Claims and counter claims of deception are flying between Animals Australia, MLA and LiveCorp over why Bahrain's livestock importer has decided to ban the transport of Australian sheep in car boots during the pending Eid - Festival of Sacrifice.
The Bahrain Livestock Company (BLC) yesterday announced it would be forcing individual purchasers of sheep from its feedlots to use trucks to transport stock, instead of cars.
Animals Australia claims MLA and Livecorp have portrayed the decision as a good news story resulting from their presence in the Middle East region.
But Animals Australia says Gulf News, Bahrain's major newspaper, in reporting the BLC decision stated: "The move comes after criticism about the handling of animals in Bahrain and several other Gulf countries by organisations such as the US-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) and Animals Australia."
In contrast LiveCorp and MLA say they have a strong relationship with BLC and have worked with them to develop this initiative.
"The livestock export industry has people on the ground working each day with the feedlots, importers and government, making improvements and working with them to develop new initiatives that actually improve animal welfare," LiveCorp chief executive Cameron Hall said.
"We've worked closely with BLC and this initiative is a great example of how collaboration and incremental change can have positive outcomes.
"It's a bit rich for an activist group to lay claim to this achievement when they're not in Bahrain each day actively working to improve animal welfare."
However, during last year's Eid Festival, Animals Australia says its investigators filmed Australian sheep being trussed and shoved into boots and tossed onto trucks at the BLC feedlot.
It says recent airing of this footage on national television outraged Australians and increased calls for the live export trade to end.
Glenys Oogjes, executive director of Animals Australia said today: "Meat and Livestock Australia has tried desperately to convince Australian farmers and the public that they need to continue to export animals to be able to improve welfare in the Middle East.
"It is the fear of losing access to Australian animals, not the provision of them, that has forced the introduction of these regulations in Bahrain.
"It is no coincidence that this decision by the Bahrain Livestock Company comes after footage of cruel treatment at their facility aired nationally in Australia.
"Animals Australia's investigations have forced this ban, one that MLA has been unable to achieve despite being based in Bahrain for over a decade."
However, the Gulf News, upon which Animals Australia has based today's attack, also quoted MLA's Middle Eastern manager Peter Dundon as saying the television footage was being deliberately misrepresented by animal rights activists as the norm instead of the exception.
"Unfortunately animal activists come to the Middle East and take footage at the most challenging times of the year such as Eid Al Adha and portray poor handling and transport as typical of the treatment they receive during the remainder of the year," Mr Dundon told the paper.
Mr Dundon congratulated the Bahrain company for introducing the awareness campaign and warned a failure to adhere to the new regulations could have disastrous consequences for Bahrain.
"Australia provides the healthiest and highest quality of livestock in the world and as a large island continent is free of disease," he said
"We also have the highest shipping standards in the world.
"The risk of poor handling and transport is that the live export trade may be closed, which would have a significant impact on fresh meat supply to the region.
"We want the rest of the world to know that Bahrain is genuinely committed to improving animal welfare and it's a great opportunity to do this in response to the BLC's advertising campaign."
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