Editing Mulesing (section)

==Opposition to mulesing==
Some [[animal rights]] activists consider unanesthetised mulesing to be inhumane and unnecessary. They have also argued that mulesing may mask genetic susceptibility to flystrike allowing for genetic weaknesses to be continued.<ref name="Animal Liberation">{{cite web | title=Mulesing | url=http://www.animalliberation.com.au/issues/mulesing.html | publisher=Animal Liberation (WA) Inc | access-date=2007-01-09 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121013331/http://www.animalliberation.com.au/issues/mulesing.html | archive-date=21 November 2008 }}</ref>

Proponents of mulesing are largely from Australia where severe and often fatal flystrike is common.

In October 2004, American fashion retailer [[Abercrombie & Fitch Co.]] responded to pressure from PETA to boycott Australian Merino wool due in part to the use of mulesing in Australia. The [[National Farmers' Federation]] responded by stating "Abercrombie and Fitch does not use Australian wool".<ref name="AGE_ridicule"/> Then, in December 2008, one of the world's largest retailers, [[Liz Claiborne]] (in which PETA is a shareholder),<ref>Land Newspaper, "PETA pulling Wool", p. 18, Rural Press, Richmond, 18 December 2008</ref> banned the use of Australian Merino wool in its products in opposition to the mulesing practice; at the time an Australian Wool Innovations spokesman said "the company did not purchase any Australian wool".<ref>[http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/wool/general/peta-claims-another-retailer-joins-wool-boycott/1388691.aspx PETA claims another retailer joins wool boycott] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106062628/http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/wool/general/peta-claims-another-retailer-joins-wool-boycott/1388691.aspx |date=6 January 2009 }}</ref> In June 2009, British department store chain [[John Lewis & Partners|John Lewis]] joined the wool boycott.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/uk-retailer-bans-aussie-mulesing-wool-20100621-yrn9.html|title=UK retailer bans Aussie mulesing wool|date= 21 June 2010|access-date=21 June 2010|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|first=Petrina|last=Berry}}</ref> The international fashion retailer [[New Look (company)|New Look]] also refuses to stock products made from Australian Merino wool.<ref>[http://www.newlookgroup.com/sites/default/files/attachments/animal_protection_and_product_testing_policy_0.pdf New Look Animal Welfare and Animal Protection Policy] 9 May 2012</ref> The campaign by PETA also seeks to draw attention to Australia's [[live export|live sheep-export trade]]. PETA's campaign has hurt the Australian wool industry with several American and European clothing retailers agreeing to the boycott.<ref name="Pink2">{{cite news | url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/fashion/redfaced-pinks-uturn/2007/01/17/1168709798426.html | title=Red-faced Pink's u-turn on wool ban | date=17 January 2007 | access-date=2007-01-17 | agency=Australian Associated Press | author-link=Australian Associated Press | newspaper=The [[Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title=Helsinki protest against Australian cruelty to sheep | website=Blog.anta.net | url=http://blog.anta.net/2008/03/26/helsinki-protest-against-australian-cruelty-to-sheep | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509075107/http://blog.anta.net/2008/03/26/helsinki-protest-against-australian-cruelty-to-sheep/ | archive-date=9 May 2008 }} (ed. Thor Kottelin)</ref><ref name="wool-industry-granted-reprieve">{{cite news | url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/wool-industry-granted-reprieve/2008/03/19/1205602488530.html |title=Wool industry granted reprieve | date=20 March 2008 | author=Lorna Edwards | access-date=2009-07-08 | newspaper=[[The Age]] | location=Melbourne}}</ref>

Australian interior furnishing wholesaler Instyle Contract Textiles endorses the cessation of mulesing. In early 2008, the company signed an exclusive worldwide agreement with The SRS Company to source wool from non-mulesed Merino sheep that have been bred specifically to be naturally resistant to flystrike.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.instyle.com.au/news/news_mulesing.html|title=LIFE Textiles + Etheco Wool – Instyle}}</ref><ref>Staton, J: "Ethical Wool Emerging, but what is it?", p. 23, ''Australian Farm Journal'', September 2008</ref>

