WAFarmers is extremely disappointed in the allegations that the footage from the Awassi Express in 2016 were fabricated and animal activists groups may have mislead the general public and their own members for their own financial gain.
WAFarmers President Tony York said these reports completely discredit these organisations.
“WAFarmers is calling for a full investigation into these allegations and if any individual or group is found to have broken the law, then prosecution should follow,” Mr York said.
“The livestock industry has put a huge amount of time, effort and money to improve its integrity systems to ensure the best practise animal welfare standards possible for all animals going into the live export trade.
“Breaching animal welfare is punishable by law, as is bribery.
“WAFarmers supports the prosecution of any groups or individuals found to be breaching animal welfare standards or providing incentives to sabotage and compromise the standards in place.
“We now are questioning how the livestock industry can be given assurances that activists groups cannot hinder the trade moving forward without being held accountable for their actions.
“These groups appear to be focused on the live trade out of Australia, but WAFarmers believes the welfare of all livestock is paramount.
“We would hope that activists groups have the same views to improve the welfare of all animals rather than just the animals leaving Australian shores or their own financial wellbeing.”
WAFarmers Livestock President David Slade said it’s quite clear that the activists group involved have lost all credibility now and into the future and WAFarmers supports a full federal investigation into the activists of these groups.
