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Livestock and The LIVE EXPORT protect Australian livestock from being subject to cruelty overseas.13 FACTSHEET Around three million Australian animals are sold and transported live to overseas Endnotes: buyers each year. The Federal Department 1 Bell v Gunter (1997); Fleet v District Court of NSW & Ors LIVESTOCK of Agriculture regulates the standards of [1999] NSWCA 363; Pearson v Janlin Circuses Pty Ltd [2002] NSW 1118. animal welfare on the ships used to transport 2 Voiceless, Independent office of animal welfare, https://www. the animals overseas. There have been many voiceless.org.au/content/independent-office-animal-welfare, as AND THE LAW at October 2018. breaches of these standards and the current 3 Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Sheep system does not always effectively protect (edition 1, version 1, endorsed January 2016) http://www. animalwelfarestandards.net.au/files/2011/01/Sheep-Standards- Australian animals. and-Guidelines-for-Endorsed-Jan-2016-061017.pdf. 4 Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Currently, exporters must follow the Cattle (edition 1, version 1, endorsed January 2016) http:// www.animalwelfarestandards.net.au/files/2011/01/Cattle- Australian Standards for the Export of Standards-and-Guidelines-Endorsed-Jan-2016-061017_.pdf. Livestock 2011 and submit an Exporter 5 ACCC v Turi Foods Pty Ltd [2013] FCA 1109. 6 ACCC v Luv-a-Duck Pty Ltd [2013] FCA 1136. Supply Chain Assurance System (“ESCAS”) 7 Canberra Times, ‘Not guilty pleas entered on Wally’s Piggery that is meant to trace the journey of animals animal cruelty charges’, 8 October 2013, http://www.canber- 12 ratimes.com.au/nsw/not-guilty-pleas-entered-on-wallys-pig- from export to slaughter. ESCAS was gery-animal-cruelty-charges-20131008-2v5zs.html. introduced by the Federal Government 8 Voiceless, Ag-gag, https://www.voiceless.org.au/hot-topics/ in response to the footage obtained by ag-gag?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn8WkxJLk3QIVQSQrCh3u- 4wbSEAAYASAAEgLdTvD_BwE, as at October 2018. Animals Australia in 2011 showing the 9 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Free cruel treatment Australian cattle suffered in range chicken egg claims, 6 February 2018, https://www.accc. gov.au/publications/free-range-chicken-egg-claims. Indonesian abattoirs. 10 Choice, Free-range eggs buying guide, https://www.choice. com.au/food-and-drink/meat-fish-and-eggs/eggs/articles/ Over many years, animal protection groups what-free-range-eggs-meet-the-model-code, as at October 2018. and whistleblowers have provided the Federal 11 Voiceless, Animal law in the spotlight: update on free range Government with numerous examples of eggs, https://www.voiceless.org.au/content/animal-law-spot- light-update-free-range-eggs, as at October 2018. breaches of ESCAS in countries including 12 Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, Exporter Jordan, Gaza, Israel, Mauritius and Lebanon. Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), http://www. agriculture.gov.au/export/controlled-goods/live-animals/ However the ability of ESCAS to protect livestock/information-exporters-industry/escas, as at October Australian animals is limited, because it is 2018. 13 For more information see: Animals Australia, Live export, extremely difficult to impose animal welfare https://secure.animalsaustralia.org/take_action/live-ex- standards in foreign countries. For example, port-shipboard-cruelty/, as at October 2018; RSPCA, How is the live export trade regulated?, http://kb.rspca.org.au/ there is no requirement in many importing how-is-the-live-export-trade-regulated_107.html, as at countries for animals to be stunned before October 2018; Voiceless, Live export, https://www.voiceless. org.au/hot-topics/live-export?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImbWt- being slaughtered. The current legal k53k3QIV0worCh0GPg3yEAAYAiAAEgKZGPD_BwE, as framework remains unable to effectively at October 2018. This factsheet has been prepared by the NSW Young Lawyers Animal Law Committee for information only and is not a substitute for legal advice. This information is up to date as at October 2018. Visit younglawyers.com.au for more information or to join a committee. ANIMALS ON NSW FARMS without pain relief (if pain relief is not ‘practical’), and shooting sheep with a The welfare of farm animals such as cows, firearm to the head and letting them pigs, sheep and chickens is overseen by the bleed to death.3 NSW Department of Primary Industries • The standards for cattle allow such (“DPI”). The DPI is also responsible