live exports.

blueheeler

Huge furore going on in Australia atm. Current affairs program screened gruesome footage and report of hideous cruelty in Indonesian abattoirs which slaughter Australian cattle from Darwin. That was Monday night and now 48 hours later over 107 000 people have signed an on line petition calling for the banning of live exports. Government is trying to run for cover but 20 Gov MPs stood their ground and the minister responsible has instituted a 3 month ban on 11 abattoirs. Stay tuned everybody to see a government actually do something because of public opinion. Of course it's got nothing to with the fact the Gov is only sitting on 32% and it's hung parliament and the Greens will have power when new senators are sworn in on 1st July. Don't think politicians have yet to come to grips with the power of the internet.
Anyway for those who are interested go to GetUp! or Animals Australia web sites. be warned though....you may not want the footage in your head.

Velonutter

Been a vegetarian for 27+ years, this is one of the reasons I'm proud not to be responsible for eating anything that an animal has to die for!

MattC59

Coincidentally, steak for dinner tonight.......... mmmmm....

AndyF16

Although I'd never condone cruelty to any animal, those 107,000 people are of course the minority liberal voice of modern Oz - it's far too big a part of their (your?) economy to be losing lucrative export markets to the only-too-willing South American suppliers when all is said and done

EKIMIKE

Just watched the ABC 4Corners programme with the report. It's pretty messed up. Firstly it's cruel to the animals and secondly it's a ridiculously in-efficient practise in business terms. So both on ethics and economics it's bad.

However the real problem is that the Indonesian slaughter-men wont adopt more efficient and humane method of stunning because it doesn't comply with Muslim Halal food traditions. So the real question is do we respect their Religious tradition or not?

CyclingBantam

EKIMIKE wrote:

Just watched the ABC 4Corners programme with the report. It's pretty messed up. Firstly it's cruel to the animals and secondly it's a ridiculously in-efficient practise in business terms. So both on ethics and economics it's bad.

However the real problem is that the Indonesian slaughter-men wont adopt more efficient and humane method of stunning because it doesn't comply with Muslim Halal food traditions. So the real question is do we respect their Religious tradition or not?

If it involves cruelty I say 'Not'.

Don't care what someones beliefs are. If it only affects them, they can do what they want, if it effects others adversely that is not right.

EKIMIKE

Just to play devils advocate, who is it adversely affecting and how? Genuine question.

BTW I have a fairly neutral viewpoint - i'm quite happy to eat meat, quite unhappy that some animals are suffering whilst also wanting to respect people's religious traditions (and consequently their choice to have faith of a sort). I'm interested to know other people's viewpoints though (hence the seemingly inflammatory question ), and 107,000 signatures doesn't really do it for me (and i'm not just being crass with that statement).

Ben6899

Well it's one thing wishing to eat meat which has been prepared to be Halal, but also insisting that meat, which non-Muslim people will be eating, must also be prepared in a Halal fashion is pushing it for me.

The cow my steak comes from; I want it to suffer as little as possible. I don't want it strung up by its back legs while some barbarian slits its throat.

verylonglegs

The number of signatures is meaningless without knowing whose they are, for all we know that could be the number of vegitarians and animal rights types in oz anyway, it would be significant if it was the committed meat eaters taking a different view on how their diet is made up. Otherwise it could just be politicians producing a knee-jerk reaction for people who are just re-affirming their views.

finchy

On the subject of halal, I used to live with some Muslims who were quite happy to eat "normal" meat - as long as there was no blood on it when cooked, they considered it halal. I don't know what the Koran says, but I wonder how much is religion, how much is tradition.

Whatever the case, I'd say ban the slaughter of animals in the UK without stunning beforehand, no need to avoid offending religions for that. In the same way, ritual circumcision (cutting a part off somebody's body for no good reason without their consent) shouldn't be practised in the 21st century.