Group Denounces Industry’s Transparent Attempt to Forestall Retailers’ Action

For Immediate Release:

November 9, 2004

Contact:
Jason Baker 757-622-7382

PETA is pleased to have pushed the Australian wool industry to finally hold an emergency meeting last night from which a promise emerged that the crude and cruel practice of mulesing (in which slices of flesh are cut with a pair of shears from a lamb's hindquarters without any painkiller) would be ended by 2010. The announcement comes fifteen years after a Senate subcommittee called for its elimination. However, dissenting voices from within the wool industry say that mulesing can be eliminated now and PETA agrees, offering proven viable alternatives such as good animal husbandry practices-which have been abandoned by many farmers in favour of slovenly oversight of sheep flocks--flystrike preventative measures including fly trapping, regular worming, introducing smooth breech wool breeds, shaving (crutching) the sheep's hindquarters regularly, and more. PETA has condemned last night's announcement as a public relations move designed to ward off pending action by overseas retailers.

PETA's Asia-Pacific Director Jason Baker said today in Sydney, "Millions of sheep will experience the agony of mulesing between now and 2010 unless consumers and retailers apply pressure for an immediate switch to humane flystrike control methods.  The wool industry has a history of broken promises when it comes to change and this new promise does not satisfy our demand for an immediate end to mulesing and live exports in which tens of thousands of sheep die badly each year. Our boycott still stands. As for accreditation of mulesing, you cannot accredit a mutilation and enforcement of petty rules over its conduct is impossible."

It is estimated that 20% of Australian sheep farmers do not practice mulesing.

For more information and to view mulesing video go to SaveTheSheep.com.