things as dehorning, castration of While companion animals such as dogs and for promoting the profitability of the cattle under six months old without cats are protected under POCTA, there are agricultural industry. This often leads to a anaesthetic, and shooting cattle with conflict of interest because implementing a firearm to the head and letting them exemptions for livestock in food production good animal welfare practices involves bleed to death.4 additional financial costs. (for example, cows, pigs and sheep). WHO CAN PROSECUTE ANIMAL CRUELTY? HOW ARE LIVESTOCK TREATED? In NSW, only the police, Royal Society In NSW, it is illegal to commit an act of for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals cruelty on an animal under the Prevention (“RSPCA”), Animal Welfare League of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 (NSW) (“AWL”) and DPI can prosecute cases of 53 charges of aggravated animal cruelty the information standard, the maximum (“POCTA”). Cruelty generally refers to any animal cruelty. The RSPCA and AWL and closure of the piggery.7 number of hens per hectare is 10,000.9 act that ‘unreasonably, unnecessarily or are both charities and only receive a small 1 amount of government funding, even though unjustifiably’ inflicts pain on an animal. Ag gag laws aim to hamper animal welfare While this new information standard would they prosecute the majority of animal cruelty groups and members of the public from appear to provide clarity to egg producers While companion animals such as dogs and cases on behalf of the government. recording and releasing footage of illegal and consumers on the meaning of ‘free cats are protected under this law, there are animal cruelty on farms and other animal range’, there are strong concerns from exemptions for livestock in food production WHAT ARE ‘AG GAG’ LAWS? use industries. These laws are often animal protection groups and other public (for example, cows, pigs and sheep). For introduced on the basis of protecting interest organisations who argue that a these animals, if a person inflicts pain in the Due to the limited resources of the RSPCA biosecurity or introducing higher penalties maximum number of 1,500 hens per hectare process of killing the animal for food but can and AWL to monitor practices in all factory for trespassing, and may force people with (rather than 10,000 hens) is necessary to show that the pain was not ‘unnecessary’, farms across NSW, it is important for any footage obtained of factory farms to promote good animal welfare, as contained then it is legal. However, the POCTA does members of the public or animal welfare hand it over immediately to the police and in the Model Code of Practice by the not define what ‘unnecessary’ cruelty means, organisations to be able to alert the RSPCA not release the footage to the media or Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial so in reality it is open to interpretation. and AWL to possible cases of cruelty. For example, animal welfare organisations the public.8 Research Organisation (“CSIRO”).10 If a person is charged with animal cruelty, played an instrumental role in notifying Therefore, animal protection groups such they can use the Australian Animal Welfare the Australian Competition and Consumer WHAT ARE THE CURRENT EGG as Voiceless argue that the new information Standards and Guidelines as a defence in Commission of two major poultry LABELLING STANDARDS? standard falls short of consumer expectations court. These national standards were mainly companies that were misleading the public about what constitutes ‘free range’ and only There is now a national information 11 developed by state and territory governments into thinking their ducks and chickens were benefits large-scale, intensive egg producers. standard for free range egg labelling, which and the livestock industry. The national free range, whereas in reality, the birds were came into effect in April 2018. It states standards allow several practices which either packed so tightly they could not roam 5 that egg producers cannot use the ‘free are argued to be cruel by many animal freely or did not spend any time outdoors 6 range’ label on egg cartons unless their protection groups:2 at all. In another example, footage taken by Animal Liberation showed piggery workers hens have ‘meaningful and regular access’ • The standards for sheep allow tail kicking piglets and beating sows with a to an outdoor range, and are able to roam docking and mulesing, castration sledgehammer. This led to the RSPCA laying and forage on the outdoor range. Under .
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