Surge in live cattle exports
New Zealand’s live cattle exports have surged by more than 10,000 this year.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) approved the export of about 3300 breeding cows from Napier to China last week. It is the seventh shipment of cattle so far this year and brings the number exported to almost 24,800, up from 14,459 in 2018. All of the shipments were to China. There have been 16 cattle deaths on sea voyages to date this year, data from MPI shows.
The increase comes amid continuing calls to halt live exports while a review of the controversial trade is completed.
A live shipment went from Napier last month, on a boat on which 33 cattle died last year on a voyage from Australia to China.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority recommended the Yangtze Fortune be allowed to sail for no more than 10 days with stock on board. The trip from Napier to China took 18 days with three deaths.
Animal rights group Safe said exporters were scrambling to send their animals overseas before the review was over and rules were potentially tightened.
‘‘New Zealand is facing a gold rush ... while the live export trade is under review, given that Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has expressed his preference for a conditional ban on cattle exports,’’ campaigns manager Marianne Macdonald said. ‘‘Many of these animals will spend their lives in concrete factory farms. All of these animals will eventually be slaughtered, possibly by means too cruel to be legal in New Zealand.’’
MPI’s acting director of animal health and welfare, Dr Kate Littin, said the ministry’s vets approved last week’s shipment after loading was completed aboard the livestock carrier Ganado Express. ‘‘Our vets conducted a thorough inspection of the vessel to ensure our stringent animal welfare conditions on board are met,’’ she said.
‘‘No export of live animals can proceed until we have conducted a post-loading review to ensure we are completely satisfied with the conditions on board.’’
Ganado Express took more than 3100 cattle to China earlier this year, with four cattle deaths.
A review of live exports was announced in April after reports of hundreds of cattle dying in Sri Lanka after being exported from Australia and New Zealand.
The review includes several options ranging from tightening existing standards to a total or conditional ban on some or all parts of the trade. In a recently released Cabinet paper, O’Connor said a conditional ban was his preferred choice.
‘‘A conditional prohibition by regulation effectively shifts the policy approach from generally approving livestock exports to prohibiting these exports unless the prior approval of the directorgeneral is granted,’’ he said.
Before approving an export, MPI’s director-general would have to be satisfied risks to both the livestock and New Zealand’s reputation could be mitigated.
O’Connor said that while risks to exported livestock could be managed during their voyage, little could be done to ensure their welfare once they reached their destination.
‘‘Negative perceptions and public concerns about the export of livestock are increasing and I consider there is a need for change,’’ he said. ‘‘If we continue this trade, we cannot control all the risks to the welfare of the animals being exported.’’
Under current rules, animals can’t be exported for slaughter but can be used for breeding to develop the dairy and livestock industries of their destination countries. Littin said MPI also now required exporters to report on the condition of the animals 30 days after their arrival at their destination.