Take the Lead campaign

RSPCA Australia has established the Political Animal website to highlight the animal welfare issues that the RSPCA would like to see dealt with by federal, state and local governments. The key issues currently identified on the website include food labelling, humane slaughter, live exports and puppy factories.

As indicated on the website, an independent review of food labelling laws and policies is being undertaken by the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council. Written submissions have been taken and the final report of the Review Committee will be provided to the Ministerial Council in December 2010 and to COAG in early 2011. Further details about the process will be published once they become available at the Department of Health and Ageing website.

The slaughter of livestock without stunning is a longstanding practice to meet the stated requirements of particular religious groups. The manner in which slaughtering without prior stunning is performed is strictly controlled through approved arrangements by Australia’s state and territory governments and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, under the laws of Australia’s states and territories. Those arrangements are consistent with the World Organisation for Animal Health’s animal welfare guidelines.

Australia’s state, territory and Commonwealth Ministers for Primary Industries discussed the matter at their meeting on 6 November 2009. Ministers recommended that risk management measures be applied to reduce adverse animal welfare outcomes during slaughter without prior stunning. Ministers also asked that further consultations be held with religious authorities, meat processors, relevant regulators and animal welfare groups on the use of risk management measures compatible with religious belief to improve animal welfare outcomes for animals that are slaughtered without prior stunning.

Ministers will consider recommended risk management measures as soon as they are available.

The Government supports a vibrant and growing livestock industry, and an important part of it is the export sector. Its earnings reached a total of $996.5 million in 2009, underpinning employment of around 10 000 people in rural and regional Australia.

The Live Animal Trade Program was established in 2008 to further improve animal welfare in importing countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. For example, the program has supported upgrades in livestock facilities in the Middle East and Asia so that they meet international animal welfare guidelines. The Hon. Tony Burke MP, former Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, approved projects worth more than $2.4 million under the program.

The government announced the three–year $3.2 million Live Trade Animal Welfare Partnership in 2009. Projects under this program are to be funded in equal parts by the government and Australia’s livestock export industry. This is an unprecedented example of government and industry working together to support Australian agriculture and trade. On 15 October 2010, Senator the Hon. Joe Ludwig, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry announced funding for four projects worth around $1.1 million in total under the program.

Several measures are in place to ensure transparency in Australia’s live export trade. All livestock exporters must hold a livestock export licence issued under the Australian Meat and Live–stock Industry Act 1997. Under the ASEL all vessels carrying livestock must be accompanied by an accredited Australian stockperson and for all voyages to or through the Middle East a government accredited veterinarian must also be on–board. For all voyages the on–board stockperson or veterinarian must provide a comprehensive end of voyage report on livestock health and welfare during the journey. For voyages of 10 days or longer they must also provide daily reports.

In addition the master of the vessel is required to submit a report on the outcome of the voyage to Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Biosecurity Services Group (BSG). AMSA and BSG investigate all consignments which record mortalities above a certain threshold, and a report on voyage outcomes is tabled in each House of Parliament every six months.

The Government understands that some people would prefer Australia to export meat rather than live animals. However, a 2008 report from the then Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics concluded that restrictions on the export of live animals would not increase sales of chilled beef, veal or sheep meat. Instead, the countries involved would likely source live animals from elsewhere, including from countries that may not apply the same standards of animal welfare as Australia.

While the Government does not have legislative responsibility for companion animals, including puppy farms, it has played a leadership role by coordinating the development and implementation of the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy. Under the Strategy a working group on companion animals has been established to progress priority tasks to improve animal welfare in this sector. The working group has agreed that developing national standards and guidelines for dogs and cats is a priority, and a small project team has made good progress on this issue. The working group will consider developing standards and guidelines for the commercial breeding of dogs in the future.