Mark 1 restraining box conversion

Summary

Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) has over many years invested time and money to assist the
Indonesian meat and livestock industry improves its handling and eventual processing of Australian cattle. Specifically MLA had developed and installed several different types of manually and later mechanically operated restraining boxes to assist the abattoir operator in humanely restraining the animal, thus allowing for the appropriate Halal ritual slaughter, which is an essential part of the Islamic religion. Whilst it has been recognised that the Mark 1 restraining box did improve the handling of livestock prior to slaughter compared to the traditional methods, it still had the potential, if used incorrectly, to not comply with international animal welfare guidelines. To address this animal welfare issue and to provide support to the Indonesian meat and livestock industry, a design upgrade or retrofit of the Mark 1 restraining box was undertaken so that the already installed Mark 1 boxes could be refitted to comply with the recently developed DAFF guidance on meeting OIE code animal welfare outcomes for the slaughter of cattle with stunning.