Australian Wool Wins Historic Agreement with PETA on Mulesing

Business Wire, June 30, 2007

SYDNEY, Australia -- The Australian wool industry has won a landmark commitment from the animal rights movement, with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) agreeing to stop threatening global retailers over the practice of mulesing until 31 December 2010.

After four days of mediation, PETA unequivocally agreed to Australian Wool Innovation's (AWI) demand that if AWI is to drop the court case, PETA must agree to conduct itself within the law and to cease activity which calls for, or threatens to call for, a consumer boycott of any specific retailer in relation to the sale of products from mulesed wool until 31 December 2010.

This date is significant for the Australian wool industry because this is when the industry has agreed that surgical mulesing will be phased out.

AWI's ultimatum to PETA was that AWI would continue the case unless PETA agreed to stop its campaign until 2010.

This is a great win for Australian woolgrowers and for international retailers. PETA's cave in to AWI's demand confirms that the court case has had a marked effect on the animal rights group. Despite PETA's inevitable spin on the last four days, the fact is the court case was about stopping PETA threatening retailers which is what PETA has now agreed to do until 31 December 2010.

This historic commitment also marks the end of a court case brought by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) against PETA in the Federal Court of Australia.

AWI Deputy Chief Executive Officer Les Targ said Australian woolgrowers have always put the welfare of their sheep first and this will continue.

"This has been a hard fought campaign by Australian woolgrowers that started in October 2004," said Targ. "Since the Federal court case began, PETA's activities have been curbed and demand for Australian Merino wool has grown, unfettered by the influence of the animal rights movement. The last twelve months the value of wool exports has increased by more than $700 million. We will continue to watch their international and Australian activity very closely."

The agreement identifies activities already being undertaken by the Australian wool industry which will now be documented and provided to PETA as part of this agreement.

"The National Mulesing Accreditation Program (NMAP) will continue to be rolled out, as well as genetic research into bare breech sheep. There will be a system to identify wool from unmulesed sheep for retailers who want it," said Targ.