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Four Corners live export expose damning
24 May 2011 Have your say
ABC1's Four Corners exposé of the treatment of Australian cattle exported live to Indonesia showed a damning picture of this trade. Animals Australia and RSPCA Australia jointly launched a campaign to ban live animal export.
The Four Corners exposé featured never-before seen footage from Animals Australia's recent investigation into the live cattle trade to Indonesia. It also included Four Corners' own footage, taken a month later in the same abattoirs and showing similar atrocities as Animals Australia's investigators had witnessed.
Please watch the Four Corners exposé of the treatment of Australian cattle in Indonesia and join our Ban Live Export campaign to help us end this trade.
Every year, millions of animals born into Australian care and protection are exported live, only to be killed in countries where there are no protections to safeguard their welfare.
Over the past seven years, Animals Australia has conducted investigations into the treatment of animals exported live to the Middle East. Footage from past investigations has routinely revealed the live export industry's willingness to export animals to countries regardless of how cruelly they will be treated.
Whilst consecutive Federal Governments continue to defend this indefensible trade, it is critical that all caring Australians be given the opportunity to learn the truth about live animal export. So please watch Four Corners online and encourage friends and family to watch it too.
When exposed on national television, evidence provided by Animals Australia was responsible for a ban on live sheep exports to Egypt. This time we need to achieve more. Animals Australia and RSPCA Australia joined forces in a call to ban live export now. And we have another strong ally in GetUp!
GetUp! will be presenting a petition to end live export during a joint press conference with Animals Australia, RSPCA Australia and the Australian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU) in Canberra on Tuesday 31st May to demand that the Gillard Government immediately halts live export to Indonesia and commits to a phase out of the live animal export trade.
Update:
Independents Andrew Wilkie and Nick Xenophon have announced that they will introduce legislation to both houses of Federal Parliament to ban live exports.
On Tuesday 31st May Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig announced the suspension of live cattle exports to the 11 Indonesian abattoirs investigated by ABC's Four Corners.
On Wednesday 8th June Prime Minister Gillard announced a suspension on the live cattle trade to Indonesia.
Without the generosity of Animals Australia members and donors, investigations such as these would never have been possible. Please support our work today.
Post a commentYour Say: 707 comments
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Val:
Sheep Again
Thursday, 19 January 2012 at 8:14pm
I read where there are more sheep in New Zealand than people.A hell of a lot more.Sheep will be barbecued and roasted in the holidays.Australia Day is great but the animals will suffer.Think before you eat everyone.One day animals might get a reprieve.Humans think they are the only ones to have feelings and they are wrong the ones who do.Be kind to our animals please people on holidays.Veg meals are yummy.
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Lachlan:
Wake Up Australia
Thursday, 29 September 2011 at 10:42am
I am a high school student and I too am doing my English assignment on the Live Export Debacle. I watched the original Four Corners program the night it was broadcast and I like many others was extremely concerned... for the people whose lives this affects.
There were 875,000 head of cattle exported from Australia in 2010. Assuming that each beast feeds a full grown man for half a year (which is an understatement) that means that thanks to the live export 437,500 GROWN MEN were fed in countries where quality food is always an issue. (Can I just highlight the fact that these are grown men who eat twice as much as a child and work to bring in money to feed their family without which would starve.)
I understand that you probably don't eat meat and support the argument that humans were never meant to eat meat but that is your choice and you have the right to it. But please have some sympathy for these people who are not as well off as us in Australia and as a result do not have the luxury of deciding whether they wish to eat meat or not because there is no other genuine alternative in this day and age.
If you are not a fan of human rights that is your choice not mine, but maybe before you go and present a biased 'documentary' on a serious issue such as this again, you fully think through and accept the outcomes of what you are doing.
Without this trade there are hundreds of thousands of people who will go hungry and in an age where the wider Australian community is working to provide equal living standards worldwide anyone who opposes this should be ashamed to consider themselves Australian.
Show 2 repliesThere were 875,000 head of cattle exported from Australia in 2010. Assuming that each beast feeds a full grown man for half a year (which is an understatement) that means that thanks to the live export 437,500 GROWN MEN were fed in countries where quality food is always an issue. (Can I just highlight the fact that these are grown men who eat twice as much as a child and work to bring in money to feed their family without which would starve.)
