“We totally deplore this turn of events in what is an isolated incident to one particular market.
“In light of the above, we welcome exporter Wellard’s decision that no further shipments of Australian sheep will be sent to Pakistan for the foreseeable future.
“Australian and Pakistan staff of both the importer and the exporter have put their lives on the line to care and protect the sheep.
“No reasonable person could have foreseen the events which have transpired in Pakistan and these events are clearly a force majeure on the ESCAS.
“Australia remains the only country amongst over 100 livestock exporting nations that regulates the animal welfare of livestock destined for export from paddock to point of processing and industry continues to back ESCAS which is delivering substantial animal welfare improvements in traditional export markets.”
Animals Australia Campaign Director Lyn White was “horrified” the cull of 11,5000 Australian sheep had recommenced in Pakistan.
She said it again proves that once animals our outside of Australian control “there is nothing we can do to prevent horrendous treatment”.
Animals Australia said the incident had been a complete debacle from the beginning, with the animals already enduring a month at sea after Bahrain ignored their MoU obligations and refused to unload them, amid claims of scabby mouth disease.
Ms White said Pakistan was a “fast-tracked solution” so Wellard could avoid a PR disaster when the sheep were rejected by Bahrain.
She said Pakistan doesn’t have a track record importing sheep from Australia and the country wasn’t even approved to take Australian sheep when these animals left Fremantle in early August.
“Nearly half of the consignment of 21,000 sheep is already dead or missing,” she said.
“Media reports from Pakistan revealed that sheep had been clubbed, stabbed and buried alive during the initial cull of the animals a few weeks ago.
“Exporters take this risk every time they export live animals from Australia because we have no control over their treatment in importing countries.
“This is why Australians and animal welfare groups are appalled by this trade and will continue to demand that it ends.”