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Australian Live Export
A Tale of Two Cities (August 6 2004)
6 August 2004 marked the first anniversary of the Cormo Express leaving Fremantle with its cargo of 57,000 sheep. This cargo was destined to be stranded in the sweltering heat of the Gulf for nearly three months, after it was rejected by the Saudi authorities because of the level of disease on board. To mark this unhappy anniversary, demonstrations were held in Perth and London.
At 12 noon in Western Australia, while London was still asleep, PACAT supporters were gathering in chilly winter conditions outside the offices of the Western Australian Premier in Perth. Some five hours later on the other side of the world, Naturewatch supporters started to gather outside Australia House in London's summer sunshine.
PACAT in Perth
Report by PACAT Co-ordinator, Tanya Marwood
On August 6, 2004 – the first anniversary of the sailing of the MV Cormo Express from Fremantle, with its pathetic cargo of 57,000 sheep doomed to float around the waters of the Middle East for 80 days – supporters of the Western Australian based lobby group People Against Cruelty in Animal Transport (PACAT) gathered outside the office of the Western Australian Premier, Dr Geoff Gallop, to demonstrate their displeasure at the continuation of the live animal export trade. |
 Tanya Marwood (PACAT co-ordinator) with fellow committee Member Jenny Grant |
 PACAT outside the office of the WA Premier, Dr. Gallop, with a banner quoting him |
In a debate held in late 1996, Dr Gallop said, 'I think we should start the process by which we would phase out the live sheep trade export industry.' As this has clearly now become an international issue and Dr Gallop has done nothing in the past eight years to bring the trade to an end, PACAT supporters felt justified in publicly expressing their disgust at this inaction. A group of several dozen people stood in chilly, windy conditions to let passers-by in Perth's CBD know that a whole year had passed since the Cormo tragedy and that they needed to let Australian politicians know how they felt about the issue. There was a banner displaying the Premier's words and several people in sheep costumes (they were probably the only ones who were warm!). Many leaflets were distributed and a loudhailer let everyone know why we were there and that something similar was happening in London. The response from the public was good, though perhaps a little surprised, as they are more used to seeing PACAT demonstrators at the port of Fremantle. |
PACAT supporters at the demonstration
Naturewatch in London
We were delighted that so many Naturewatch supporters took time out of their schedule (never easy on a weekday) to join us outside the Australian High Commission building. This was an indication of how strongly people in the UK feel about the Australian live export trade – over the last few months a surprising number of supporters have written to say that they had lived in Australia, or that they had family in Australia, and that this shameful trade was a blight on an otherwise beautiful country. One supporter told us that he had worked for many years in the port of Fremantle and had seen at first-hand the cruelties of the trade; he assured us that the witness reports received from PACAT and Animals Australia were no exaggeration. |
 Naturewatch's James, Rohima and Richard model PACAT T-shirts at the London demo |
 Naturewatch's supporters, to the tune of a didgeridoo and Dame Edna's flirtations, demonstrate outside Australia House |
While our friends in Perth shivered, Naturewatch supporters sweltered in the sunshine, holding banners and giving out leaflets to passers-by. We were entertained by didgeridoo player Jonny Cope and a wonderful Dame Edna Everage lookalike, who flirted shamelessly with the London cabbies! The response from passers-by to our demonstration was wonderful – a few didn't want to stop and talk, but most were interested and many were aware of the issues and supported what we were doing. Quite a few Australian people took an interest in what we were doing, and one woman took a batch of PACAT and Naturewatch leaflets to send back to her family and friends in her home town of Kalgoorlie. |
At 11 a.m. delegation from Naturewatch went into Australia House to hand over a petition of some 57,000 signatures – one for each of the Cormo sheep – to Bill Tweddell, the Deputy High Commissioner. The petitions were presented in gift-wrapped boxes with a label bearing the words 'Unhappy birthday! 6 August 2003 – 57,000 sheep board the Cormo Express ship of death. 6 August 2004 – 57,000 people say BAN THE AUSTRALIAN LIVE EXPORT TRADE.' Mr Tweddell and his colleagues were courteous, but curiously ill-informed about their country's live export trade. This was surprising, since Mr Tweddell had met with representatives of PACAT and Compassion in World Farming only last October to discuss the issues. Moreover, we had been told that over 10,000 letters of protest from Naturewatch supporters had been received at the High Commission, all of which had to be forwarded to the Australian Government in Canberra! But we were promised that the petition signatures would be passed on likewise. So the Australian Government can be in no doubt as to how its reputation is being damaged internationally by its continued acceptance of the atrocities being inflicted on millions of Australian animals each year.
Handing over the Naturewatch petition in Australia House. L to R: Bill
Tweddell, Deputy High Commissioner; Christine Lee, Naturewatch Campaign
Manager; John Ruane, Naturewatch Director; Carole and Norma, Naturewatch
supporters
