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Mulesing and Animal Ethics

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Abstract

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called for a ban on mulesing in the Australian sheep industry in 2004. Mulesing is a surgical procedure that removes wool-bearing skin from the tail and breech area of sheep in order to prevent flystrike (cutaneous myiasis). Flystrike occurs when flies lay their eggs in soiled areas of wool on the sheep and can be fatal for the sheep host. PETA claimed that mulesing subjects sheep to unnecessary pain and suffering and took action against the Australian wool industry that resulted in a number of international clothing retailers choosing not to use Australian wool. Although the Australian sheep industry agreed to phase out mulesing in 2010, there is some uncertainty as to whether this deadline will be achieved. The changing social ethic towards animal welfare suggests that the way the Australian sheep industry manages the phase out of mulesing in 2010 is vital to its future survival and success. It is likely that if mulesing does not cease in 2010 there will be a negative market reaction to Australian wool and the risk of legislation to ban mulesing. To avoid losing control of its animal welfare strategy, the Australian sheep industry should ensure that mulesing is phased out in 2010 and endorse the animal welfare ethic underpinning this change. The industry should also educate farmers and other industry stakeholders in how the changing social ethic for animal welfare can create new market opportunities for wool.

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Notes

  1. Australian Wool Innovation Limited is an independent public company, owned by Australian woolgrowers, responsible for research and development in the Australian wool industry.

  2. Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce Member Organisations—LiveCorp (not-for-profit industry body for livestock exporters), WoolProducers (peak national representative body for over 15,000 Australian wool producers), National Farmers Federation (Australian peak farm lobby group), The Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (national policy body representing the livestock export industry), Meat and Livestock Australia (independent public company, owned by producers, providing services to the Australian red meat industry), Sheepmeat Council of Australia (industry body responsible for representing and promoting the national interest of Australian sheepmeat producers), Federation of Australian Wool Organisations (provides administrative support and advice to member wool bodies).

  3. Source: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/3663#S.

  4. Under the TPA, a breach of the secondary boycott provisions only allowed the ACCC to pursue punitive penalties against those found to be in breach of the provisions.

  5. Approximately 850,000 (2.5%) of 34 million lambs marked in Australia in 2006/07 were recorded on the Better Choices website (www.betterchoices.com.au) as being treated with Tri-Solfen pain relief prior to surgical mulesing.

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We would like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

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Sneddon, J., Rollin, B. Mulesing and Animal Ethics. J Agric Environ Ethics 23, 371–386 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10806-009-9216-z

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