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Horses
Horse Industry Background
Australian horsemeat industry
There are around 1.2 million horses in Australia, including approximately 400,000 feral horses. Between 30,000 and 40,000 horses are processed for human and pet consumption annually. Meat for human consumption is exported because it cannot be sold for this purpose in Australia. Some horses are exported live for human and pet consumption. Of the horses processed in Australia about 20% are feral horses, mainly harvested from the northern regions of Australia. Horsemeat for export must be processed in export-accredited abattoirs. Currently there are two abattoirs that are export-accredited, one in Queensland and one in South Australia. For the domestic market there are 33 licensed knackeries in Australia that produce pet food from horsemeat. These facts and figures have been sourced from Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC).
The export of horsemeat began in the 1970s. According to the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), the largest export volume was 6 137 tonnes in 1998/99, which was valued at $26.4 million, with more than half exported to Japan. In 2006/07 2 320 tonnes of horsemeat was exported to 14 countries with the majority going to Russia (48%), Switzerland (15%), Belgium (14%) and France (11%). The total value of exports in 2006/07 was $10.3 million.
Code of Practice
Horses are not farmed specifically for meat in Australia and horsemeat generally comes from failed or retired sport horses as well as feral horses. Therefore there is no code of conduct for the farming of horses. Instead, the slaughtering of horses occurs in compliance with the Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals: Livestock at Slaughtering Establishments published by CSIRO. This code aims to encourage the efficient yet considerate treatment of animals so that stress is minimised throughout the slaughter process.There is also a Code of Practice for the Land Transport of Horses developed by State and Territory departments, which is one of a number of equine welfare related codes.
National Residue Levy
A levy of $5.00 per head is imposed on the slaughter at an abattoir of horses intended for human consumption.