Over 100 fashion brands worldwide have pledged to oppose mulesing, a controversial practice in the Australian wool industry. Mulesing involves surgically removing skin from lambs' hindquarters to prevent flystrike, a painful and potentially fatal maggot infestation.
Leading brands like Zara, Patagonia, and Adidas, alongside Australian labels such as Aje and Kathmandu, have signed a letter of intent organized by Four Paws. These brands commit to either eliminating mulesed wool from their products or doing so by 2030.
Four Paws argues, viable alternatives exist, and brands refuse to support ‘live lamb cutting.’ Echoeing this, the RSPCA advocates brands to breed flystrike-resistant sheep as a humane solution. They allege, the wool industry has failed to phase out mulesing as promised in 2004 and millions of lambs have been enduring the procedure since.
RSPCA emphasizes, Merino sheep's wrinkly skin, bred for increased wool yield, makes them susceptible to flystrike. Breeding plain-bodied sheep is a feasible and long-known solution, they assert. They also recommend a CSIRO-developed vaccine as a potential alternative.
The industry's peak body, WoolProducers Australia disputes the term ‘live lamb cutting,’ calling it a sensationalized label. The term misrepresents mulesing and suggests using ‘lifetime lamb protection procedure’ instead, they argue. They highlight, nearly 90 per cent of the wool producers use pain relief during mulesing, demonstrating a commitment to animal welfare. They urge all states to mandate pain relief.
The Sheep Sustainability Framework's 2024 report indicates, while a majority of producers still mules, a large percentage uses pain relief. However, the report does not reflect on the topic of breeding flystrike-resistant sheep. Animal welfare groups continue to push for the breeding of flystrike resistant sheep, rather than focusing on pain management during mulesing.