I understand that you probably don't eat meat and support the argument that humans were never meant to eat meat but that is your choice and you have the right to it. But please have some sympathy for these people who are not as well off as us in Australia and as a result do not have the luxury of deciding whether they wish to eat meat or not because there is no other genuine alternative in this day and age.
If you are not a fan of human rights that is your choice not mine, but maybe before you go and present a biased 'documentary' on a serious issue such as this again, you fully think through and accept the outcomes of what you are doing.
Without this trade there are hundreds of thousands of people who will go hungry and in an age where the wider Australian community is working to provide equal living standards worldwide anyone who opposes this should be ashamed to consider themselves Australian.
Ruth Weston:
Bill Farmers report
Saturday, 3 September 2011 at 1:47pm
I wonder why the report has to be vetted by Joe Ludwig before we get to see it. I am going to email to ask him if we can see it!
Anyone else want to try?
Show 1 replyAnyone else want to try?
Lyn Faull:
Farmer Report??
Thursday, 1 September 2011 at 9:03am
The report by Bill Farmer, commissioned by Ludwig was supposed to have been released yesterday.
Not a mention of it anywhere.
Does anyone know what has happened to it?
Show 1 replyNot a mention of it anywhere.
Does anyone know what has happened to it?
Anna:
Live Cattle Trade
Saturday, 20 August 2011 at 10:38am
In my recent school project, I have been researching many different MLA and Government websites, as well as newspaper articles and have found that there is numerous collaborating information on why Australia should be allowed to continue it exports to Middle Eastern Countires. It is hard to come by the footage of such inhumane cruelty but if a permanent ban was to be placed upon the industry many Australia's would become finacially unstable, and the majority of big landowners up north would find themselves unable to sell any of their stock to abattoirs in Australia as their is overload of beef prodcued in Australia. Though as not to be bias to the many people who believe the export shouldn't be allowed to continue, neither should the inhumane cruelty, that is why only the abattoirs which continue to resist the use of stunning should be shut down, as most slaughter houses in the Middle East use the right practices. It is a hard decision for the government to improve, but neither should the issue be shunned away once public pressure has released, as it is still and on-going process to improve the industry.
Show 23 replies
Soph:
Hi
Monday, 15 August 2011 at 3:05pm
Hi guys,
I'm doing live export as my speech and this wb site has given me great infomation! My speech has been a hit and I can't wait to see if I get into Speech night.
THANK YOU
I'm doing live export as my speech and this wb site has given me great infomation! My speech has been a hit and I can't wait to see if I get into Speech night.
THANK YOU
val:
Radio National1/8/2011
Monday, 1 August 2011 at 2:11pm
Peter Stevenson is chief Policy Advisor for Compassion in live animal farming and is now in Australia.He is lecturing at sydney University tonight and is also on radio national 1/8/2011.He certainly knows what he is talking about.
val:
Bush Telegraph Radio National
Monday, 1 August 2011 at 1:48pm
If People would like to become better informed on animal rights issues please listen to Bush Telegraph on Radio National on1/8/2011.It is about animal cruelty and spoken by Peter Stevenson .Apparently our treatment in Australia of exports is cruel and one of the worst in the world.
val:
Radio National Peter Stevenson
Monday, 1 August 2011 at 12:34pm
If you listen to Radio National's broadcast morning show 1/7/2011 You can listen to how bad Australia's exports are.Just put it into your computer if you have one.Farmers on television who cry about how they don't know what to do when there is an export ban don't need too much sympathy now.Cruelty in Australia has gone on too long to our animals and europe is bad enough.
Show 1 reply
val:
elders sheep exports
Friday, 29 July 2011 at 11:44am
Well it look likes Elders will be exporting cattle again soon.I heard a little on the radio. I have now got so fed up with all these news stories that I don't know what is true anymore.Michael O'brien wrote to Joe Ludwig to put a ban on live exports for six months.He wrote and told me as I wrote to him as I heard there was religious ways of killing animals inSouth Australia which is a terribly cruel way to slaughter animals.The cattle ban should be forever as far as I am concerned so I hope they make up their minds most of the Australian public don't want cruelty to animals here or overseas.Of course there is only one way out of this cruel export business and that is don't eat meat . I don't.The date is 29th/7/2011 so we will see what happens soon.
