HUNDREDS of Australian sheep are again being sold illegally from a notoriously cruel livestock market in Kuwait.
Despite Meat and Livestock Australia consultants being based just five minutes away from this market, the key area of risk and concern during the Festival of Sacrifice, it has again taken Animals Australia to detect and report breaches of live export regulations.
“The scenes from this market today were appalling and again represent the worst abuses associated with the live export trade — abuses that Australian regulations were established to prevent,” said Animals Australia Communication Director, Lisa Chalk.
“With temperatures exceeding 42 degrees, trussed and panicked sheep were being thrown on the backs of trucks. They were visibly distressed by their circumstances, panting uncontrollably and drooling. Bound sheep were left lying on the searing hot metal trays of trucks whilst others were headed for car boots. Each of them now facing cruel slaughter.”
“It is outrageous that these serious breaches of regulations with shocking welfare implications were occurring without intervention or action from MLA who are based only a ‘stone’s throw away’. Once again Animals Australia investigators have had to take considerable risks to be able to bring these breaches to the attention of the government.”
This is the fifth time Animals Australia has provided the Department of Agriculture with evidence of recurring live export breaches at the Al Rai market.
“It was the horrific abuse of Australian animals documented at this market in 2010 that predicated the government’s new system of live export regulation. That such abuse and disregard for regulations continues, both in Jordan and Kuwait, is directly related to the failure to take strong action against exporters for breaches.”
“The reality being faced by Australian sheep in this market is nothing less than tragic, their suffering almost impossible to quantify. This is the only livestock market in Kuwait that needed to be monitored.”
“Not only must the exporter who failed in their legal responsibility be prosecuted, there needs to be a formal inquiry into why MLA consultants failed to report this serious situation.”
The most recent shipment of sheep from Australia to Kuwait arrived in September on Livestock Shipping Services (LSS) vessel, the Maysora. There were three shipments prior to that, in early September and in August, from LSS and export company, Emmanuel Exports.
Source: Animals Australia