The controversy reignited after a television programme aired in [[Sweden]]. This programme alleged that a lobbying consultant, Kevin Craig, acting on behalf of the Australian Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce offered a Swedish activist a free trip to Australia if the activist agreed not to go on camera nor do an interview. As a consequence, 19 clothing manufacturers and retailers in Sweden banned the purchase of wool from sheep that have been mulesed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2008-03-07 |title=Wool lobbyist 'offered bribe' to mulesing campaigner |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-03-08/wool-lobbyist-offered-bribe-to-mulesing-campaigner/1065932 |access-date=2025-05-22 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref> Since then, the [[Swedish Agriculture Minister]], [[Eskil Erlandsson]], has said that "he was satisfied that Australia appeared to be responding to international concerns about mulesing and that bans or boycotts were not necessary". "But in the long run we hope there is going to be a final end to all sorts of mulesing."<ref name="wool-industry-granted-reprieve"/>

Some European retailers have agreed to lift their ban on Australian Merino wool if pain relief is used during mulesing. The retailers have not been named in an effort to avoid any backlash.<ref name="wool-industry-granted-reprieve"/>

In order to help comply with the 2010 deadline to phase out mulesing, Western Australia's governmental research stations ceased mulesing their sheep on 1 April 2008.<ref name="WA">{{cite news|title=WA mulesing ends in three weeks |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23349611-5005961,00.html |newspaper=[[Herald Sun]] |date=10 March 2008 |access-date=2008-03-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080315045211/http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23349611-5005961,00.html |archive-date=15 March 2008 }}</ref>

Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) had pledged to phase out mulesing by 2010, but PETA accused the Australian wool industry of trying to extend this deadline.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2008/11/26/29891_latest-news.html|title=PETA warns on mulesing delay|access-date=17 December 2008|archive-date=15 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315123943/http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2008/11/26/29891_latest-news.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 27 July 2009, the Australian wool industry dumped its long-standing pledge to phase out mulesing by the end of 2010, a move that was harshly criticized by animal welfare groups and led to criticism by some farmers.<ref name="AGE">{{cite news | title=Mulesing deadline abandoned| url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/mulesing-deadline-abandoned-20090727-dytn.html | newspaper=[[The Age]] | date=28 July 2009 | access-date=2009-07-28 | location=Melbourne | first=Darren | last=Gray}}</ref> The AWI maintains that pursuing a deadline approach to eliminating mulesing was not based on "sound health and welfare science" and risked a serious deterioration in the welfare of sheep. Alternative methods of mulesing, such as using clips and intradermals, were "not sufficiently developed to support a wholesale cessation of the procedure in 2010", AWI said.<ref name="SMH">{{cite news | title=Wool industry abandons mulesing deadline| url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/wool-industry-abandons--mulesing-deadline-20090728-dzxr.html |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | date=28 July 2009 | access-date=2009-11-14}}</ref>

The AWI's approach is "The ultimate long-term aim of the program is to reduce the reliance on mulesing."<ref name="AWI on flystrike prevention"/> and "supports all woolgrowers in their choice of best practice animal health and hygiene in flystrike control",<ref name="AWI on flystrike prevention">{{cite web|url=https://www.wool.com/sheep/welfare/breech-flystrike/|title=AWI has in place a proactive, intensive and committed flystrike prevention program with long term and short term aims.|website=wool.com|access-date=28 October 2020}}</ref> but aims to provide animal welfare improvements such as pain relief and antiseptics.<ref name="AWI’s flystrike management approach">{{cite web|url=https://www.wool.com/sheep/welfare/breech-flystrike/welfare-improved-practices/|title=Welfare Improved Practices|quote=Welfare-improved surgery with analgesics and anaesthetics is rapidly replacing the practice of traditional mulesing without the use of analgesics or anaesthestics. .. In a 2017 survey of 1,200 merino breeders across Australia, the results showed that 83% of Merino lambs mulesed received analgesics and/or anaesthesia.|website=wool.com|access-date=28 October 2020}}</ref>

In December 2020, [[Four Paws]] compiled a list of fashion brands who have taken a stance against mulesing.<ref>''[https://www.four-paws.org/campaigns-topics/campaigns/wearitkind/brand-letter-of-intent Brands against Mulesing]'' retrieved on 6. January 2021 in Four-paws.org.au</ref>