RSPCA Australia has lodged a formal complaint with the federal Department of Agriculture, after receiving images and footage revealing brutal treatment of Australian cattle live exported to Israel onboard the Bahamas-flagged livestock carrier ‘Maysora’.
The footage and imagery, obtained by animal protection group Israel Against Live Shipments, shows poor handling practices including excessive electric prodder use and workers standing on the backs of cattle and painfully twisting the tails of cattle being offloaded from the Livestock Shipping Services (LSS) operated ship in Israel.
These practices are forbidden under Australia’s mandatory Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), which was created more than eight years ago to stop this routine cruel treatment of Australia’s animals overseas.
Meanwhile, local media reported that offloading operations lasted for more than five days, during which the animals were left in hot, crowded conditions.
As a result from the above, 34 of the calves died onboard, while 30 more died after disembarking.
Footage posted last week by the Israel Against Live Shipments, shows animals lying on the floor onboard the ship dead.
This comes as live export shipping in Australia has attracted media attention over the last months, after release of a shocking footage depicting what Australian sheep experience onboard live export vessels.
Special attention was given to a footage in late 2017 showed 2,400 sheep dying as they experienced heat stress onboard the livestock carrier ‘Awassi Express’.
On the aftermath and, in a bid to stem public anger after the footage, Australia announced it would require ships carrying live cattle and sheep exports to have an independent observer to ensure welfare standards. Moreover, the government would reduce the number of sheep a vessel can carry during the summer months by 28%.
Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence and community opposition, live exporters continue to send Australian animals into the searing heat and humidity of the Middle Eastern summer where heat stress, death and disaster are inevitable. The RSPCA continues to urge the Australian Government to act on the science and evidence, and stop exports to the Middle East between the highest risk months of May to October,
…RSPCA said.