Tonight’s ‘7:30’ Showed Live Exporters & Activists Are Now Frenemies

Live animal export isn’t new fodder for ABC’s 7.30. In 2013, graphic footage shown on the program brought the issue of live cattle export out of the farmland and into homes around Australia. As a result of the exposé, cattle trade with Egypt was halted as the nation took stock of the inhumane treatment of animals shipped from Down Under.

Tonight, the program touched on the issue again – this time however, the animal rights activists and a major livestock exporter both agree export standards aren’t up to scratch. 
Footage obtained by 7.30 shows an Australian sheep in the Middle East being bundled into a hot car boot, and driven away without complying with the national guidelines that both activists and exporters want to see more heavily enforced.
 


Lynn White
, campaign director for Animals Australia, concedes the livestock trade is vital to Australia, but her group is still “asking for meaningful consequences for offending exporters so that animals will at least be saved from the worst abuses of being exported to these countries.” 

The CEO of a major exporter agrees. Wellard’s Mauro Belzarini adds “if you don’t do it properly … you put the industry at risk and you create a situation where you have an unfair competitive environment.”

While the two parties may not see eye to eye on every issue relating to the animal trade, any effort to stop excessive cruelty is surely welcome. You can watch the full 7.30 segment below. 

 

Image via the ABC

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