Perth Voice Interactive

Atrocities

I AM writing to inform the local community about the atrocities witnessed at Fremantle Port over the past month, as live exporters continue to ship Australian cattle and sheep overseas on long, arduous and cruel journeys.

On Monday, December 23, as temperatures neared 41 degrees, I was horrified to see footage of thousands of cattle loaded onto the Gudali Express live export ship. 

In these scorching conditions, cattle were kept in trucks under the full sun before they were slowly loaded. 

Footage on the Stop Live Exports Facebook page shows cows being hit while they tried to turn around on the ramps, clearly fearful, distressed and agitated. 

The heat stress they endured in the dangerous temperatures, compounded by their time being trucked to the port in cramped conditions, is unimaginable.

Cattle were again loaded in boiling hot and scorching conditions only this Monday (January 20), when it again reached around 40 degrees as they were loaded at the port. 

These cattle remained on the enclosed vessel, the Gelbray Express, in heatwave conditions for two days which is cruel and totally unacceptable.

The livestock industry brushes off these concerns and reassures Australians that cattle are familiar with heatwave conditions.

This is ludicrous – the cattle being loaded in heatwave conditions would have never previously experienced the stress of long-distance journeys by truck (in extreme heat) or standing in the full sun in metal vehicles, with the searing temperatures being exacerbated by truck engines and the Port’s concrete and metal infrastructure.

In another incident on Saturday December 27, approximately 42,000 sheep were loaded onto the Maysora for export to Jeddah. 

Again, thanks to concerned witnesses at the port, we have gained disturbing footage of sheep with visible injuries, including open head wounds and trauma to their face and eyes, being forced onto the vessel. 

Appallingly, the use of electric prods and sticks were used by handlers, further exacerbating the stress and suffering of these animals.

The community needs to be made aware of the ongoing cruelty of the live export trade. 

Live exporters want West Australians to believe that they have made improvements, but they are pulling the wool over our eyes. 

Time and time again we see animal welfare standards breached and fragrantly ignored.

The recommendation from the Australian Veterinary Association and RSPCA Australia is for animals to be slaughtered as close to the point of production as possible. 

Clearly, live export is in breach of these recommendations by organisations who have the welfare of animals at heart.

As such, we must urgently shift away from live animal exports to chilled meat alternatives. 

As long as live exports persist, animals will continue to suffer.

Ruth Gourley
Stop Live Exports