The Al Kuwait, one of the world’s largest live export ships, is expected in Timaru this weekend, only five weeks since it last exported over 10 thousand cows from the South Canterbury port.
Timaru locals are planning to protest the ship’s arrival this Sunday at midday.
SAFE CEO Debra Ashton said live exports only appear to be increasing at a time when the industry should be winding down.
“It’s been a little over a month and now there’s a second mass shipment of cows from Timaru,”
“When Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor announced the ban on live export, he gave the industry a two year ‘transition period’ to wind down the trade. It actually appears they are ramping up animal exports.”
Based on figures obtained under the Official Information Act approximately 120,000 cows were exported from New Zealand in 2021, compared with 109,921 in 2020 and 39,269 in 2019. The Agriculture Minister announced in April 2021 that live export by sea would end on 30 April 2023 following a two year transition period.
SAFE has been given only brief details about the transition period and has had no assurances new contracts won’t be approved during this time, or how the Government plans to mitigate the known risks and suffering to animals during the phase-out period.
“We hold serious concerns that the industry is continuing as if nothing has changed, and animals will continue to suffer at a large scale as a result. We urge the Government to decline all new applications and end live exports by sea at the earliest opportunity.”
Unfortunately, this is an example of how fake our attempts to improve the lot of animals and the general environment are for the most part. We take symbolic action to placate our conscience, and then continue on as per usual, if not at an even more destructive speed. As the number of animals being export alive overseas increases, the pressure will come on the government to backtrack on its promise to end the practice.