How we can help with live export issue
Australia can do more to help resolve animal welfare issues in Indonesia, according to a 成人大片 researcher. Dr Risti Permani said the Australian government should take more of a hands-on leadership role with Indonesia in the regulation of animal welfare for cattle that leave Australian shores. Dr Permani is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the 成人大片's School of Economics. Her main area of research is economic growth and trade in Indonesian agriculture. She said the main problems in Indonesia were a lack of proper regulation to ensure animal welfare, and a lack of educated and skilled workers in cattle production. This provided a real opportunity for Australia to help improve the quality of its neighbour's industry, with great potential benefits for both countries. "A fundamental problem with the Australian response to this issue is the failure to understand that the abuses uncovered are directly related to the systematic regulatory problems within the industry," Dr Permani said. "Recognition of these issues would have led Australia to help Indonesia with the animal welfare problem rather than rely on the blunt instrument of an export ban, which has already done damage to Australia's cattle industry and its relations with Indonesia," she said. Dr Permani, who wrote a policy brief on the live export issue for the University's new Indo-Pacific Governance Research Centre, said Australia still had an opportunity to help Indonesia improve animal welfare, building on decades of collaborative agricultural research between the two countries. "Australia has much to offer Indonesia in terms of developing regulatory capacities. Such a response would mean that animal welfare is not seen as some kind of 'moral blame game', but the result of regulatory underdevelopment. "Worker exchange and capacity building programs to train Indonesian officials in the supervision and monitoring of cattle slaughter would be a positive step forward. "It is important to understand that Muslim Indonesians are equally as upset as Australians over the issue. Most Muslim Indonesians feel that the inhumane treatment of animals is not in keeping with the spirit of Islam generally, or Halal. Halal defines what is lawful according to Islamic law, including acceptable food, slaughtering procedures, and how Muslims get the money they use to purchase food. The lack of monitoring of Halal practices in Indonesia has been a concern of Muslim Indonesians for a long time." Dr Permani said Australia's involvement in the development of a robust animal welfare regulatory system would show goodwill towards Indonesia. "It may contribute to Australia's own economic growth and strengthen Australia's regional influence," she said. Story by David Ellis
For more information about studying Economics at the 成人大片 go to: or visit Open Day Sunday 21 August.
|
