Footage allegedly showing several Australian cattle being restrained with ropes and inhumanely slaughtered in two export-approved Indonesian abattoirs has prompted a new Federal Government investigation.
Animals Australia filed a complaint to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) last Friday and provided the footage as evidence of the alleged animal welfare breaches in the Indonesian province of Aceh.
The images were gathered during the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice, in late July and early August, according to Animals Australia.
In a statement to the ABC, Animals Australia CEO Glenys Oogjes said it was "deeply disturbing" the slaughter practices exposed in 2011 were still being used in 2020 despite the existence of Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS).
ESCAS was set up by DAWE in the wake of the 2011 live export cattle ban to Indonesia.
"That Australian cattle in Indonesia are still being killed via the banned Mark I [restraining] boxes and roping slaughter should be of grave concern to all in the cattle industry," Ms Oogjes said.
"It is very clear that until regulatory sanctions for breaches of ESCAS incur licence suspensions, this system will not effectively protect animals from brutal treatment."
Animals Australia declined to release the images or videos to the ABC.
Exporter suspends trade
Some live cattle exporters have seen the footage, and one company has already suspended trade with the facilities involved, according to the Australian Livestock Exporters' Council (ALEC).
ALEC's chief executive Mark Harvey-Sutton said the images were "distressing" and showed what appeared to be Australian cattle restrained with ropes and having their throats cut without prior stunning.
"In this situation it seems to have been done perhaps by inexperienced staff, but certainly outside the normal controls that are in place in Indonesia," he said.
Several videos and "a large number" of photos, taken between July 30 and August 5, show 10 cattle in the facilities, according to Mr Harvey-Sutton.
He said exporters were taking swift action to identify the cattle, however the removal of ear tags had delayed tracing efforts.
He went on to defend the ESCAS system and said the "unfortunate" situation was an exception.
"I can't condone it, I can't excuse it, but the system does work because we have extensive systems in Indonesia where animal welfare is assured," Mr Harvey-Sutton said.
A spokesperson for DAWE said all live cattle exporters to Indonesia had been contacted for further information.
"It would be inappropriate to comment on this matter while it is under investigation," the spokesperson said.
