The member for Page, Janelle Saffin, is welcoming this morning’s news on a live cattle export ban.
The Federal government will today announce a ban on all live cattle exports to Indonesia until further notice.
The move is in response to the public outcry after the ABC Four Corners program aired footage of the brutal slaughter of Australian cattle in a number of Indonesian abattoirs.
Ms Saffin says Australian slaughter standards should be met by Indonesia.
The Agriculture Minister, Joe Ludwig, will announce the export suspension which will not be lifted until safeguards are put in place.
A review will also be extended to look at making sure the Indonesian industry meets Australia’s animal welfare standards.
Member of the NSW Cattle Council Terry Toohey says the ban will have an effect on local producers by creating an excess supply of meat.
“There will be more cattle on the market for more operators to choose from… it will probably make it cheaper for them to buy cattle which is the last thing we want to see from our producers.”
The ban has the support of Australia’s peak Muslim group. The President of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, Ikebal Patel says cruelty to animals is not Islamic.
“We are absolutely disgusted with what we have seen and that is not islamic slaughter at all, it is not halal from our perspective.”
Animals Australia welcomes the ban but says nothing short of a complete and permanent ban of the live animal trade is sufficient.
Story by Justine Frazier, ABC North Coast accessed at http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/06/08/3238382.htm