2004 News
Extremist anti-Australian wool campaign labeled destructive by farm leader
Australian farm leader Peter Corish has labeled the latest stage in the campaign against Australian wool by the extremist animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as misleading and destructive.
The US-based group has placed a billboard in New York calling on Americans to boycott Australian wool because of mulesing.
Mr Corish, who is Chairman of the Australian Sheep and Wool Industry Taskforce and President of the National Farmers' Federation, said the billboard campaign had been anticipated as part of PETA's campaign of harassment and intimidation of retailers around the world who sell products containing Australian wool.
"Only one retailer has bowed to this campaign," Mr Corish said. "In fact, PETA has met stiff resistance, with retailers standing firm in the face of PETA's threats to undermine their legitimate businesses.
"PETA persists in peddling sensationalist misinformation and untruths about mulesing. The organisation has not offered any alternatives except a list of management practices already pursued by woolgrowers in conjunction with mulesing to combat Australia's unique and aggressive sheep blowfly.
"The industry is committed to phasing out the current practice by 2010 but to cease mulesing immediately as PETA demands would condemn millions of sheep to a painful death from flystrike in a bad fly-wave during a hot, wet summer."
"Mulesing is the only effective way to provide lifetime protection against flystrike in the breech area. The Australian industry is investing millions of dollars a year to find an effective alternative and one non-surgical procedure being tested shows promise."
Mr Corish said that the wool industry would continue to provide factual information and support to international and domestic retailers to counter PETA's untruthful and misleading campaign.
"Australian wool is the best in the world and it is produced with the highest regard for animal welfare by growers who pride themselves on the care they show for their sheep," Mr Corish said.
"Only healthy, well cared for animals produce a fine quality fleece. PETA's so-called cruelty claims are totally untrue and a slur on Australian woolgrowers and their families."
Ends
Further information:
Peter Wilkinson
Wilkinson Media National
0414 383 433
Mairi Barton
Farmers' Federation
0408 448 250
David Coombes
Australian Wool Innovation
0408 462 514
More information:
- Mulesing - this site's main mulesing resource.