Australia Bans Live Cattle Shipments to Indonesia
Worries over how cattle are treated in Indonesia lead to export ban.
Compiled by staff
Published: May 31, 2011
Australia's Ag Minister Joe Ludwig moved to suspend live animal exports to a number of slaughterhouses in Indonesia, which is causing a political row between the two countries. Live cattle trade between the two was called into question after a report featuring video collected by Animals Australia showed the brutal mistreatment of cattle exported from Australia in a number of slaughterhouses in Indonesia, according to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ludwig has asked Australian officials to prepare orders that would enforce the complete suspension of live animal exports to the facilities identified by Animals Australia. He reserved the right to add more facilities to the banned list as well.
In response, Indonesia's Vice Minister of Agriculture, Bayu Krisnamurthi, has warned against an overreaction to the report in Australia. Bayu notes the importance of live cattle trade to both countries adding that he wants Australia to "respond to the video proportionally."
He explains that the level of development of Indonesians is different from the level of Australians and that this should be taken into account. But Bayu also stopped short of calling for immediate punishment of any slaughterhouses found guilty of mistreatment of cattle. He tells media the first step would be to provide them guidance.
According to the Herald the report featuring the Animals Australia video, aired Monday night on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Four Corners program showing graphic treatment of the animals in those slaughterhouses.
The public's reaction to the images was swift, crashing websites of animal welfare groups. One group - Get Up - says it received more than 35,000 signatures to a petition against live exports in five hours.
Animal rights groups may keep pressure on the Australian government regarding those exports. Some note that an earlier ban on live cattle shipments to Egypt - for similar reasons - was lifted after a year when public pressure subsided.
Permalink: Click here
|