Govt to spend $1m to boost animal welfare in live exports Animal Welfare / Animal Welfare Posted by JimEdwards on Jul 07, 2008 - 04:43 PM Source: Fairfax Digital [1] The Rudd Government has now committed more than $1 million to improve animal welfare standards in overseas ports which process Australian live animal exports. Minister for Agriculture, Tony Burke, says an additional $621,500 has been approved for new projects, bringing the total funding to more than $1 million in the last six months. The additional funding includes: · $464,000 to upgrade port holding sheds, port discharge ramps and sheep handling facilities in the Middle East, Indonesia and Russia. Improved infrastructure will reduce livestock stress in transit and reduce the possibility of injury to animals as they are unloaded from ships and moved to feedlots and abattoirs; · $75,000 to develop training videos, books and signs to be displayed in markets and other areas. Material will be directed at feedlot managers, livestock handlers and transport staff, feedlot stockmen and importers. Material will be provided in English, Arabic, Urdu and Tagalog; and · $82,500 to install 15 additional restraint boxes in Indonesia, to reduce stress for animals. Indonesia is Australia’s biggest market for exported cattle. This latest approval brings the number of restraining boxes in Indonesia to 90. Read the original report [2] ... This article is from World Veterinary Association   http://worldvet.org/ The URL for this story is:   http://worldvet.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=4360 Links in this article   [1] http://theland.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/livestock/cattle/govt-to-spend-1m-to-boost-animal-welfare-in-live-exports/805078.aspx   [2] http://theland.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/livestock/cattle/govt-to-spend-1m-to-boost-animal-welfare-in-live-exports/805078.aspx