Pop star Pink has apologized to
Australians for backing a world animal rights campaign against
Australia’s wool industry, saying she had her facts wrong.
During a December concert in Paris, Pink called on consumers
to boycott products made with Australian wool in protest at the
“sadistic” practice of mulesing, where farmers cut loose skin from the
backsides of sheep to discourage flies.
Australia is one of the world’s top wool producers.
But ahead of Australian concerts starting in April, Pink, whose real name is Alecia Moore, said she had been misinformed.
“I probably could have done a lot more research on my own,
That’s the lesson I’m taking from this,” the American singer told Australian television.
“My message was, in my mind, boycott animal cruelty, not an entire industry, not Australia, because it’s my favorite country.”
Pink had vowed to campaign against mulesing while in
Australia in support of activist group People for Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has waged a public relations war with the Australian wool industry for years.
Australian actress Toni Collette in 2005 signed onto a PETA anti-mulesing campaign before later apologizing.
Mulesing is unique to Australia where hot and humid weather
makes sheep particularly vulnerable to severe fly strike. The practice
is to be phased out by 2010.
