Animal rights group accused of encouraging ‘illegal behaviour’ with map of farms and abattoirs
Naturally we’re receiving a lot of backlash from farmers because for so long they’ve been able to operate as they please, without scrutiny, the group said on Facebook, and the map information was publicly available anyway.
LISA MARTIN: ‘Australia’s agriculture minister has appealed to an animal activist group to pull down a website showing the location of hundreds of farms and abattoirs across Australia over concerns it will promote vigilantism and trespassing. A group called Aussie Farms has published a satellite map showing the location of hundreds of farms and abattoirs and is encouraging people to upload photos and videos of animal exploitation. David Littleproud, has dismissed the group’s activities as an “anonymous farm-shaming website” with no real outcomes for animal welfare…
Littleproud has sought advice about the legality of the map from his department, but early indications show that it may be within the law. “The reality is that the federal government may have little recourse,” he said. “I ask them to look into their own soul and do the right thing.” He flagged a possible investigation into the group’s charity status. “Putting the locations of farms online could be creating an attack map for activists “This will potentially result in illegal behaviour by activists,” Littleproud said… Aussie Farms has defended its tactics. The map project was developed over eight years shows the location of “factory farms, slaughterhouses and other animal exploitation facilities across Australia”.
“Naturally we’re receiving a lot of backlash from farmers already, because for so long they’ve been able to operate as they please, without scrutiny,” the group said on Facebook. A spokesman for Aussie Farms, Chris Delforce, dismissed the controversy, saying animal activists were peaceful and non-violent people and the map information was publicly available anyway. “All we trying to do is show the public, consumers of products, exactly what they are purchasing when they buy animal products,” he said. “This is where they come from and this is what those animals go through.”
He said every photo or video clip uploaded to the site was moderated first by a team of 10 people, unless it was from a trusted account. Delforce said the organisation contacted the suppliers of photos for verification purposes. “Activists have no interest in the homes of these farmers,” he said. “The only thing we’re interested in is the giant sheds where sometimes tens of thousands of animals are housed in horrible conditions for a very short life before brutal slaughter”.’ SOURCE…
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