Livestock exports: Take a tour of an Indonesian feedlot

[ravtown]

DJ, I totally agree with you.  The best possible outcome is for the clerics of the Islamic faith to support the inclusion of stunning into their standard Halal slaughter practices.

[ravtown]

How on earth is this a good Animal Welfare outcome?

There were other options!

[ravtown]

I don't understand the Animal Welfare stance on this issue. To prevent a minority of Aust Animals being abused at slaughter (not acceptable I agree).Activists have supported a strategy that- still allows cattle to be abused at slaughter in indo; subjects chilean, argentinian cattle to far longer boat trips potentially under substandard conditions, risks the introduction of Foot & mouth diesease into indo & Aust herds; forces Aust producers to overstock & either perish or shoot their cattle.

[djc0248]

@ravtown I agree it is a problem, I just checked and there are over 700 Abattoirs in Indonesia so if Australia influenced a few the majority would still be terrible and possibly sell meat cheaper to poor pay and conditions, we can only hope the Muslims can be convinced that stunning prior to slaughter should be acceptable in all Abottoirs rather than just a few here and there, as I say talks need to be held and a Fatwas" stating that stunning is ok would be best outcome in all these Countries

[ravtown]

In addition if that new plant was to be built in Northern Australia ASAP you would also go some way to alleviating the huge animal welfare issue that is now looming in Australia as a result of this whole debacle. Fom the RSPCA website I quote the following "The standard for meat production in Australia is that all animals must be effectively stunned (unconscious) prior to slaughter. The most common form of halal slaughter complies with the Australian standard"

[ravtown]

As to your Herald Sun article, the one I found was on the 19th June. I don't understand, surely that proposal would be solution to your concerns? All animals would have to be stunned prior to slaughter, which you previously indicated is an acceptable solution. Any new facility would have to comply with Australian standards & I would expect that any of the exemptions you mentioned would be almost impossible to obtain for a new plant. 

[ravtown]

DJC MLA stuffed up. They know it. The community knows it & cattle producers are furious about it. There was wide spread grass roots belief that the proper facilities, oversight & training was in place. Things will change, a closed loop supply system will be established in Indonesia that ensures that International standards or better are maintaned. Dot finish. In fact, this system is already in place in some abbatoirs. I ask you again, why should these businesses not be allowed to operate?

[djc0248]

@ravtown Unfortunately the chance of animals being stunned in Indonesia would be very slim as I posted there are the 15 at least here in Australia exempt from stunning prior to slaughter on Religious grounds, so a new facility may well not have to stun, I believe there are some Halal Abattoirs that do, so the solution would be to have the Muslim Clerics sit at the table and agree to use stunning, if this could be done it would be a big step forward instead of some say ok some say not ok

[ravtown]

DJC, Australia already has interests in at least two Indonesian abbatoirs with closed loop supply of Australian Cattle via Australian management best practice feedlots. And they stun prior to slaughter. I agree that broadscale change will take time, but does that mean that those that already comply with western standards should be destroyed by blunt policy? As I commented in another post, there is a market for Halal product from animals that were stunned prior to slaughter.

[djc0248]

@ravtown Problem is the Halal slaughter, read: :Herald Sun June 20, 2011 AUSTRALIA'S peak Muslim body wants a new taxpayer-funded halal training centre to prepare refugees for jobs slaughtering animals in rural areas. If this is the Muslim attitude in Australia what chance have stun guns got in Indonesia? As for These two Abattoirs using stunning, I would be very skeptical if the MLA have anything to do with them, as they built the "Torture" boxes and trained workers in the "Torture" video!

[ravtown]

DJC, you still did not answer my question about how to achieve change in Indonesia? if you are so concerned about animal welfare then this is the outcome you should be seeking. I just want people to be solution oriented about this.

[djc0248]

@ravtown As great as it would be to initiate change in peoples behavior that would suite "our" Western standards imperfect as they may be, I find it difficult to believe that any Muslim Country would accept Australia pushing their agenda upon them E;G; The removal of Halal slaughter, or to have them "stun" prior to cutting animals throat, Perhaps if Australia built the Abattoirs and trained staff [and pay for this] but again it's a Religious dilemma for the Muslims, they don't want change

[ravtown]

Just for reference the "sheep" you could see are polythene feed bags lying in the aisle. For those of you standing on your Animal Welfare pedestal, please advise what you propose to do to save those animals still being killed in Indonesia tonite? I guarantee you that the Australian ban has not made one jot of difference for them yet. Nor will it make a jot of difference to the Brazilian, Chilean and Argentinian cattle imported to fill the gap in supply.

[djc0248]

@ravtown Exporting Australian cattle just because other Countries still do is NOT an excuse for Australia to lift a ban, it will be lifted when the "supply chain " has been brought up to standard. Trouble is there are over 100 Halal Abattoirs in Indonesia with no proof that they are any better than the 11 reported on! I believe the ban should include all live export! Even If Indonesia allowed Australian standards in all its Abattoirs [not MLA] you still have the welfare on the ship problems

[Johnnaught]

its nice they are fat and healthy to go to the torture chamber, oh and you forgot to get rid of the sick sheep lying in the lane way before you filmed.