A former livestock carrier and Riverina Local Land Services board member says all live exports of stock should be banned to end the misery for animals after shocking footage was aired of sheep suffering on a Middle East bound ship.
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Wagga Wagga City councillor and Riverina Water deputy chairman Paul Funnell says politicians need to stand up against the trade and “bite the bullet” on live exports and ban it for good.
Mr Funnell advocates the construction of abattoirs in northern NSW so that animals are processed in Australia and do not meet cruel ends in the Middle East. He said it was time that the live export trade was brought to a halt, and the sheep and cattle industries would have to adjust, just as the car industry did after closures.
“I don’t understand every producer faces terrible penalties if they do not meet livestock rules in Australia, the MLA demands J-BAS accreditation, farmers are quarantined for six months if they have one sheep with footrot, we get heavy fines if tags fall off our sheep, but here live exporters get away with murder.
“Everyone is prepared to belt the farmer if they do anything wrong, but live exporters can get away with anything.” Mr Funnell, an irrigator-producer, says several of his neighbours had expressed the same view to ban all live animal exports.
Mr Funnell said he knew of a producer who sent sheep overseas and also was a live export sheep carrier down to Adelaide from central NSW, and had vowed to never have anything to do with the industry again.
“After seeing the footage , he told me he is getting out of it after 40 years,” Mr Funnell said.
He says politicians had failed to act on abuses by live exporters. The abuse exposed by a whistleblower on the Saudi-owned Awassi Express had happened on five occasions over a year and under the watch of Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, he said.
“To actually see footage of five loads – not just one – of sheep treated like this is beyond comprehension – to say sickened is an understatement,” Mr Funnell said.
“We have such strict regulations and high standards we’re expected to adhere to in Australia, and yet our lazy, duplicitous, gutless politicians are prepared to let that ship reload this week knowing full well there’s nothing in place to stop them.”
Mr Funnell said the industry would quickly adjust to a live export ban, adding that real farmers were not the ones truly benefiting from the practice.
“I had eight phone calls before 9am today from concerned growers saying to shut it down – every single one of them said ‘who cares, I’ll get over it, we'll adjust’ – they don’t want this happening to their animals,” he said.
“They always say we’ll lose agricultural industry with a ban, but what the live exports are actually doing is sending our blood lines and genetics overseas, and in a few years they’ll start their own breeding programs using Australian livestock.”
Member for Riverina and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said he was horrified by the footage, but did not believe a ban on live exports was the answer.
“That vision was horrendous and I understand that – horrendous not just for the poor sheep concerned, horrendous not just for the viewing public, but for the farmers, who are the best environmentalists and animal welfare participants in Australia,” Mr McCormack said.
“If we stop live animal exports as what happened with that knee-jerk reaction under the Gillard Government, it’s only going to provide those countries that don't have quality export assurances and provisions whereby animal welfare comes first and foremost the opportunity to take our markets.”
Mr Funnell said Mr McCormack was not fit to be deputy PM if he supported live exports.
Meanwhile, Mr Littleproud said he made three announcements following the airing of vision from voyages transporting live sheep to the Middle East in 2017 last night.
Minister Littleproud announced a review into investigative capability, powers and culture of the independent regulator; a number to allow whistleblowers to anonymously call and provide information; an intention to work with the Labor Party to increase penalties for those doing the wrong thing, through the Bill currently before Parliament.
"Personally, I'd like to see company directors be held more personally accountable if they do the wrong thing, facing big fines and possible jail time. They shouldn't be able to hide behind companies and shelf companies," Mr Littleproud said.
"I want to let the light shine in. No-one who is doing the right thing should be scared of transparency. I thank the whistleblower for coming forward - we need more of it. A hotline for whistleblowers to call anonymously is a logical step to increase transparency and encourage that behaviour. I said I'd aim to create an environment where whistleblowers are comfortable and confident stepping forward, and a hotline is a start. I'll consult further with Animals Australia and the RSPCA, both of whom I've been in contact with, to help strengthen this.
"A review into the independent regulator is a good thing. We need to make sure the regulator has the right tools, training and culture to make sure exporters do the right thing. This requires prosecutions and heavy penalties where breaches occur.
"Regarding the ship scheduled to leave Fremantle for the Middle East in the next couple of days, conditions required of the exporter are a matter for the independent regulator, although personally I'm pleased with the idea an independent observer paid for by the regulator will be on board sending back daily reports and photographs."
