Agriculture
Australian Sheep

There are two stories here: 2003: Sheep at sea find home at last ... 2006: Protests over Australian sheep export

COMMENTARY
There are two stories here:

• 2003 ... Sheep at sea find home at last ... More than 50,000 Australian sheep, stranded at sea for almost three months, have finally found a home in the poverty-stricken east African country of Eritrea.
• 2006 ... Protests over Australian sheep export ... Animal rights activists have clashed with police at a port in Australia demonstrating against the 'cruel' export of 50,000 live sheep to the Middle East

The TrueValueMetrics system which incorporates money profit and social valuadd in the same systemic framework addresses these many issues making the issues much more difficult to avoid.

These stories are what I would have expected to see ... the unanswered question is what the corporate decision makers intend to do to make the outcomes better.
Peter Burgess

2003 ... Sheep at sea find home at last ... More than 50,000 Australian sheep, stranded at sea for almost three months, have finally found a home in the poverty-stricken east African country of Eritrea.

IMAGE The condition of the sheep has been deteriorating rapidly

More than 50,000 Australian sheep, stranded at sea for almost three months, have finally found a home in the poverty-stricken east African country of Eritrea.

The so-called 'sheep of shame' are currently being offloaded in the country, after a number of countries refused them because of fears the beasts were suffering scabby-mouth disease.

An Australian government spokesman described the sheep as a 'gift'.

He said Canberra would provide Eritrea with some feed for the animals as well as aid to meet the costs of transport and slaughter.

Stranded

The sheep have been at sea since 6 August, after leaving the Australian port of Fremantle bound for Saudi Arabia.

After Saudi authorities in Jeddah said some of the animals were diseased and refused them, the ship trawled around the region looking for someone to take the beasts.

Animal rights groups around the world were up in arms over the animals’ plight and said the sheep should have been slaughtered rather than remain stuck on the ship.

More than 5000 died during the voyage.

The animals were on their way to Australia's Cocos islands when Eritrea agreed to accept them.

Source: Agencies

Last Modified: 11 Feb 2006 07:26 GMT

IMAGE Saudi Arabia turned away 57,000 Australian sheep in 2003

Animal rights activists have clashed with police at a port in Australia demonstrating against the 'cruel' export of 50,000 live sheep to the Middle East.

Police said that 12 people were arrested in a series of incidents that began when activists used kayaks and inflatable boats to attempt to prevent the Al Messilah livestock transport ship from entering Devenport in Tasmania.

After the initial attempt failed, some of the 40 demonstrators then chained themselves to the ship's gangway while others lay down in front of trucks delivering the first sheep to the harbour for export to Kuwait.

The Australian group Animal Liberation said the activists wanted to spare the sheep a two-week 'journey of suffering'.

'The sheep face a long and arduous journey ending in ritual slaughter in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, countries where there are absolutely no animal welfare safeguards against appalling handling and unbelievably cruel slaughter methods,' the group said in a statement on Saturday.

Controversial export

A police spokesman said officers would remain at the wharf to ensure 'that public order is maintained and the roadway remains clear and free of obstruction to facilitate the movement of traffic whilst ensuring the safety of protesters'.

Protests against the trade in live animals reached a peak in August 2003 when Saudi Arabia turned away the MV Cormo Express with its load of 57,000 sheep, saying they had scabby mouth disease.

After almost three months at sea in confined conditions and against a background of outraged protests from animal welfare activists, about 44,000 surviving sheep were donated to the impoverished African nation of Eritrea.

Australia then banned further live exports to Saudi Arabia, but lifted the ban last year. The live sheep trade with Saudi Arabia was worth $78 million in 2003.

Source: AFP