERAL Agriculture Minister, Joe Ludwig, has lifted the live export suspension to Indonesia at a press conference in Canberra.
Minister Ludwig said agreement had been met with the live export industry on international standards for animal welfare treatment, while exporters were ready to meet those standards and Indonesia ready to issue import permits.
Mr Ludwig said cattle exporters can seek an export permit and in seeking that permit need to prove they can implement supply chain assurances for animal protection, from the paddock, in their transportation, through to feedlots and abattoirs, with transparency and independent auditing.
Read more from Colin Bettles at Farm Online here: http://theland.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/livestock/cattle/live-export-ban-lifted/2218607.aspx
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
If this govt had any backbone they would have simply done this from the outset and saved everyone a lot of heartache and money.
It would have led to more humane cattle treatment, too.
Spineless, inept lot.
If the govt had any backbone they would have done the ethical thing and banned live export totally, FOREVER!
lulu,
Please show how that would be better for people and cattle.
Lulu,
spoken from the heart of a vegan???
This whole debacle looks like something straight out of ‘yes minister’ !
If it wasn’t for the fact that far too many people were unnecessarily impacted by this mindlessly stupid and reactionary approach by our federal govt, we could turn this into a great comedy skit.
The final irony is that everything that Ludwig has stated about ‘the agreement’ was already being done anyway.
No one in the Australian Cattle Industry or indeed in the whole Australian Livestock industry would condone the treatment we witnessed on the 4 corners program.
It is totally beyond me why ANYBODY, be they vegan or not, thought that ANYTHING positive or practical would be achieved by punishing AUSTRALIAN farmers!
The sin was being committed in INDONESIA by a very small % of people. If we truly wanted to punish someone for this attrocious behaviour, we should have punished the PERPETRATORS! Instead we now have the federal govt offering a $30million compensation package to people to pay them back for the federal government’s stuff up!
‘Yes Minister’ indeed.
Incidentally, Lulu, unless you have a sensible plan to relocate and readjust a successful Australian Industry THAT YOU ARE PERSONALLY PREPARED TO PAY FOR, you may want to rethink your previous comment.
A broad sweeping statement about ethics does not have any practical application. Banning all live exports with no compensation would send a whole sector of our population straight to the social security doorstep and also leave many thousands of animals completely stranded.
Shoulding on people and industries about which you obviously have very little understanding is not a good look.
This is really good news:
“THE Australian and Indonesian livestock industries have vowed to go beyond international animal welfare standards to introduce stunning in all abattoirs that process Australian cattle.
Meat and Livestock Australia and the Indonesian Beef Producer and Lot Feeder Association last night released a statement from Jakarta saying they were committed to going beyond international animal welfare standards in the wake of the lifting of the trade ban.
The Gillard government has been under intense pressure over stunning, with 11 Labor backbenchers staging a revolt because agreed international animal welfare standards did not mandate stunning.
The agreement, which stops short of mandating stunning, comes after the Indonesian government granted 180,000 live cattle permits to be imported over the next three months.
The import green-light was announced yesterday by Indonesian officials after talks with Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, and included details of the country’s industry-based plans to improve abattoirs and ensure animal welfare standards.”
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/jakarta-clears-cattle-trade/story-fn59niix-1226091020437
Live animal export for slaughter is cruel and unstable by its very nature. It can be stopped at anytime by politics on either side, exposure of the cruelty involved, bad weather, disease, or the buyer simply finding a different source. Since the tax payers are asked to pay for the short comings of this industry, let us pay to wind it up. The moral majority has asked that it stop. In 1865 Southern USA farmers said they needed slavery to maintain their economy. In 1965 Cape Byron said they needed whaling to maintain their economy. But the moral majority decided these industries must stop and so they did. End live export for slaughter now and for ever. From a country boy and a cattle owner.
kuhnkat, i’m not a vegan, i just hate unnecessary suffering.
spangled drongo, the live export industry has a history of cruelty and deception and after all these years it has only gotten worse. It’s time to diversify, value add or whatever it’s called and wind this industry down. It’s had it’s time.
Lulu, you’re an idiot!
I’m a vegetarian and still acknowledge the fact that we export more beef than any other country!! how can you just suddenly put a stop to that?? Australian families depend on the beef industry to survive…yes we should ensure that there is no more animal cruelty but there a much better and more effective measures to ensure this
lulu i completely disagree with you as well!!! Being from a remote cattle property i have had to work so hard to produce fine beef with my siblings and parents my whole life, australia benifits from this immensely!! If you are to say that to stop live export is the right thing to do, you obviously dont know what it is like to work for the money recieved and also satisfaction that you contributing to another culture. Also, the number of jobs that would be lost in indonesia would be devastating and effect their economy as much as their families and self secruity. If this ban was to stay perminate there would be a tremendous impact on not only australians but also indonesia. Not to mention the incredible number of cattle that would have to be killed because they are not needed. Australias economy would crash and there would possibly be a period that could imitate the great depression. How many farmers woud be found hanging in the shed because of a stupid and selfish reason??? Think about this next time you try to say what is wrong and right. I know probably more about these issues than you and it really upsets me that you could be so agaist this thriving industry that is an aspect of the backbone of australian agriculture. I am fourteen but I still know what Australia needs for a worthwhile and fulfilling future.
I stand by my original sentiment that live meat export has to stop. There is a growing world-wide opposition to this trade, and it’s only a matter of time. New Zealand did it, and so will we.
The ban has been lifted for a better future and Australia wont be told how to run the country by people who are way out of their depth. Australian rural and sub-urban citizens know what is needed for our countries economy and agriculture; it’s just a matter of how we go about it. Please think about the welfare of all farmers instead of what you feel is “morally” correct.
Sally, I sympathise with farmers plight, to a degree, but my concern is prevention of cruelty to animals. It’s gone on for so long and so many people knew it was going on, and nothing was done to fix it. You say a lot about everything, but nothing about the cruelty. Did you watch 4 Corners? It’s burned into my brain and I’ll never forget what I saw. You think I’m selfish for wanting a ban but what would I personally gain from it? You say you know more about these issues than me, but how can you possibly know that? We are all entitled to an opinion, me included, even if you don’t like it, and animal welfare will always come before farmers welfare. Sorry.
Emerald, it’s nice of you to call me an idiot. You obviously don’t know how to conduct a sane argument, but, nobody is saying beef export should stop. It’s the cruelty of LIVE export that is the issue. There never was an excuse for it, and there never will be a good enough reason to let it continue. And what better way to stop the cruelty than to stop sending animals? Have you watched the Turkey video? Watch it please, then get back to me.