Raghe:
comparing livestock export to slave trade
Saturday, 23 July 2011 at 4:50pm
Livestock exporting are no comparison to the transatlantic slave trade Australian ABC/Animal Australia, you are racist, damned Africans are humans not a cattle how dare you how dare you televise that and get a way with it i would forward to this NAACP and the u.s media, so Australia once again showed its ugly call while supposedly defending cattle.
Lyn Faull:
I'm appalled
Thursday, 7 July 2011 at 10:04am
So Timid Joe has caved in to industry pressure and will allow this bloody business to resume, with the cliche: 'supply chain assurances'. Which means precisely what? That, if (when) challenged again, it will be possible to trace the origins of tortured cattle? How does this PREVENT further torture, when stun guns are not included in the conditions?
What, precisely will change? While some abattoirs, like Elders, claim to be up to Australian standards, that is not the Government's requirement for resumption of trade. OIE standards were designed for Third-World countries and are lower than ours. This is what Ludwig has agreed to! The four Australian vets sent there were not allowed into abattoirs to inspect. Joe didn't bother trying. What is being done about the Mk1 restraint boxes? So just how will cruelty be monitored? By platitudes from MLA again?
Is the over-riding problem being addressed at all - that producers in the northern half of this huge continent are almost entirely dependent on this vile trade? That there are NO alternatives? Are any Australian processors being encouraged to provide an alternative for when the next expose happens, and the trade is again suspended?
And what, if anything, is being done about the cruelty to sheep in the Middle Eastern-bound ships?
We need more people with the courage of Lyn White. Not more weak politicians devoid of ethics or courage.
What, precisely will change? While some abattoirs, like Elders, claim to be up to Australian standards, that is not the Government's requirement for resumption of trade. OIE standards were designed for Third-World countries and are lower than ours. This is what Ludwig has agreed to! The four Australian vets sent there were not allowed into abattoirs to inspect. Joe didn't bother trying. What is being done about the Mk1 restraint boxes? So just how will cruelty be monitored? By platitudes from MLA again?
Is the over-riding problem being addressed at all - that producers in the northern half of this huge continent are almost entirely dependent on this vile trade? That there are NO alternatives? Are any Australian processors being encouraged to provide an alternative for when the next expose happens, and the trade is again suspended?
And what, if anything, is being done about the cruelty to sheep in the Middle Eastern-bound ships?
We need more people with the courage of Lyn White. Not more weak politicians devoid of ethics or courage.
Lachlan T:
I support live export
Wednesday, 6 July 2011 at 7:44pm
It's not the trade that is barbaric it's the small few abattoirs highlighted on TV that are barbaric. If you would like to see 'barbaric' take a closer look at the pet industry.
Do you know that when these cattle are transported to Indonesia they increase their weight by up to 2kg/day on the 6 day voyage? That is not the sign of a stressed animal. Do you know that the feedlots in Indonesia have some of the best conditions in the world (much better than most in Australia)?
The 'total selfishness of everyone involved' is far outweighed by the ignorance of people who make judgements on others without having a clue what there are talking about.
Show 6 repliesDo you know that when these cattle are transported to Indonesia they increase their weight by up to 2kg/day on the 6 day voyage? That is not the sign of a stressed animal. Do you know that the feedlots in Indonesia have some of the best conditions in the world (much better than most in Australia)?
The 'total selfishness of everyone involved' is far outweighed by the ignorance of people who make judgements on others without having a clue what there are talking about.
JB:
Money over Morality 2?
Wednesday, 6 July 2011 at 3:49pm
At the end of the day, anyone that is involved in making money from this barbaric trade will defend it at all costs. All manner of pitiful and pathetic excuses are being made to get it up and going again.
The debate as it currently stands has completely turned away from the animal welfare aspect and is now totally focused on who is losing out the most, the farmers, the MLA & LiveCorp and even the Indonesians themselves. It truely is unbelievable. and highlights the total selfishness of everyone involved.
