Animal protection organisations deliver a petition to Parliament. Photo / Safe NZ
By Monique Steele of RNZ
More than 31,000 New Zealanders want an independent “Commissioner for Animals” to improve animal welfare for companion and farmed animals.
A petition launched by a group of animal protection organisations was taken to Parliament on Tuesday, calling on the Government to establish the parliamentary commissioner role.
Proponents said animal welfare offences such as abuse or neglect were being under-reported or even permitted under sector regulations in Aotearoa under the Government’s current system.
At present, the Ministry for Primary Industries enforces animal welfare laws, particularly with production animals, and could pursue prosecutions for offenders.
In addition, there was the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), which advised the Agriculture Minister responsible for animal welfare, Andrew Hoggard, and also the National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (NAEAC).
MPI provided funding to SPCA for some of its work, too.
But a collective of 21 animal protection organisations - including Safe, Greenpeace, HUHA, World Animal Protection and more - wanted the commissioner role to be created to address concerns about the independence of these government bodies, which it argued was hurting welfare outcomes for animals.
Theoretically, this commissioner would operate like a watchdog, similar to the Ombudsman or the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Safe chief executive Debra Ashton said the animal welfare system for both companion and production animals was broken, poorly resourced and lacked enforcement - so independent oversight was urgently needed.
“I think that staff at MPI do the best that they can. But the system that we have currently means that their priority is to increase productivity and to increase exports,” she said.
“So when financial and profitability are your priorities, animal welfare considerations are going to come secondary.
“A Commissioner for Animals would have a goal of ensuring animal welfare and making sure that we can have a better system that works for animals.”
Ashton said examples of welfare standards being overlooked in the interest of productivity included the continued use of farrowing crates for mother pigs, and cages or barns for hens.
She said welfare regulation for production animals was being shaped by farming industries that profited from using animals.
The case for an Animals Commissioner was explored in depth by the Animal Law Association in its December report.
The report said while MPI had policies to manage individual conflicts of interest, they did not address structural conflicts between its economic export growth and animal welfare goals, excluded by Public Service guidelines.
“Overall, MPI’s incompatible economic and animal welfare goals are in direct conflict with one another. It seems impossible to pursue economic growth without some negative impact on the welfare of animals,” it read.
“That is not to say MPI does not care about animal welfare, but its structure prevents it from giving both goals equal priority.”
But MPI’s director of compliance and response, Glen Burrell, said it was committed to ensuring animal welfare and had a strong system to take action when required.
“The ministry looks at approximately 3000 animal welfare cases each year, identified through proactive visits (either on farm or at places like sale yards), our 200 vets at meat works around the country, and public complaints,” he said.
Its animal welfare workforce included more than 50 inspectors, including managers who could act as inspectors, across a number of different teams.
For lower-level offending, it issued 584 infringement notices during the 2024/25 financial year, and so far, 369 were issued this financial year (25/26).
Investigations by inspectors could also lead to prosecutions for more serious offending.
The Green Party’s animal welfare spokesperson, Steve Abel, accepted the petition on Tuesday.
He said the Greens had wanted for some years now to establish a Commissioner for Animals to independently monitor and advocate for animal rights.
A survey run by Safe in September found that 85% of the 1000 New Zealand adults who responded were concerned the Animal Welfare Act requirements were not always upheld.
Ninety-eight % also believed it was important to protect animals from cruelty and neglect.
Other members of the Commissioner for Animals Alliance included Animal Evac, Chained Dog Awareness, Companion Animals NZ, Goat Welfare NZ, Greyhound Protection League NZ, Māui & Hector’s Dolphins Defenders, New Zealand Animal Law Association, NZAVS and World Animal Protection.
- RNZ