AUSTRALIAN Wool Innovation's new chairman Wal Merriman says the industry will not be tied to a deadline to phase out mulesing, despite threats from animal activists.
Mr Merriman, elected to the AWI board at yesterday's annual meeting in Perth, said the industry would continue to research alternatives to mulesing but farmers could choose any method they wanted to produce wool."When it comes to 2010, I will do what is best for my animals, and if that means mulesing so be it,'' he said.
"In the interim we advise people to use pain relief (when mulesing).''
Mr Merriman is principal of one of Australia's leading Merino studs Merryville at Boorowa in southern NSW.
After yesterday's election, animal rights group PETA threatened the Australian wool industry would face a "world of hurt if AWI reneged on its 2010 mulesing deadline.
The group has been behind an international campaign to have leading retailers ban Australian wool products.
PETA Asia-Pacific director Jason Baker said the AWI election results, which saw former chairman Brian van Rooyen's board rolled by candidates opposed to the 2010 deadline, would spur on animal activists.
"I think it's going to invigorate animal rights activists and the general public as well,'' Mr Baker said.
Mr van Rooyen, who remains on the board, said ignoring the phase-out deadline would hurt exports.
"What our growers want is an increase in price, so any negative campaign against Australian wool that can lead to a reduction in demand is going to be a problem,'' he said.
But another newly-appointed board member, Laurence Modiano, said retailers were not getting the full story about mulesing in Australia.
He said the practice was necessary and performed with anaesthetic spray to relieve pain.
"There is no viable alternative and that's that,'' Mr Modiano said.
