While there has been no solution to the live exports debate, media coverage seems to have died down a bit recently. Articles which are being published seem to mainly focus on the situation for farmers and people who work in the industry.
If anything, I’ve been kind of surprised by the public outcry over the Four Corners footage. 90% of Australians eat meat. I’ve always kind of imagined that people just don’t really think animals have feelings, or if they do, they just don’t care. The public response was amazing. I think it’s a really great sign and it gives me hope for animal rights in the future. I didn’t actually see the program. I knew it was on, but I chose not to watch it. I guess I didn’t really see the point – it’s a subject I already feel strongly about and would only get upset by.
Personally, I think the immediate suspension of live exports was the right step to take. Sure it’s not particularly rational or well thought out, but it sends such a clear and direct message that unnecessary animal cruelty is not okay. I just hope it’s a serious sign of a commitment to end the cruelty to Australian exported animals, not just a way to quieten down an issue until it’s forgotten by the general public.
I think, if anything, it’s the response to the suspension that has upset me most. Immediately, media started focusing on the conditions for cattle being held in pens, at the docks, with nowhere to go. It was depicted as being some kind of act of cruelty that cows were being kept in terrible conditions, without adequate water, feed or room to move. Of course it is cruel and horrible, but to suggest that such a situation is worse than being kept in similar conditions while being exported, and then tortured to death, is ridiculous.
We soon started hearing about the farmers and their families who would be affected by a ban on live exports. Of course some people will suffer financially from such a ban and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. But, I do think that when you breed and raise animals, you have a kind of duty of care for their wellbeing. The general response seems to have been, “we didn’t know this was happening”. I’m sure they didn’t know, but surely it wouldn’t have been too hard to find out that Indonesia just doesn’t have laws regarding animal cruelty. I feel like it should have been their responsibility to find out what happened to their animals after they were loaded onto boats. As far as I’m aware, the majority of animals go to markets, where they can be bought either privately, or by an abattoir. In a country without laws to protect animal rights, this in itself is irresponsible.
I know live exports is a huge industry. It’s worth about $1.8 billion to the Australian economy. But I think that this issue is much more important than that. If Australia believes that the economy is more important than ending unnecessary, repeated pain and suffering, I think it’s time we reassessed our priorities.
