Mulesing

Mulesing is performed annually on over 20 million Australian Merino lambs. It involves taking a crescent-shaped slice of skin (5-7 cm) from either buttock (the ‘breach’) of a sheep, without anaesthetic, and results in abnormal behaviour for up to three days.

Despite industry’s promise to phase-out mulesing by 2010, many retailers throughout Europe have boycotted Australian wool due to overwhelming consumer concern.

More humane alternatives to surgical mulesing, such as intradermal injections prompting fleece to fall away from the breach (permanently) through a process of necrosis, are currently not receiving the support they require from Australia’s wool industry.

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Live Export

During the last three decades Australia has exported over 150 million live sheep and cattle for slaughter in the Middle East and South East Asia. Livestock ships can carry 100,000 animals on voyages lasting up to three weeks.

Some two million animals have died in transit, while the remaining ‘survivors’ are subject to barbaric methods of killing and/or further transport, upon arrival.

Due to its international element, the Federal Government is responsible for this area of animal welfare. Pressure on the Government to stop live export is gaining momentum, with recent surveys showing that Australian’s overwhelmingly oppose it.


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