The Mayor of Fremantle, Brad Pettitt writes:
Of the nearly 4 million Australian sheep exported around than 80 per cent of them go through the port of Fremantle.
Tonight, the City of Fremantle UNANIMOUSLY passed a motion to phase out the live export of sheep.
As a result of this motion, the City of Fremantle will be taking on a leadership role in calling for the phase out of this trade and working with other spheres of Government, industry and the community to develop strategies to support this policy. This is not about shifting the trade from the port of Fremantle to another location. This is about ending the live export trade and replacing it with chilled meat product.
This was passed:
That the City of Fremantle:
1. Adopts an advocacy position to support steps towards the immediate phase out of the live animal export trade
2. Makes representations to the relevant State and Commonwealth Ministers in support of a clear plan and timetable for making the transition away from live export in favour of an onshore processing industry
3. Call on the Commonwealth Government to:
a) Pursue, as part of trade negotiations, the elimination of policies of foreign governments, such as subsidies and tariffs, that distort competitive neutrality between the meat processing and the live export industries but respects the need of underdeveloped countries to establish their own self-sufficiency in food production
b) Take an interim action to ‘level the playing field’ to correct the distorting effects of its policies on the competitive neutrality between the meat processing sector and the live export sector
c) Assist industry to expand domestic processing capacity by increasing investment in domestic infrastructure to support a trade in chilled and frozen meat
d) Work with industry and importing countries to promote the trade in chilled meat from animals humanely transported and slaughtered in Australia and;
e) Promote Australian chilled and frozen meat in potential new markets through intensive international promotional campaigns.
4. Request the West Australian Minister for Local Government be called on to immediately reinstate the inspectorial positions within the Animal Welfare Branch within the Department of Local Government.
5. Participate in and support a symposium with representation from the live export industry, the chilled meat trade, relevant unions, animal welfare groups and the State and Federal Government to develop an action plan to phase out the trade whilst ensuring that Australian jobs and regional communities are not disadvantaged.
6. That the Mayor communicates this resolution to key stakeholders
Quaker Concern for Animals has, in support of the excellent Australian campaigners, lobbied the authorities against live exports for several years and would like to thank Mayor Brad Pettitt and the Fremantle Council for their enlightened outlook. Let’s hope this idea spreads!
Please visit www.animalsaustralia.org for much more information.