The fact remains that everthing that this trade represents and stands for is WRONG plain and simple, whether you eat meat or not, whether you are a cattle farmer or not, whether you are city dweller or not, the fact still remains that our live stock is being abused and tortured to death when they are "transported" to these countries. This is WRONG and must be put right
As I have said before, as far as polititians, farmers and the industry is concerned, their own welfare with regards to the money they make from this trade will always far out -weigh any morality, compassion or welfare of these animals.
Show 3 repliesThe debate as it currently stands has completely turned away from the animal welfare aspect and is now totally focused on who is losing out the most, the farmers, the MLA & LiveCorp and even the Indonesians themselves. It truely is unbelievable. and highlights the total selfishness of everyone involved.
The fact remains that everthing that this trade represents and stands for is WRONG plain and simple, whether you eat meat or not, whether you are a cattle farmer or not, whether you are city dweller or not, the fact still remains that our live stock is being abused and tortured to death when they are "transported" to these countries. This is WRONG and must be put right
As I have said before, as far as polititians, farmers and the industry is concerned, their own welfare with regards to the money they make from this trade will always far out -weigh any morality, compassion or welfare of these animals.
Lachlan T:
I support live export
Tuesday, 5 July 2011 at 8:32pm
Are you aware that 95% of cattle slaughter in Indonesia are done so in conditions equal to, or better than, Australian abattoirs. The recent 4 corners program only showed the worst of the worst.....very poor, one sided journalism. No sane person wishes to see animals treated as was seen on this program most of all the cattle producers themselves. Are you aware now that, if this trade does not resume in the immediate future, tens of thousands of animals will be shot or starve to death.
It's very easy to sit in your lounge rooms and be outraged by what you have seen on TV but before you put your support behind government actions GET THE FACTS!!
Show 3 repliesIt's very easy to sit in your lounge rooms and be outraged by what you have seen on TV but before you put your support behind government actions GET THE FACTS!!
Hazel Evans:
Thay want those cattle back of the boats!
Monday, 4 July 2011 at 12:34am
Has anyone seen Warren Truss's latest media statement? Used to be Ag Minister, now is a member for Wide Bay in Qld, for those who dont know. Anyway, he believes the PM should phone the powers to be in Indonesia, 'quickly' to get the show on the road yet again, so to speak. He also accused the Government of a knee jerk response in ordering the suspension, and the MLA should use some of it's money for research, developing and marketing to get the Indonesian abbitoirs back inline. His whole focus in his statement was for a lift in the suspension.
Does Mr Truss, like so many who campaign to put our animals in the same position not care that these animals will continue to suffer. Its like, Julia make that 'quick' phone call and lets start loading the boats, irrespective if anything has improved or not. That's simply dreadful, for want of better words.
The 'knee jerk' response he mentioned wasn't brought about by the Government thinking on a particular day, lets give Live export a kick in the pants because we haven't got anything better to do. It was a decision based on, not only what has been exposed in the media recently, but a long term history of proven animal abuse. Four Aus vets went to Indonesia recently to assess the abbitoirs, none of them were allowed access, and I think we all know why. Two of the vets returned home, leaving two sitting in a motel room in Indonesia awaiting possible visitation rights to the abbitoirs. In 2005 when the trade was exposed via 60 minutes the same people talked about the same things, like using restraining boxes, giving education, researching and developing best practice policies etc etc. Has any of these strategies made any difference either in Indonesia, or the Middle East? We all know the answer to that. So wouldn't the MLA be wasting it's money trying to impliment the strategies Warren Truss suggests.
None of this is new to Mr Truss as I wrote to him in 2005 protesting about this trade. How can he still be of the same view when he clearly knows and has known what treatment the animals were and are being exposed to. I cannot understand it.
Does Mr Truss, like so many who campaign to put our animals in the same position not care that these animals will continue to suffer. Its like, Julia make that 'quick' phone call and lets start loading the boats, irrespective if anything has improved or not. That's simply dreadful, for want of better words.
