Vic: Animal liberationists to keep fighting live stock industry

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2003
Vic: Animal liberationists to keep fighting live stock industry

By Bianca Wordley

MELBOURNE, Dec 7 AAP - Less than 12 hours after Australia's controversial shipment
of live sheep left for the Middle East, animal liberationists have vowed to widen protests
against livestock exporters.

Adelaide-based Animal Liberation activist Ralph Hahnheusser said today a range of options
were being explored, including legal action, public education campaigns and blockades.

"We will take the most decisive action we can to stop this appalling trade," Mr Hahnheusser
said today.

"We are looking at the possibility of legal injunctions to stop other ships leaving."

A spokeswoman for livestock industry body LiveCorp, Cath Uechtritz Kennedy (Uechtritz
Kennedy), said the shipment, which had been delayed by a fortnight, left Portland, on
the south-west Victorian coast, without incident about 1.30am (AEDT) today.

"It went painlessly without incident," Ms Kennedy said.

She said livestock carrier Al Shuwaikh would take 16 to 19 days to get to Kuwait.

She said while the livestock industry was "obviously concerned" about the protests
it would continue "business as usual".

The shipment had been held up after the sheep were tested for contamination by pig
meat, allegedly fed to part of the flock by animal liberationists.

The 73,000 sheep, bound for the halal-conscious Muslim market, were kept at feedlots
near Portland for two weeks at an estimated cost of $50,000 a day while contamination
claims were investigated.

Muslim dietary laws prohibit the consumption of any pork products or products that
have come into contact with pig meat.

Victoria's chief veterinary officer Hugh Millar on Friday confirmed that one feeding
paddock containing 1,800 sheep had eaten food containing shredded ham.

The affected sheep were slaughtered at a local abattoir and the remaining 73,000 were
cleared for export to Kuwait.

The government has guaranteed they will be accepted with assurances from the Kuwaiti
government, including a signed religious edict, attesting to the acceptability of the
animals.

Mr Hahnheusser said he was disappointed the Australian government issued export approval
for the sheep.

"They will be subjected to what is in our view a very cruel ritualistic slaughter," he said.

He said the departure did not signify a failure on behalf of animal liberationists
but had helped to highlight the issue publicly.

"This has thrown the issue into the international spotlight like never before," he said.

"We have no intention of backing away from the issue and we intend to carry through
until the federal election."

Mr Hahnheusser, who has been charged over the alleged contamination, will face a Portland
court next month.

"The charges will be vigorously defended," he said.

AAP bw/gfr/sjb/br

KEYWORD: SHEEP NIGHTLEAD

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