NEWS that an animal activist has been given meagre $1 fines for two potentially serious breaches of livestock biosecurity laws has rightly been met with outrage across the farming community.
How can any farmer have confidence in the legislation that is meant to protect them when the consequences of breaking said laws are simply laughable?
The charges stem from an incident just prior to Christmas, when 70 vegan activists descended upon the Gippy Goat farm and cafe at Yarragon, Vic, stealing multiple animals in the process. Despite such a huge number entering the property without invitation, only a handful will face any sort of legal proceedings.
This included Cara Garrett, who was fined $1 for removing an ear tag from a stolen goat and $1 for housing livestock without a property identification code.
If a livestock producer was found to be removing ear tags or operating without a PIC, would they escape with such a paltry fine?
Through our #ProtectOurFarms campaign, we've been pushing for stronger laws to protect farmers, despite some policy-makers arguing that existing legislation was robust enough. This court case was a timely test of the effectiveness of these important laws, and the unbelievable outcome must surely be described as a monumental failure of the system.
With activist activity clearly on the rise, the question of who will support producers if they are targeted is becoming increasingly important. Activist organisations have broad networks and seemingly deep pockets, ensuring they can hire effective legal counsel. While our producers aren't being put on trial, they need support to guide them through the process and identify how they can help increase the chances of a conviction.
Taking animals is becoming an increasingly common past-time for activists, raising all sorts of potential biosecurity and animal welfare issues. Let's also not forget that when activists broke into and sat on the roof of the Strath Meats abattoir, a lamb was handed to protesters to entice them to leave.
SA Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone says activists have been trying to use freedom of information rules to obtain details of farms registered with PIRSA.
This shows it's only a matter of time before there is more activist activity in SA. The only question is who will be the unlucky target?
