Source: Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa
“The United Kingdom’s Animal Welfare (Livestock Exports) Bill has just passed its final stage in Parliament (last night, NZ time) and will soon be enshrined into law. This will mean that the UK has banned export of farmed animals by sea.
The Australian Labor Government also announced this weekend (11/05/24) that from May 2028, they will ban live export of sheep by sea.
These moves have two competitive trading partners passing progressive animal welfare legislation – which New Zealand already has, thanks to the previous Labour government’s agricultural Minister, Damien O’Connor – while the National-led coalition government is hellbent on reversing ours.
Confused? The NZ public and the majority of farmers should be. When three countries, including us, ban export of farmed animal by sea, the oft discussed cruelty involved in the trade is validated. To reverse our ban and re-start this trade means we are deliberately profitising from cruelty. With their pledge to bring it back, the National-led coalition government is dragging New Zealand back to the dark ages of live export.
Repealing the ban for New Zealand ignores public sentiment, emerging and unavoidable risks and threats to this trade, and condemns more than 100,000 animals a year to the suffering caused by long sea journeys and life in poorly regulated destinations, whilst sinking New Zealand’s international trading reputation with it.
Live export for breeding is still live export for eventual inhumane slaughter. The National-led coalition of animal cruelty must be stopped and the world-leading ban on live export by New Zealand protected.
Conflict of interest statement:
Dr Beattie is Director of Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa, a veterinarian-led group of animal welfare advocates which aims to create better lives for animals by creating influence through advocacy, submissions, education, consultation, and collaboration.
She was previously Chief Veterinary Officer at the NZ Veterinary Association, and previously commented on livestock exports in that role. The NZ Veterinary Association supported the ban during previous government consultation. https://nzva.org.nz/home/news/live-export-ban/
