The bill to phase out live sheep exports has successfully passed through the Australian House of Representatives.“This is a historic moment in Australia’s history that brings us closer than ever before to a legislated end to this cruel and unfixable trade,” said RSPCA Australia CEO Richard Mussell. “Year after year, sheep suffer on live export voyages from the serious and cumulative impacts of heat stress, overcrowding, hunger, infection, disease, as well as being slaughtered while fully conscious at their destination.”Dr. Tony Brightling, an Australian veterinarian and exporter with over 30 years of experience in the live export trade, highlighted in a recent opinion piece the industry’s decline. He attributes the lack of large livestock carriers coming to Australia to the high compliance costs with Australian standards for aging vessels. Additionally, he notes a shift in the Middle East’s demand from fresh meat markets to Western-style food supply chains.“Rather than a ‘die-in-a-ditch’ pushback strategy, our industry leaders should accept commercial reality and argue long and hard for as much transition support as possible,” Dr. Brightling stated.In contrast, Mark Harvey-Sutton, CEO of the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council, condemned the bill’s passage, calling it an act of “political bastardry.” “This is an outrage, which hasn’t been seen by Australian agriculture in decades, and the industry will continue to fight the ban,” he declared.The bill is expected to reach the Australian Senate next week.
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