The Hindu Business Line : `Animal welfare' ball in PETA court

HAVING been forced to take a beating from the PETA for quite sometime, the leather industry has now decided to lob the ball right back to the court of the animal rights group.

Talking to Business Line an official of the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) from Chennai said: "While we have initiated some ground-level action on our own, we have decided to approach PETA to join hands with us in our efforts including extending funds support, if necessary.''

The CLE is the apex body of the leather industry.

Noting that the leather industry presented an easy target for PETA's agitations, the CLE official said that in its eagerness to pursue a target, PETA renewed its agitation but deviated from the main purpose - humane treatment of animals during transport and slaughter.

Pointing out that the leather industry is not involved in transport and slaughter or at the level of the cattle markets, officials said that the industry has chalked out a supply chain to establish that it got involved only from the stages where the hides and skin market dealers begin their operation.

The industry also highlighted the fact that around 50 per cent of cattle hides were sourced from animals which had already died (as against transported and slaughtered), and a sizable amount was imported by exporters CLE sources said adding that it thus made very little sense to target the industry and try to threaten Indian exports.

"However as a responsible industry we are committed to clean up our supply chain whether we are directly involved or not.''

The industry said that boycotting the Indian leather industry is not going to positively impact animal welfare.

However, the industry is keen to play the role of a facilitator.

Sources said that the eastern region office of CLE was now busy trying to work out a model for better treatment of animals at the cattle markets.

Officials have visited some of the cattle markets around the city and are in talks with panchayat officials for providing better facilities to the animals.

It was noted in this context that there was little CLE's scope of action at the level of transportation and slaughter was limited.

This was because transporters worked according to their own economies of scale and it was not unusual for them to overcrowd the trucks beyond the limits set by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

As for slaughter, animals were always killed using the halal method and although the Muslim Law Board had been approached on this to allow other methods to be used (like killing by electric shock), there has been little progress, according to sources.

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