RSPCA Australia says it has lodged a formal complaint with the Department of Agriculture after receiving images and footage showing “brutal treatment” of Australian cattle live exported to Israel on board the ship Maysora.
As reported by DCN, the footage and imagery, obtained by animal rights group Israel against Live Shipments, appears to show poor handling practices and workers standing on the backs of cattle and twisting the tails of cattle being offloaded from the Livestock Shipping Services-operated ship in Israel.
“These practices are forbidden under Australia’s mandatory Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System, which was created more than eight years ago to stop this routine cruel treatment of Australia’s animals overseas,” the RSPCA said in a statement.
“The troubled Maysora journey to the Middle East experienced multiple delays, leaving animals in allegedly hot and crowded conditions and taking five days to offload.”
At least 64 cows and calves are reported dead.
The RSPCA stated that live exporters continued to send Australian animals into the Middle Eastern summer despite “overwhelming scientific evidence and community opposition”.
“The RSPCA continues to urge the Australian Government to act on the science and evidence, and stop exports to the Middle East between the highest risk months of May to October,” it stated.
