Ethical issues associated with sheep fly strike research, prevention, and control

Fly strike is a painful condition caused by live maggots eating at the flesh of sheep. Remedies for this disorder are traumatic, with sheep undergoing painful mulesing and tail docking operations to protect against flystrike. In an attempt to find control solutions and to understand the disorder, Australasian researchers increase sheep suffering by conducting experiments that artificially induce fly strike. Some of these experiments have no application in prevention and control of fly strike. Many others could be modified or replaced with less painful techniques. Anecdotal evidence through communication with organic farmers suggests that fly strike is largely preventable if farmers keep sheep healthy and inspect them regularly. Some organic farmers have largely eliminated fly strike from their farm. Investigations on fly strike control using non-intrusive techniques are also progressing in Australasia and the United Kingdom. Since it is possible to conduct useful research and to run profitable farms with little or no fly strike, much of the current management, research and policy on sheep farming is ethically questionable even to those holding the moderate view that animals can be used for human purposes providing suffering is kept to a minimum. Sheep farmers will need to take animal welfare problems into consideration. Greater communication among researchers needs to be encouraged to prevent unnecessary duplication of experiments. International trade regulations will also need to allow trade barriers based on animal welfare concerns.