The government deserves the kudos and international recognition it has gained for its facts-driven stance on handling COVID-19. Federated Farmers has asked it to take the same approach on the future of livestock exports.
Submissions on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, which would legislate an end to livestock exports from New Zealand, closed earlier this month. Feds once again put the case that the trade should be allowed to continue, with a focus on continuous improvement and science-based practical rules that provide clarity and transparency, and are enforceable.
“While many farmers have differing opinions on live export, it’s important to keep the option open. To do this, the standards need to be lifted, even higher than they were before,” Federated Farmers Dairy Chair and animal welfare spokesperson Wayne Langford said.
New Zealand’s pandemic response has been based on utilizing and promoting credible sources of information and taking a facts-based approach when making decisions “rather than succumbing to pressure from groups using emotive tactics to get their own way,” our submission said.
“We encourage the decision makers to take that same fact-based approach when considering the future of livestock exports.”
Wayne believed the government should be taking the opportunity to show that New Zealand is a leader in animal welfare and that livestock export is compatible with that.
“Yes, it will mean there needs to be some changes, including at the receiving destination, but farmers and exporters are up to making this work.
“How do we as a nation influence change, if at the sniff of a challenge we give up?” he asked.
“The sinking of Gulf Livestock 1 and the loss of human and animal lives was a tragedy and we most certainly don’t want a repeat. But if we walk away, we are indicating we did something wrong and it can’t be fixed. Continuous improvement is the key to getting good outcomes.”
A total ban on livestock export will not address or contribute to any improvement in the welfare of exported animals globally. It is likely that this trade would simply be replaced by exports from other countries, where we would have no future control or interest, the Federated Farmers submission on the Bill said.
New Zealand is seen as a leading example of animal husbandry and good animal welfare outcomes, and the livestock export trade is an opportunity for us to push for those higher standards overseas among the farmers and companies that buy our animals.
“Federated Farmers would like to see a situation where the welfare of animals sent to international destinations is aligned with the regulations and expectations of animals within our own borders,” our submission said.
“While this is difficult to achieve via country-to-country agreements it can, and is being, achieved through contractual obligations between the commercial entities involved in both supplying and transporting the livestock and those purchasing and caring for the livestock after it arrives at its destination.
“Feds would welcome the development of an export destination approval process as this does not necessarily overburden the producer but would provide certainty that the animals exported were to receive an agreed standard of welfare at the receiving destination.”
How this could happen, and the standards that should apply in preparation of livestock for export, their journey by sea and their ongoing welfare in the destination country is set out in a detailed ‘Gold Standard’ set of conditions prepared by Live Export New Zealand, which Feds endorses.
Continuous improvement in the trade has already been happening over a number of years, with the process of gaining approval for export livestock under the Animal Welfare Act already robust.
This is evidenced by the steady decrease in mortality rates for live animal shipments, which has occurred since 2008 – now down to an average of 0.14%. For cattle mortality rates for livestock export now sit at 0.035%. Following the new ‘Gold Standard’ criteria offers the potential to further decrease mortality rates.
Feds supports the ban on livestock export for slaughter, which has been in place since 2008.
Our submission pointed out that livestock export contributes an important revenue stream to thousands of New Zealand farmers and its removal could have economic disadvantages, not only to the farming sector, but the wider rural economy domestic (e.g. livestock transporters, veterinarians, fodder suppliers, quarantine facilities and regional accommodation providers) and even New Zealand’s trade position. In 2020 this trade was worth $261.5 million in export dollars despite this being the first year with COVID-19 disruptions.
