AUSTRALIA - HALAL - Agriculture Minister demands mandatory stunning for cattle

SOUTH Australia will push for the mandatory stunning of all livestock before slaughter, a practice that is not law here even though we have demanded that Indonesia use it.
The proposal will be put to a meeting of agriculture ministers in Perth today by Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Michael O'Brien.

He said yesterday the issue of stunning had been on the agenda for several years without resolution and it was hypocritical of Australia to criticise Indonesia for not stunning livestock imported from Australia when it was not mandatory here. (source)


In the wake of the Indonesian abattoir affair, which involved the live animal trade being suspended for several weeks, the feeling now in political circles is there is a need for stronger controls in Australia.
But the influential Jewish lobby in Victoria is fighting against any changes, saying the slaughter of animals in conformity with Jewish religious tradition is a quick and painless method of killing. The kosher method involves slashing the animals' throats and letting them bleed to death. The halal method also involves slashing the animals throats but the animals are stunned as soon as the cut is made. (source)

Figures provided to The Advertiser show there are 250,058 animals slaughtered in Australian abattoirs each year without being stunned.
The figures also show 19,622 lambs, sheep, cattle and goats are killed in South Australia without being stunned.
It is understood there are four small rural abattoirs in SA which slaughter animals this way - the majority of them for halal butchers - but within the present Australian standards.
The production of halal meat at those SA abattoirs represents 60 per cent to 100 per cent of their weekly output.
"The unacceptably cruel methods of slaughter of Australian cattle in some Indonesian abattoirs initiated an immediate suspension of exports of cattle to that country and an inquiry into the live export industry as a whole," Mr O'Brien said.
"The Australian community is aware that the welfare of livestock during slaughter is significantly improved if animals are stunned prior to slaughter."
Mr O'Brien said attention was now being given to the killing methods used in Australia, particularly those associated with ritual slaughter for religious or cultural reasons.
Under present Australian abattoir standards, there is provision to allow ritual slaughter of sheep and cattle without pre-stunning in compliance with guidelines aimed at ensuring animals are killed in such a way that unconsciousness occurs rapidly.
"Islamic religious leaders have for many years accepted pre-slaughter stunning of cattle, sheep and goats as acceptable in the production of Halal meat," he said.
"It is clear the vast majority of the Australian community wishes to be assured animal welfare practices during livestock slaughter are managed to minimise pain and distress."
SA Farmers Federation livestock committee chairman Andrew Ogilvie said while the welfare of animals was paramount, any move towards mandatory stunning should be examined carefully.
He said it might be premature to make it mandatory without any negotiations with the industry, although the aim should be to stun animals before slaughter.
"At the moment, the vast majority of abattoirs would stun animals before they are slaughtered. The livestock industry has always held the position that the welfare of the animals comes first."
RSPCA spokeswoman Lisa Chalk said the association supported moves to make stunning before slaughter mandatory.
"Regardless of religious belief, we think animals should be stunned," she said.

Source : http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/agriculture-minister-demands-mandatory-stunning-for-cattle/story-e6frea6u-1226094187730 - July 14, 2011