a blog about Carpathian shepherds on the road, and other journeys

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Wednesday 1 August 2012

Stand up for Sheep: Transportation of live animals for slaughter

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is running a campaign against the live transportation of Australian sheep for slaughter in the Middle East.  It has implications for everyone who breeds animals for consumption abroad, including farmers in Britain and Romania, where the EU's humane legislation is often ignored.  I don't want this blog to become a trumpet for other people's causes but as with the Rosia Montana gold mine debate, this campaign lies close to my heart.  I've pasted the following text from PETA's website: 


Urge the Australian Minister for Agriculture to End Live Export
Over the last 30 years, Australia has exported more than 200 million living animals to Middle Eastern countries that have no laws in place to protect them. During the grueling trip across the Indian Ocean, more than 2.5 million of these animals have been trampled to death or have died from dehydration, starvation, or disease. PETA Australia has protested in the Middle East and met with local activists to educate them about the cruel journey, but we need your help.
Animals Australia visited Kuwait during Eid al-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice). More than 800,000 Australian sheep were sent to the Middle East for Eid al-Adha in a single year. The abuse that Animals Australia exposed adds to what PETA, PETA Asia-Pacific, and other groups have uncovered in the past.
Investigators observed that sheep were dragged by their legs despite signs that were posted overhead instructing handlers not to do so. Inexperienced workers cut sheep's throats—while the animals were still conscious—with blunt or inappropriate knives. According to one investigator, "Australian sheep were being purchased, bound with wire and shoved into car [trunks] whilst others were being dragged terrified on their stomachs towards filthy slaughter areas on the side of roads where they waited amongst the dead and dying to have their throats cut."
Much of the treatment that investigators observed is contrary to Islamic teaching and runs contrary to World Organisation for Animal Health guidelines for the handling, transport, and slaughter of animals.
Please urge Australia's minister for agriculture, Joe Ludwig, to end live export now.
https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=4223
ttps://secure.peta.org.uk/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=14300