The New Zealand Primary Production select committee is currently considering the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill, which amends the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to ban the export of livestock by sea.
As demonstrated by our 12-Step Framework, AUSTREX NZ has, for several years, called for better regulation of live animal exports to ensure the safety and wellbeing of animals across the industry.
We believe that New Zealand can lead in developing the highest animal welfare standards for live animal exports in the world.
AUSTREX NZ is a member of Livestock Export New Zealand, and we strongly support the amendment to the Bill that proposes the implementation of a Gold Standard that sets up New Zealand as a world leader in animal welfare standards for live exports.
The Gold Standard would require:
- the phasing out of the export of pregnant cattle
- the lowest stocking densities in the world
- a verification process to ensure animal welfare is maintained at the destination, covering environment, nutrition and management, veterinary care, and transport and end of life policies.
The Gold Standard would not only provide the highest animal welfare standards but avoids counterintuitive impacts on both animal safety (globally and domestically) and New Zealand’s trading reputation and interests.
By including an option for adopting word-leading standards for the live export of cattle for breeding, our proposed amendment:
- Allows New Zealand to influence and raise global live export animal welfare standards
- Develops expertise and leadership in export animal welfare standards resulting in New Zealand becoming an expert and leader for the industry globally
- Educates and raise animal welfare standards in recipient countries
- Avoids countries that require live breeding stock to receive livestock from other countries with lower standards of animal welfare, including for export by sea.
Prohibition of live animal exports for New Zealand means our country, with our world-leading primary sector practices, will be unable to lift animal welfare standards of live animal exports globally.
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