Animals Australia attacks Egypt shipment

5 March 2010

LIVE export company Wellard has defended the shipping of cattle to Egypt after Animals Australia expressed its outrage at the move.

As reported in last week's Farm Weekly, Wellard sent a consignment of 16,460 cattle aboard the MV Ocean Shearer from Fremantle bound for the port of Al Sokhna, Egypt.

The trade was halted in 2006 after an animal welfare investigation, but re-opened in 2008 following the development of a new facility at the Egyptian port of Sokhna and the signing of an agreement between the two countries, with strict protocols for the handling and slaughter of Australian livestock.

The Wellards shipment was the first since the trade reopened, and although the protocols require the cattle to be slaughtered at the new facility, Animals Australia executive director Glenys Oogjes said the situation was far from being a good news story portrayed by the live export industry.

"The welfare of Australian cattle will not be protected in Egypt," Ms Oogjes said.

"At this new abattoir they will be subjected to the stress of a restraint box which will trap their bodies and rotate them 140 degrees before having their throats cut whilst fully conscious.

"Cattle can take up to two minutes to lose

consciousness after the throat cut, causing them immense suffering.

"The slashing of leg tendons in Egyptian abattoirs which caused the trade to be suspended is no different in barbarity to the slashing of a conscious animal's throat.

"That the live export industry would provide animals to be subjected to such a fate is shameful."

Wellard Rural Exports managing director Steve Meerwald said he found Animals Australia's response very disappointing, especially considering all the work that had gone into improving conditions in Eygpt.

"It is disappointing that an organisation supposedly representing the interests of welfare of animals can't bring themselves to admit one ioata of benefit from this new facility," Mr Meerwald said.

"This has been a 10 year, multi-million dollar investment by private companies and governments on both ends.

"The process resulted in a pinnacle of welfare relative to where it's come from, and it sets a benchmark.

"These people who don't invest a cent in positive animal welfare outcomes, they just stand back and sling mud.

"They should just come out and admit that they want to shut down every aspect of production animals."

Mr Meerwald said he had personally been to the Al Sokhna facility and said compared to the facility in the past, there had been a monumental shift in welfare which was benefitting animals from all regions, not just Australia.

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