We+Are+Sorry

Grace Bryett N8088128 Michelle Newcomb




 * Artefact**

In 2011 after significant video evidence of the cruelty of cattle being sent to Indonesia in the live export trade the Labour government suspended all cattle trade with the country. In light of the new election Tony Abbott the leader of the Liberal government presented a policy that he would apologise to Indonesia over the overreaction of the Labour government. After being elected Mr Abbott flew to Jakarta to meet with the countries president and stated "There have been times, I'm sorry to say, when Australia must have tried your patience: when we 'put the sugar on the table' for people smugglers; or cancelled the live cattle trade in panic at a TV program." (Coorey, 2013). With this statement and further negotiations the live cattle export to Indonesia has been reopened and cattle are once more being sent to the country. Animal rights activists are outraged by the apology saying that it sends the message that the animal cruelty that occurred is forgivable and will enable the cruelty to continue. Thus Animals Australia has launched the peoples apology, apologising to all the cattle that suffered and where inhumanly slaughtered during live export trade.


 * Public Health Issue**

The ethical treatment of animals is in constant debate and whether we have any moral duty for the animals we slaughter is at the forefront. The live export trade is an example of where as a country we place economy over animal ethics, where we allow continuation of trade between countries with extensive evidence of animal cruelty. Australia exports animals to 110 countries around the world (Cattle Council of Australia, 2013), focusing on the cattle export to Indonesia it is easily demonstrated how we place the prospect of money over the ethical treatment of animals. Australia has policies and laws in place for the treatment of animals and all animals are killed humanely in Australian abattoirs. We have such high standards and regulations for the treatment of animals within Australia yet we send them to countries where they are inhumanely treated and killed completely contradicting ourselves as a country and our beliefs towards the treatment of animals.


 * Literature Review**

The Australian Welfare Strategy (Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 2011) was developed to outline the needed improvements in the welfare of animals in Australia and to provide national and international communities with an appreciation of animal welfare arrangements in Australia. Its key points are:
 * Animal welfare means how an animal is coping with the conditions in which it lives.
 * Sentience is the reasonanimal welfare matters.
 * The strategy is based on a national consultative approach and a firm commitment to achieving sustainable improvements.

"Sentience, which implies a level of conscious awareness, is the reason that welfare matters. The management and treatment that sentient animals receive should not inflict unnecessary suffering. As guardians, custodians and caretakers, all Australians have a duty of care to ensure that the welfare of animals is maintained and protected. Animal husbandry and management practices must continue to evolve and improve as society’s expectations change" ( Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 2011).

In Australia we have our downfalls with animal treatment such as practising factory farming, however the way animals are killed is strictly monitored and maintained. Australian Livestock Processing Industry Animal Welfare Certification System ( AAWCS) (Australian Meat Industry Council, 2013) ensures that all animal holding and killing facilities are up to welfare standards with annual inspections to maintain standards. The Industry Animal Welfare Standards (Australian Meat Industry Council, 2009) maintain what these standards are; With all of Australia's rules and regulations regarding the treatment of animals, we then send animals we breed to Countries such as Indonesia where the animals are treated poorly and killed inhumanely. In 2011 Animals Australia did extensive research and uncovered the inhumane treatment of cattle in Indonesia: media type="custom" key="24244322" When this footage aired on four corners in 2011 the public was outraged that this kind of treatment of our cattle was occuring without it being known or being ignored. This sparked the Labour governments ban on live export to Indonesia until standards were increased. According to a report written by the RSPCA (Jones, 2011) regarding the Live export to Indonesia the main type of slaughter used is slitting of the throat; the animal is either put in a mark box that holds them and tips them over for their throat to be cut, or the traditional method of rope casting where the steer is held down using ropes tied to poles. The method of throat slitting is not instantaneous and a number of conscious reactions such as movement of the head and body, vocal noise, movement of the tongue and eyes were recorded in the 120 seconds after the throat was cut. Painful handling procedures were observed in 9 out of the 10 locations where Australian cattle are killed these include being kicked, punched, whipped and even stabbed during the time in the slaughter house and during the slaughtering process.
 * Management procedures and planning: Standard operating procedures for the management of livestock are developed, implemented and include contingency procedures to prevent and mitigate possible risks to animal welfare.
 * Design and maintenance of facilities and equipment: Are designed and maintained to ensure minimal interference or stress is incurred by livestock.
 * Staff competency: All personnel responsible for the handling of livestock are competent in their tasks consistent with the requirements of these Standards.
 * Management and humane destruction of weak, ill or injured livestock
 * Management of livestock to minimise stress and injuries: Livestock are routinely managed to minimise stress and injuries.
 * Humane slaughter procedures: Restraint, stunning and slaughter procedures are carried out in a humane and effective manner

