Australian actress Toni Collette has done a backflip on the issue of mulesing, saying she now has a clearer understanding of the practice.

Mulesing is the surgical removal of folds of skin in the breech of sheep as a measure against flystrike.

While encouraging the animal protection lobby in their endeavours, the movie star says she now understands there are currently no alternatives available to the industry.

Collette wrote to Prime Minister John Howard asking him to ban mulesing of Australian sheep, after information was presented to her by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Collette has issued a statement that she was lead to understand there were effective and humane alternatives to prevent flystrike, currently available.

But since having contact with farming organisations and individual farmers, she says she now understands the complexity of the situation.