Protest the "No Stun Slaughter of Sheep - Australia

Are you interested in preventing the Old World and Third World practice of slitting the throat of fully conscious sheep from being legislated as legal in Australia? If so, you only have a few days to make your protest to the Australian Federal Minister for Agriculture.

The following information comes from the Animals Australia website: http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take_action/non-stun-slaughter (where details and an already drafted letter can easily be emailed to the minister for your convenience if you should want to send him your opinion).

In mid-2007 Animals Australia was shocked to learn that several Victorian abattoirs were exploiting a legal loophole and slaughtering fully conscious sheep (without stunning) for small export contracts to the Middle East—despite this brutal method of slaughter being completely opposed by the Australian public. We immediately alerted former federal Agriculture Minister McGauran, and he in turn called for a review of the practice. After an excessive delay of more than 18 months, a report will be presented to the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) meeting on April 23rd...
Slitting the throats of fully conscious animals is unimaginably cruel. Research conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reveals that sheep remain conscious for up to 20 seconds after their throats are cut. The EFSA concluded that "due to the serious animal welfare issues associated with slaughter without stunning, all animals which are slaughtered should be adequately stunned in a humane way."
If it is deemed legal by our government to slaughter fully conscious sheep, Australia's claim to being a 'world leader' in animal welfare will be irreparably damaged, replaced instead by knowledge that Australia is prepared to drastically reduce animal welfare standards for the sake of profit. Such a decision will also undermine vital efforts overseas to have pre-slaughter stunning accepted as halal by the entire Muslim community.
Please send an urgent message to Federal Agriculture Minister Burke and ask him to ensure that the killing of conscious sheep is made illegal in Australia.

My Protest

The following is an email that I sent to the Australian Federal Minister for Agriculture, Mr Tony Burke on 8 April 2009, concerning the possibility to dispense with stunning of sheep before slaughter in Australian abattoirs. (I informed the Minister for Agriculture that his reply would be posted on our website).

Tell me it isn't true! I am horrified that it seems that soon Australian abattoirs might be legally able to slit sheep's throats without stunning them first. This thought is totally repugnant to me and is disgusting, revolting, upsetting and sickening.

I have heard that this barbaric practice will be legislated at the Primary Industries Ministerial Council meeting on 23 April 2009. I can't believe that the Australian government would legislate such cruelty! This concept is unthinkable for a civilised government to undertake. We are not a third world country and slitting the throats of live and fully conscious animals is a practice that disgusts me and all my friends, family and contacts. Such barbarism is connected with Muslim countries and poor south American countries where it seems that horrific suffering is a way of life, especially for animals, women and children.

How we treat animals reflects and effects our attitude not just to these poor beasts, but for all life forms. If it is accepted through legislation that animals are permitted to be tortured before death, it will desensitise those in our society to the suffering of all its members. I envisage that life in all its forms will be devalued as a result - and other helpless creatures i.e. unborn babies, little children, women, the elderly will all be included in that disrespected and mistreated category.

As the Federal Minister of Australia you are responsible for animal welfare. I am asking you to oppose any exemptions in Australian slaughter standards that would allow this to occur. Any exemption or reduction in our standards would send the worst possible message to all Australians about the quality of your government - and also it would be an appalling message to other countries about the importance Australia places on animal welfare. We already had to apologise for treating the Aborigines appallingly. Please don't let our government make another disastrous mistake for which all Australians will have to be ashamed.

I don't think that I am so different to any other Australian in the sense of not wanting animals to suffer needlessly. I think that most Australians believe that slaughtering animals without some kind of pain preventative (like stunning) is cruel. Therefore I cannot see any justification that the community (which you represent as minister) would accept for this to be permitted in Australia.

Please ensure that decision is made on April 23rd to protect the interests of Australian animals and our international reputation.

I am placing this email to you and your answer in response on our website.

Thank you

Second email sent to the Minister of Agriculture on 8 April, 2009 as an addendum :

Dear Minister Bourke, I wrote to you earlier this morning, but just found more information so I'm sending it as an add-on to my previous email. This concerns the decision that will be made at the Primary Industries Ministerial Council meeting on April 23rd regarding permitting the slaughter of conscious sheep in Australian abattoirs.

Are you aware that even the Middle-East country of Jordan has introduced pre-slaughter stunning of sheep? What a fantastic decision by a wonderfully compassionate lady. What an amazing lady that Princess of Jordan, HRH Princess Alia Bint Al Hussein, must be to have introduced the 'stunning' legislation to her country. It is my fear that, instead of leading the way, Australia might soon be dragging behind the so-called 3rd world countries of the world in animal welfare.

Here is the encouraging piece of information that I found on the Animals Australia website:
"In January, the Greater Amman Municipal abattoir in Jordan became the first in the Middle East to introduce pre-slaughter stunning for both cattle and sheep. This historic development, which will significantly reduce the suffering of animals, has resulted from Animals Australia exposing cruel treatment of animals in Jordan and bringing the evidence to the attention of HRH Princess Alia Bint Al Hussein.
Consultants engaged by Animals Australia on behalf of Princess Alia are now continuing efforts in other areas of Jordan to improve the handling of livestock."

Please don't cause Australians to hang their heads in shame on 23 April. We don't want to return to the Dark Ages where animals and people were routinely mistreated. We want to keep our society peaceful.

Please ensure that decision is made on April 23rd to protect the interests of Australian animals and our international reputation.
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