Media release

Australia’s peak veterinary organisation has proposed an independent taskforce to ensure standards of humane slaughter of Australian livestock in Indonesia.

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) says that a truly independent expert taskforce is needed to set and maintain animal welfare standards in Indonesian abattoirs that receive Australian cattle.

“This taskforce would act as an independent watchdog, with people who are empowered to be critical, with a process that is transparent,” said Dr Barry Smyth, President of the Australian Veterinary Association.

“Where Australia is the supplier of livestock to other countries for slaughter, we face an ethical obligation to ensure their welfare. Only by ensuring that high standards of welfare are established and maintained can the industry resume trade with Indonesia.

"We have written to the federal Minister and the department to set out our plan and we are waiting to hear their response,” he said.

Tasks that have been proposed include:

• Establishing acceptable standards of abattoir facilities and practices.

• Classifying Indonesian abattoirs according to the standards.

• Set and monitor an auditing process to ensure animal welfare standards for the supply chain from Australia to point of slaughter.

“The AVA strongly supports stunning of all cattle before slaughter and this will also be an important priority for the taskforce,” said Dr Smyth.

“This process must be undertaken in partnership with Indonesian authorities, and ideally we would also like to be working closely with Indonesian veterinarians,” he said.

The AVA has expertise in cattle medicine, animal welfare and ethics, and public health and will be also providing expertise for a review of Mark I and Mark IV restraint boxes supplied to Indonesian abattoirs.