National
Petition against live animal exports
The Tasmanian Greens today took receipt of a petition against live animal export containing over 1000 signatures that was collected by staff working at The Body Shop in Hobart.
Greens Primary Industry spokesperson Kim Booth MP said live animal export is a sickening practice that exposes livestock to extreme conditions during their journey, and to inhumane practices upon arrival, and it also exports meat-packing and processing jobs from Australia.
“The export of live animals is a sickening and inhumane process that leads to incalculable suffering for thousands of Australian livestock, damages Australia’s good name, and exports jobs out of our country,” said Mr Booth.
“Very few Australians actually support this practice. Instead of live exporting hundreds of thousands of low-quality animals, Australia should be encouraging change and innovation in our primary industries.”
Mr Booth also thanked staff from The Body Shop in Hobart for campaigning on this appalling issue, and for collecting over 1000 signatures, as well as The Body Shop company itself for resourcing the campaign and involving staff from its Australia-wide network of outlets.
“It is really encouraging to see a private company educating and involving its staff in pushing for more ethical and humane practices.”
“After only a few weeks The Body Shop staff collected more than 1000 signatures against live animal export, and it is interesting to hear just how enthusiastic most people were to sign up for this campaign.”
“My thanks go out to all The Body Shop staff who were involved in collecting this petition, not to mention those people who signed it. The Greens will continue to push for a ban on live animal exports, and a return to exporting humanely, locally, processed livestock as chilled meat,” said Mr Booth.
Pictures: Photos of Greens MP Kim Booth and staff from The Body Shop in Hobart, standing in a one-square-metre space which is the amount of room allocated to three sheep when exported. The petition (in the form of a chain of signed links) surrounds them.
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