This week, the mulesing merry-go-round turned again as some Australian Wool Innovation board members again voiced their disapproval of the industry agreement to end surgical mulesing by the end of 2010.

"As far as I am concerned there is no deadline, people will still be mulesing beyond 2010 unless we can find real and practical alternatives. I was elected on that platform and I stick to it," AWI board member, Chick Olsson, says.

Joining him is high profile NSW stud Merino breeder, Wally Merriman, who says the 2010 deadline was flawed in the first place.

"AWI is not an agro-political group. We are essentially a research and development company and you can't put a deadline on a research project such as finding an alternative."

The comments may stir up animal activist group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has claimed another victory in its revamped anti-Australian wool campaign, announcing sportswear manufacturer, Adidas, would no longer use mulesed wool in its garments.

Just last month AWI sent an open letter to international retailers and wool industry stakeholders confirming "there will be alternatives to mulesing ready for adoption prior to 2010 and they provide very significant animal welfare benefits. Progress is being made on other alternatives such as breeding and selection."

All AWI directors have pledged that AWI will continue to vigorously research alternatives to surgical mulesing in support of the industry’s commitment to the surgical phasing out of mulesing by December 31, 2010, and fully endorse the use of pain relief in the interim.

WoolProducers president, Don Hamblin, says he is frustrated by the ongoing debate.

"This issue for woolgrowers will not go away until we see an alternative that works. Sure, we have pain relief and the people that use it say it is great. We know the clips are not for everybody but the main problem with them so far has been operator error. It is a pity that some growers have given up on the clips."

Mr Hamblin says one of the biggest problems at the moment is the reluctance of retailers committed to wool to actually state it publicly.

"They just don’t want to enter the debate and stir things up."

In the meantime, the role of the Sheep and Wool Industry Taskforce is being reviewed.

It was set up to battle animal activists and protect retailers after the mulesing issue broke out in late 2004.

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