RNZ
The Japanese Coast Guard has called off its full-time search for Gulf Livestock 1, the live export ship that went missing in a typhoon in the East China Sea.
EDITORIAL: A review into the controversial practice of live animal exports was already underway when the Gulf Livestock 1 sank in the East China Sea seven months ago. When the ship sailed from Napier three weeks earlier, there were 43 people on board and a cargo of 5867 cattle, destined for China, which has been the destination of all our live cattle exports since 2017.
Andy Jackson/Stuff
The livestock carrier Yangtze Fortune in Port Taranaki in 2020.
Business Scoop » Feds: Live Export Ban surprising scoop.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scoop.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
April 14, 2021 6:57 pm
The New Zealand government has announced that the export of livestock by sea will cease following a transition period of up to two years.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor said that “at the heart” of the decision is upholding New Zealand’s “reputation for high standards of animal welfare”.
“We must stay ahead of the curve in a world where animal welfare is under increasing scrutiny,” the minister said.
“This decision will affect some farmers, exporters, and importers and a transition period will enable the sector to adapt.”
Live exports by sea represent approximately 0.2% of New Zealand’s primary sector exports revenue since 2015.
Live animal exports: NZ Government confirms ban from 2023 nzherald.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nzherald.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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In 2020, New Zealand exported 109,921 live cattle, up from 39,269 in 2019. \Philip Doyle
New Zealand’s government is expected to announce a plan which will see the end of live exports of livestock from the country, according to 1 News New Zealand.
The move comes amid greater scrutiny of conditions livestock are exposed to while at sea.
The industry was thrust into the spotlight after the Gulf Livestock 1 vessel capsized during September 2020 in the East China Sea after leaving Napier, New Zealand.
Forty-one crew members, including two New Zealanders died, alongside nearly 6,000 cattle.
New Zealand temporarily banned exports of live cattle, but allowed the industry to resume late last year, following promises of improvements to the process.