China live export claims garner criticism

Veterinary groups have criticised the federal government’s plans to commence live cattle exports to China. Vets Against Live Export (VALE) said the journey by sea to China is about 18 days, equivalent to the journey to the Middle East, a distance they deem unacceptable. The organisation is also concerned about animal protection laws in China, […]

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Responsible antibiotic use is important, says AVA

The AVA used its platform to promote responsible use of antibiotics in animals for Australian Antibiotic Awareness Week in November. Spokesperson Stephen Page said vets take their obligation to minimise the risk of resistant superbugs seriously. “While resistance mainly originates from antibiotic use in humans, there’s evidence that the use of antibiotics in food-producing animals […]

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Ocean fertilisers

With the International Whaling Commission’s scientific committee due to consider approval for Japan’s re-modelled scientific whaling program in late November, results of several studies undertaken in the US and Australia all serve to demonstrate the important role whales play in maintaining healthy oceans, ensuring sustainable, productive fisheries, and mitigating the impacts of climate change . […]

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Abstracts: Invited review: animal-based indicators for on-farm welfare assessment for dairy goats

This paper reviews animal-based welfare indicators to develop a valid, reliable, and feasible on-farm welfare assessment protocol for dairy goats. The indicators were considered in the light of the 4 accepted principles (good feeding, good housing, good health, appropriate behavior) subdivided into 12 criteria developed by the European Welfare Quality program. We will only examine […]

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A timely health check for endangered eastern gorillas

While the world’s attention is currently focused on the Ebola crisis in western Africa, a virus that has been responsible for the deaths of almost one third of the region’s gorillas and many thousands of chimpanzees, as well as humans, in eastern Africa’s Democratic Republic of Congo veterinarian Alisa Kubala’s interest in studying infectious diseases […]

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