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AWI CHAIRMAN IAN McLACHLAN HURTING AUSTRALIAN WOOL
The Australian Wool Growers Association (AWGA) is demanding that Ian McLachlan, Chairman of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), who turns 72 this year, step aside from any decision making in the on-going mulesing issue.
AWGA Chairman, Martin Oppenheimer, says McLachlan has proved unsuitable to lead a modern textile marketing and research company, and his actions may threaten international demand for Australian wool.
“McLachlan is a recalcitrant when it comes to supporting industry use of pain relief when mulesing. McLachlan’s AWI may hurt the reputation of Australian wool. Despite the fact that woolgrowers have adopted a new, Australian developed, commercially available pain relief to use on over 4 million sheep already, McLachlan has ruled this out as a potential solution for conventional mulesing.”
“AWI has persisted with McLachlan’s “pet project” mulesing clips, which despite technical and animal welfare issues, have received millions in funding.”
McLachlan admitted at the 2007 AWI Annual General Meeting that the clips had problems; “Well, of course they’re painful at the moment” he said.
Oppenheimer speculates that the reasons behind AWI fighting pain relief, yet supporting mulesing clips, is political and notes that Ian McLachlan and fellow AWI Director Chris Abell are named as inventors on the patent register for the clips. more details here
“This conflict of interest cannot stand and may have a serious effect on our international wool trade,” says Oppenheimer.
AWGA claims that under McLachlan’s leadership, AWI has lost credibility with many retailers. For example, the latest announcement was last Friday, 29.2.08, that AWI has abandoned research on the two mulesing alternative intradermal technologies.
“Did the recent Sheep and Wool Taskforce delegation inform Swedish retailers of these ‘soon to be cancelled’ alternatives only 10 days before? How can you expect people to believe you when you fail to support pain relief as promised in point 6 of the Declaration with US Retailers signed by McLachlan and WoolProducers in 2005?” more details here
AWGA supports industry wide adoption of pain relief until viable alternatives
are found.
“Australian woolgrowers are serious about practising the best animal
welfare standards, now.”
Martin Oppenheimer
Chairman AWGA
02 6777 2124
0413 580 040
more
details here
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