Jacky Foo response to Asifo Ajuyah's comment:
> The project site in Bali will definitely not be a good case for vegetarism,
> nor for animal welfare. It is going to be a slaughter house and it will
> process meat. Feedlots at the project site has concrete floors so at least
> these will be cleaner than those in e.g. the USA with dirty feedlots.

Animal welfare is an important aspect of the project; one cannot take tourists
around a site where animals are neglected or cruelly treated.

For cattle production, some basic common sense attributes of acceptable
welfare practices would be:

(1) Has access to a balanced ration in abundance
(2) Has access to clean water on demand
(3) Has enough room to lie down, turn around, move about and mingle with others
(4) Has trained stock personnel present that can diagnose basic illnesses,
and either treat the illness or salvage slaughter within 24 hours of the
disease/injury occuring.

These are all attributes that can be guaranteed win a well-run small
feedlot, and indeed cannot be matched by a range animal in Bali, or indeed
range animals in many developed countries either. Confinement in pens
arouses some negative emotional responses in some folk, and I don't really
want to stir the pot on this issue at length, but the facts are that if we
don't meet the above four basic criteria, not only are we failing to meet
our welfare responsibilities, but we are not likely to make any profit
either! A happy steer is a productive steer..

Halal slaughter is a humane method of slaughter if done properly and is
accepted as such internationally. Tight management and thorough training
are the key to acceptable welfare practices in the business of growing meat
animals and processing them.

> Scenario 3 proposes the crocodile component. It has numerous hurdles to
> jump over, many of them are difficult. First the permit to bring in
> crocodiles into Bali, then maybe another permit to make it into a tourist
> attraction, and probably another permit to certify crocodile meat as safe
> for human consumption. The trend of souvenirs and products from animal skin
> is also changing. If the crocodile sub-system is created, most of the
> crocodile meat probably end up as crocodile feed !. But there will be
> always be some adventurous tourists and if Bali can give them this
> opportunity, that will be a good story to tell when they return home.
>
> I will let Simon comment on where the crocodile farm sub-project stands in
> his priority list for the site.

The crocodiles are a secondary part of the enterprise. I am still getting
opinions from my Muslim colleagues on the halal status of crocodile; I am
suspicious that it may be considered "fish without scales" and therefore
haram (forbidden). Perhaps one of our Muslim members can illuminate me. If
so, we would have to build a seperate haram abattoir to handle processing
of the crocodiles, and perhaps pigs, but that is down the track somewhat.

Crocodile meat in the Northern Territory of Australia sells at around
AUD$15-20/ kg and I expect we could command similar prices for the product
in Indonesia. Skins have declined in price somewhat over time, no longer is
it a bonanza price per hide, but it is still worth harvesting.

The largest problem is staff safety; harvesting of duckweed from ponds
could become a risk as crocodiles are very astute at following trends in
prey behaviour and launching ambushes. This must still be addressed
further. On the other hand, the presence of crocodiles can enhance our
security somewhat; the neighbours are unlikely to climb fences and poach
materials from the site if they hear giant carnivorous reptiles patrol the site at night!

Regards,
--
Dr.Simon E.F. Appleby B.V.Sc., M.V.St.
Managing Director
Pacific Rim Livestock Services Pty Ltd
ACN 081 076 566