How can Australia and its Government uphold such high standards for our own killing practices yet we send our cattle into the unknown and poorly monitor how they are killed. Without the work or organisations such as Animals Australia and the RSPCA the cruelty that occurs to cattle and other animals in Indonesia and other countries would still be unknown to the public and governmental figures.

Some may say we have no duty of care over the animals we produce for consumption, that they are going to die either way so why does it matter. Peter Singer is an Australian Moral Philosopher who has taken a special interest in animal rights. Debating that we have a moral care for animals, that just because they cannot voice their feelings and thoughts does not mean we can treat then with cruelty. He reasons that if it is wrong to take the life of a brain damaged infant it must be wrong to take the life of a dog or pig with a comparable mental level. Singer does not believe animals should be treated on equal with humans, they do not require the right to vote or travel however neither do children, what they do need is what every infant needs, to be cared for (Singer, 2006, p. 6).

Under Singers theory we owe it to animals to treat them humanely, we breed them to die for us the least we can do is give them a respectful, pain and stress free death. This means it is our duty as a country to monitor where we send our cattle to, to ensure that they are ethically treated and humanely killed. If we do not up hold this, there is no reason for Australia to have such high standards for the killing of animals. What is the point of killing one cow humanely just to send another to a slow and painful death, why should we decide one gets to die without pain while one suffers when they both were raised in the same country?

**Cultural and Social Analysis** "Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. Many of us bought our beloved “pets” at pet shops, had guinea pigs, and kept beautiful birds in cages. We wore wool and silk, ate McDonald’s burgers, and fished. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why animals have rights?" (Singer, 2006, p.8)

