SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia has moved to halt the supply of live cattle to three Indonesian abattoirs after a documentary Monday revealed evidence of cruelty against animals shipped there for slaughter.
The ABC's "Four Corners" programme -- to be aired later Monday -- said it had footage of cattle suffering, including having their eyes gouged, tails broken and throats hacked in four slaughterhouses in Indonesia.
After viewing the footage, the Australian livestock export industry body LiveCorp said it had asked the Indonesian industry to stop supplying Australian cattle to three of these facilities.
"Cruelty to Australian animals is simply unacceptable," LiveCorp chief executive Cameron Hall said in a statement.
"This graphic and distressing footage has upset and frustrated the industry, particularly given our major efforts to improve animal welfare in Indonesia."
LiveCorp said it would provide additional training to workers at the fourth abattoir to improve conditions.
"Our animal welfare strategy is focused on ensuring our cattle are only supplied to facilities where supply chains meet or exceed global animal welfare standards," Hall said.
The head of animal welfare at Indonesia's agriculture ministry, Sri Mukartini, said she had heard about the Australian documentary but would not comment on specific incidents.
"Animal welfare is a relatively new issue in Indonesia. We're still developing regulations," she told AFP.
"This is different to what happens in developed countries like Australia, which see it as an important issue because their people have better awareness of animal welfare."
Australian live cattle exports were valued at Aus$652 million (US$697 million) in 2008-09, with Indonesia the single largest market. The industry underpins the employment of some 10,000 workers in regional Australia.
Canberra funds a number of projects aimed at improving infrastructure and training to promote better animal handling and slaughter practices.
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