death at sea

[***super_nova***]

The live export industry is in crisis amid revelations thousands of sheep from farms in WA and the eastern States died in extreme heat during a horror voyage to the Middle East on a ship which was back in Fremantle loading animals in 40C conditions last weekend.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/wa/a/20787632/mass-sheep-death-on-horror-voyage/

[debra9275]

I for one, would like to see all live exports stopped

[mugssy65]

Poor defenceless critters!

[silverfaun]

Appalling trade, sickening.

[*crikey*mate*]

so, just curious, if we stop live export, will the government get blamed for the job loss and loss of income for the farmers and associated industries?

will we stop importing lamb from NZ?

[silverfaun]

Of course not & the farmers have a right to expect their produce to reach the markets but that doesn't stop me from feeling revulsion at the cruelty of this trade.No offence.

[debra9275 · Accepted solution]

Research into Australian live export

In 2009, the (WSPA) live export campaign commissioned economic think tank ACIL Tasman to undertake economic research into the live export trade. This research found that there are potential value adding opportunities being lost in Australia due to trade distortions in the live export trade. The report analysed the economics and policy settings of the live sheep export trade from Western Australia and demonstrated that a sheep processed domestically is worth 20% more to the Australian economy than one exported live.

In October 2012, WSPA published a further piece of research into the live export trade. This research found that if a cattle processing facility is built in the Northern Territory or North-Western Australia, in conjunction with live export, there would potentially be an increase of 245% or more in gross earnings for Australian cattle producers, more than 1,300 jobs for unemployed Australians and gross regional product growth of $204 million per annum.

In August 2011, two bills were presented tothe Australin Parliament calling for an end to live exports on animal welfare grounds, by Independent Senator Nick Xenopon  and the Australian Greens Party. Both bills were rejected by the House of Representatives.

[darksideofthemoon]

I fail to understand why they keep doing this when the death of each creature is money lost.

Don't get me wrong, it sickens me that this is an acceptable way to sending animals overseas, but for the moment, have a look at the financial side of it.

I bet the buyers don't lose a cent, but the farmers or exporters must lose millions every time this happens... why keep doing it?

Yes I know Islam likes to kill it's own animals, but if they aren't getting them what's the use of that?

Maybe we could have Islamic butchers in business here in Australia and then export the meat deep frozen?

Surely the cost of that would make up for the loss of millions they way it is being done at present.

[*crikey*mate*]

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@silverfaun wrote:

Of course not & the farmers have a right to expect their produce to reach the markets but that doesn't stop me from feeling revulsion at the cruelty of this trade.No offence.

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No offence taken, but here's the thing

The farmers (and associated industries) can only sell to someone who will buy.

If Australians aren't buying in the quantities that make their businesses sustainable, then what else do they do?

The entire industry is cruel, both domestically and internationally. The transport conditions for livestock within Australia, really isn't all that peachy either.

Farming of any kind costs a lot of money in Australia. It has changed a lot since the days when "Australia rode on the sheep's back". This means that the farmers have to produce more and turn over their stock more quickly than ever before, in order to make their livlihoods sustainable.

Lamb, has a limited shelf life. Once it progresses beyond the classification of lamb, it is greatly devalued. So, a farmer needs to either slaughter the sheep at this point in time, (and in this alone there is not enough demand for them to be sustauinable) or export them or be subjected to a significantly reduced price, which again impacts on their sustainability.

[icyfroth]

Thanks for that Deb.

I don't get it with our government, and I mean governments over the last few decades, not just the current one. How they let themselves be ruled by the dictates of foreign investors against all commonsense solutions for the welfare of our own country and it's people.