The Indonesian government is shaking up its live import trade after a series of animal rights incidents
Horses take to the skies en route from a cargo ship to a truck at a port in Surabaya, Indonesia, after arriving from West Timor to be distributed across mainland Java.
The crane technique used to transport livestock from ship to land has been criticised by animal rights activists, who were outraged in January when images of cattle being lifted by ropes tied to their heads emerged.
Due to concern from the international community about the inhumane treatment of livestock imported by Indonesia for slaughter in the past, in February the government announced it would invest millions of dollars in live export ships to transport livestock from its outer islands to the mainland.
“The development of terminals equipped with special vessels for cattle shipping is aimed at ensuring that livestock transportation can be carried out efficiently and would better guarantee the quality of the beef supplied,” said transport minister Evert Erenst Mangindaan, as reported by the Jakarta Post.
In 2011, Australia implemented a live export ban to Indonesia after footage of cows being tortured at an abattoir was made public. Around 520,000 cattle are sent from Australia to Indonesia each year in an annual trade worth around $330m. The ban lasted one month before the export/import agreement was reinstated after a pact with Indonesia was brokered to ensure that the welfare of cattle would be guaranteed.
Also view
“Sumatra coffee hustle” – Poor coffee farmers are churning out a product consumers love in Indonesia – is there a payoff?