2007 News
Response to Letter to the Editor
19 September 2007
Dear Editor,
The constant flow of misinformation coming from Chick Olsson over the phase-out of mulesing is wearing thin and must be very unsettling for woolgrowers who need factual and reliable information on this important issue.
First, the phase-out of surgical mulesing is and always has been a response to the demands of international retailers and no one from Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) or the Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce (Taskforce) has ever said it was a result of animal rights extremism. This is the first point made in the Taskforce presentation to growers at all the meetings that have been held.
Second, Mr Olsson is the only one in the wool industry talking about legislation to ban mulesing. It is not and never has been the intention of the Taskforce, AWI or WoolProducers Australia to seek legislative change post 2010. The Taskforce presentation makes no reference to legislation. The matter is dealt with if raised by growers in the discussion following the presentation. The point is always made that treatment of mulesing beyond 2010 in animal welfare legislation will be determined by State Governments.
Mr Olsson’s claims that PETA is now part of the wool industry are also alarmist and hypocritical. It is true that PETA is now privy to the same information that is being made widely available to international retailers on the progress of the R&D program to develop mulesing alternatives. However, this is a far better scenario than allowing PETA to determine the percentage reduction in lambs to be mulesed each year under the deal Mr Olsson entered into with PETA. To quote his document,
“The baseline data for this phasing-out program will be mutually agreed upon by AWGA and PETA”.
Mr Olsson should heed his own advice about commonsense prevailing in the mulesing debate. Surely it is commonsense to secure long-term markets for our wool in partnership with retailers. It would also be helpful if Mr Olsson would unite with the rest of industry on this critical issue for woolgrowers.
Matthew Flügge
Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce