There are more than 250,000 animals killed without prior stunning in a small number of Australian abattoirs every year because of religious slaughter exemptions. The exempt abattoirs do not have to comply with Australian legal requirements set out in Australia Standards (AS 4696-2007 Clause 7.09 and 7.10) Australian State Meat Industry Acts or the Australian Department of Agriculture for the Commonwealth. 

There have been two Australian review papers (available here and here) which both confirm the suffering involved in slaughter without stunning. We believe the abattoirs continuing to carryout this practice are directly in violation of Australian Law specifically all State and Federal Animal Welfare Acts and Prevention of Animal Cruelty Acts (available here). 

This petition has been started to call upon our Minister for Agriculture, The Hon. Barnaby Joyce to close this legal loop hole and finally stop Australian abattoirs inhumanely being able to slaughter animals without prior stunning.