Animal rights groups such as PETA, Animals Australia, RSPCA to name a few are making society aware of how animals in factory farms live. In doing this they are giving society a choice, to continue supporting factory farmed animals or to take a stand and demand better treatment for animals. Knowledge is power and through the knowledge of how some animals are treated whole industries are being changed. According to Animals Australia in a recent national survey 86% of people believed that battery hens is a cruel industry (2012), this kind of movement against things like caged eggs has led to the phase out of battery hen farms across Europe with Australia working to follow. Society and communities are imperative for working towards the humane treatment of animals, as the more people become aware the more likely they are to make a stand. Consumers control the market if they demand non- factory farmed meat the industry will have to supply it, Animals Australia has founded the make it possible initiative to bring awareness to factory farming and have received 170,817 signatures to date pledging to help minimise their consumption of factory farmed meat. They are now working on the live export trade and ensuring that the public is aware of what occurs when the animals are sent to foreign countries. Giving the cattle they filmed during the time in slaughter houses in Indonesia names and stories to evoke emotion in those who watch the videos of their deaths. Some cultures and religions abstain from meat altogether such as Hinduism and Buddhism and the rising number of vegetarians and vegans has seen the opening of many speciality restaurants and grocery stores catering to meat free options. Historically, vegetarianism as a movement has been associated with other social movements like animal rights, environmental, anti-vivisection and pacifism. (Riley, M. 2004 pg. 9). If knowledge is power then associations such as Animals Australia and PETA have the correct way of going about preventing animal cruelty, both associations have a vast involvement in social media. With ad campaigns like this one: media type="custom" key="24253738" It is hard to justify how we have such strict killing practices in Australia while in other countries there are few policies. This demonstrates how different social normalities are between countries. In the slaughter of Australian cattle in Indonesia: an observational study (Jones, 2011) they noted that handling techniques observed demonstrated a lack of understanding of animal welfare and basic cattle behavior. If Australia is to keep the live export open slaughterhouse workers in Indonesia need to be educated on things like basic animal handling, without this the cycle will continue. The government needs to be willing to ensure the cattle we send to Indonesia are humanely treated and killed. Just because the cattle have left our shores do we no longer have any moral duty of care to them? They where raised on our land by our farmers, shouldn't we show interest as a society and country of how they are slaughtered? ** Analysis of Artefact ** This artefact is the perfect example of how Animals Australia is using an ad campaign as a powerful message. Prime minister Tony Abbott has made his apology to Indonesia for the inconvenience the Labour government caused when they 'overreacted to a TV program' allowing him to make amends with Indonesia and begin the live export trade again. While that is perfect for Australia's economy the system has not been changed during the time of the ban, so the cattle being sent over to Indonesia will likely go to the same fate of those documented in 2011. The apology to the cattle that died inhumanely is a plea to society and the government to not ignore what happened and take action about the situation. Hopefully like the success they hare having targeting factory farming, live export will soon become the target for societies outcries. I personally was a vegetarian before this assignment piece and researching all matters of animal treatment be in live export or factory farming has reminded me why I made the decision. This artefact evokes a deep emotion of sadness in me, where we are living under a government who is willing to turn such a blind eye to the torment of animals. I hope for the sake of society, the animals and the environment that we are able to acknowledge when something is wrong and fix the problem. With the help of associations such as Animals Australia and all the work they do from ad campaigns to fundraising we can someday create a cruelty free society. **Reference List** Animals Australia. (2013). //Make it Possible.// Retrieved from @http://www.makeitpossible.com/ Animals Australia. (2013). //Ban Live Export.// Retrieved from @http://www.banliveexport.com/ Animal Australia. (2012). //It's Time to Ban the Battery Cage.// Retrieved from @http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take_action/ban-the-battery-cage/ Australian Meat Industry Council. (2013). //Aus-Meat Animal Welfare (AW) Certification Program Rules for Livestock Processing Establishments.// Retrieved from Aus-Meat Limited website @http://www.ausmeat.com.au/media/51312/agb890_aw_cert_rules_1-0_april_13__final_.pdf Australian Meat Industry Council. (2009). //Industry Animal Welfare Standards////.// Retrieved from the Australian Meat Industry Councils website @http://www.amic.org.au/SiteMedia/w3svc116/Uploads/Documents/Industry%20Animal%20Welfare%20Standards.pdf

Australian Welfare Unit, Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. (2011). //Australian Animal Welfare, Strategy and National Implementation Plan 2010-14.// Retrieved from Australian Government Department of Agriculture website @http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/2052350/aaws.pdf Cattle Council of Australia. (2013). //Live Export.// Retrieved from @http://www.cattlecouncil.com.au/live-exports Coorey, P. (2013, October 1). Abbott says sorry to Indonesia. //Farm Weekly.// Retrieved from @http://www.farmweekly.com.au/news/agriculture/agribusiness/general-news/abbott-says-sorry-to-indonesia/2673437.aspx Jones, B. (2011). //The Slaugher of Australian Cattle in Indonesia: An Observational Study.// Retrieved from the RSPCA website @http://www.rspca.org.au/sites/default/files/website/Campaigns/Live-export/Cattle-to-Indonesia/Live_exports-scientific_report.pdf Riley, M (2004). The rise of vegetarianism. //Nutrition & dietetics //, 61 (1) , p. 9-10. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?sid=948f0b1c-cbc1-478e-9294-9d93afa864b3%40sessionmgr12&vid=1&hid=9&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=afh&AN=12792228

Singer, P. (2006). Introduction. In P. Singer (Eds), //In Defence of Animals, The Second Wave// (pp. 1-13) Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. **Reflection** Comment One: @https://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/share/view/64704202 Comment Two: @https://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/share/view/64704650