Livestock exports by sea banned

A bill ending export of livestock by sea was passed by the Government on Wednesday.

Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said the ban would protect New Zealand’s reputation for worldleading animal welfare standards, as consumers became increasingly aware of how livestock were treated.

The ban formed part of a new way of thinking as animal welfare matters had recently formed part of Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the United Kingdom and the European Union, O’Connor said.

National’s animal welfare spokesperson Nicola Grigg said the ban was a missed opportunity to regulate safe and humane treatment of animals on ships.

She said a gold standard was developed in 2020 that could improve the export system. The standard ensured freedom from stress and good nutrition for livestock. National would review the ban if they were elected, she said.

ACT Primary Industries spokesperson Mark Cameron said the bill destroyed a $261.5 million industry and would be tough to undo for future governments. Exports of livestock by sea would stop on April 30. The ban followed a Government review of livestock exports that started in 2019. A 24-month transition period to give companies time to adjust began in 2021, O’Connor said.

The export of live animals by air, for which the travel times were much shorter, were not affected by the law, he said. ‘‘New Zealand’s remoteness means animals are at sea for extended periods, heightening their susceptibility to heat stress and other welfare-associated risks,’’ O’Connor said.

The sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1, carrying more than 6000 cattle and 43 crew, highlighted the risks of exporting live animals by ship, he said.

Live exports by sea represented about 0.6% of primary sector exports last year, he said. The two-year transition period had allowed animal export companies to adjust their business models to make up for lost income, O’Connor said.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (Nawac) said in a 2020 review of livestock exports that the only way to protect animal welfare was an outright ban of exports by sea.

It was difficult to get information on the animals’ welfare during the journey, or in the importing country after export, because New Zealand had no jurisdiction in those countries, the Nawac report said. A 2019 Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) review of livestock exports said the practice could continue with better regulation, or it could be banned outright, with a transitional period.