New Zealand is gradually going to ban the export of live animals by sea altogether. With animal welfare in mind, the country already suspended live animal sea transports last year following a major ship accident. That ban will now become permanent within two years.
Export of animals for slaughter has been prohibited in New Zealand for 15 years. Until now, it only exported live animals for breeding purposes. New Zealand suspended ship transports last year after a ship disaster in which more than 40 crew members and almost six thousand cows drowned. The ship was en route to China during a storm near Japan.
“New Zealand must continue to lead in a world where animal welfare is under tighter scrutiny,” said Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor. He added that the country's reputation always takes precedence over financial benefits.
The export ban was praised by the non-profit organization World Animal Protection. Other countries should now follow a similar approach. The organization is now appealing to Australia, but Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said his country has no such plans.
Calls to limit live animal transports also frequently arise in the European Parliament. In New Zealand, livestock farmers oppose the new ban. According to them, there is no information indicating violations of the export standards for live animals.
Last year, New Zealanders exported live animals worth 261 million New Zealand dollars, a threefold increase compared to the previous year.