On Monday, livestock markets sold live sheep to customers in celebration of Muslim festival, Eid al-Adha Live sheep and goats were being sold in dozens of stalls at al-Rai market in Kuwait City. After a sale, the vendors often bound the sheep's legs with wire and tossed the animal into the back of the customers' vehicle. One Kuwaiti customer said “It's fine. This is Halal,” and planned to slaughter the sheep at his home. An investigation last year by Animals Australia, an animal welfare group published a report saying Australian sheep in al-Rai Market were being slaughtered until the “streets were running with blood.” However it is reported that no Australian live exports were found at private markets this week in Kuwait, which is contestable since there is little way of establishing where exports come from once in market. Last month a trade agreement was to assure animal welfare of Australian exported live sheep to the Middle East though the banning of private slaughtering. The agreement between Australia and Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain was called “groundbreaking”, it was to be mandatory for individual buyers to use slaughter facilities that comply with global animal welfare standards. In the run-up to Eid al-Adha, advertisements appeared in the local press entitled “Important Public Announcement.” “Due to changes in Australian regulations with animal welfare requirements, slaughter of Australian sheep must only take place in an Approved Slaughter Facility. Your cooperation is highly appreciated.” The new trade agreement will undoubtedly change buying habits of many in the Middle East. Khaled al-Refai, a senior engineering supervisor at Kuwait Oil Company says “I will slaughter the animal in my house, because it's better for the children to see it. It's better in the religion, it's written in the Sunnah.” al-Refai says Australian sheep are usually the cheapest in the private market and so their absence has forced bargain hunters to buy the next least expensive “nationality” of animal. “Now everybody is going for Iranian; it's driving up the prices of everything,” said al-Refai. BM