The 'knee jerk' response he mentioned wasn't brought about by the Government thinking on a particular day, lets give Live export a kick in the pants because we haven't got anything better to do. It was a decision based on, not only what has been exposed in the media recently, but a long term history of proven animal abuse. Four Aus vets went to Indonesia recently to assess the abbitoirs, none of them were allowed access, and I think we all know why. Two of the vets returned home, leaving two sitting in a motel room in Indonesia awaiting possible visitation rights to the abbitoirs. In 2005 when the trade was exposed via 60 minutes the same people talked about the same things, like using restraining boxes, giving education, researching and developing best practice policies etc etc. Has any of these strategies made any difference either in Indonesia, or the Middle East? We all know the answer to that. So wouldn't the MLA be wasting it's money trying to impliment the strategies Warren Truss suggests.
None of this is new to Mr Truss as I wrote to him in 2005 protesting about this trade. How can he still be of the same view when he clearly knows and has known what treatment the animals were and are being exposed to. I cannot understand it.
valerie:
Dutch MPs pass slaughter ban
Thursday, 30 June 2011 at 5:29pm
I read in the west australian today the30th June 2011 that dutch MPs have passed a slaughterban.It reads The netherlands parliament has passed a bill banning the slaughter of livestockwithout stunning it first,removing an exemption that has allowed jews and muslims to butcher animals according to their centuries old dietary rules.If enacted, the Netherlands would be the second country after New Zealandto do so in recent years. Bans in Switzerland and Scandinavian and Baltic countries are mostly traceable to pre-World War 11 anti-semitism. MP Marianne Thieme, of the Party for the Animals,the first animal rights party to win seats in a national parliament, said she was now set to defend the Bill in the senate.Ialso know San Francisco has put a ban on selling live animals in pet shops including lizards that is any animal that feels which of course is all animals.I hope Australia follows their lead.
Show 1 reply
cheryl santin:
stop live export
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 at 11:13am
This is totally horrendous and sick. Who in their right mind would think this is ok just because of the profit.What is wrong with people. What are people becoming. This just has to be stopped, this is Australia - make it count and stop live export forever.
Show 1 reply
Hazel Evans:
We profit not
Wednesday, 29 June 2011 at 8:46am
Been doing abit more digging around and discovered MANY pastoral stations are owned by overseas companies. In the rather long finance statement (2009) related to the Consolidated Pastoral Company(90% British owned) which includes information about the company itself, and mentioned at length about the Indonesian market and feedlots etc, but not one mention about of animal welfare or the process of slaughtering. It also made mention that the beef is eaten only by 'the elite' of the country. The company prides itself on the fact its a low cost company to run, made a huge profit in 2009, and probably ever other year, all off the back of suffering and torture. I'm so glad the brakes have been applied and these companies have been made aware that there are people out there that will speak up for the animals they produce. I cant understand how our minister for agriculture would want the MLA to compensate the farmers, when in fact, the majority of that money would go overseas to the actual owners and shareholders. I am not talking about Joe Smith the small time farmer, who I believe the MLA should compensate, I'm on about huge multi national companies. So when live export is debated and we are told about the amount of millions the trade brings to Australia, we now know this is not true. KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!
Show 6 replies
Hazel Evans:
Who profits?
Tuesday, 28 June 2011 at 8:36pm
Saw on TV this week Tony Abbott plugging Live Export whilst riding a horse on the Consolidated Pastoral Compamy in WA. This company was once owned by the Packer family and has since been sold to the Terra Firma Company in the UK. We hear about the money live export brings to this country, what a load of bull **** its all going overseas. How many other pastoral company are in the same boat? AND do these overseas stock holders and investors give a toss whats happening with the animals? Most wouldn't know or give a darn, they are 1300miles away counting their revenue, living in luxury. Australia wake up!!
Show 4 replies
See also:Lyn White named 'NewsMaker of the Year'Indonesian live export to decline; cruelty to continueIndonesian live exports to decline; cruelty to continueOpinion: Reform of Live Animal Export Trade Should Not Be Delayed Exporters race to meet Turkey reform deadline
Millions of Australian animals are exported live to countries where they routinely suffer unspeakable cruelty that would be illegal in Australia. Find out more...
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