Over 4000 cows will be shipped from Taranaki to China this month. Photo / File
Over 4000 cows will be shipped from Taranaki to China this month. Photo / File
The arrival of the third live animal export ship in Taranaki this year has upset animal activists across the country. The wording of the petition they have launched has come under fire from Basil Chamberlain, chief executive of Taranaki Regional Council (TRC), who says it is not TRC who are responsiblefor allowing the ships in to port.
An online petition was launched by animal activists demanding TRC, the sole shareholder in Port Taranaki, direct the port to stop allowing the practice. Basil Chamberlain, chief executive of TRC says Regional councils/port owners have no role in the regulation of livestock exports.
"They are, in fact, regulated by the Ministry for Primary Industries. Any livestock exports from New Zealand cannot proceed without prior approval from the Ministry's Director-General, as per the Government's Animal Welfare (Export of Livestock for Slaughter) Regulations 2016."
The Yangtze Harmony arrived in Port Taranaki last week to collect 4450 cows to take to China. The export is the third from the port this year. The petition states that Taranaki Regional Council made the decision to allow the port to export live animals in January this year. Since then over 12,000 cows have been exported, 4800 in January and 3300 in March.
Mr Chamberlain says it is incorrect to say TRC made the decision.
"Port Taranaki Ltd has its own independent board of directors and its own management structure, as required by the Port Companies Act 1988. The port's operational matters, strategic planning etc are matters for PTL and its board. They do not come before the TRC for consideration or decision-making. The matter has never come before the Council, and in any case there was no Council meeting in January this year."
The export of live farmed animals for slaughter has already been banned, but a loophole exists enabling animals to be shipped for breeding purposes. Animal activists say the animals still end up being slaughtered once they are no longer profitable as breeding animals. They say methods of slaughter overseas are often crueller than would be allowed in New Zealand.
The live export trade is currently under review by the Government, and Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor has expressed his preference for a conditional ban on the practice.
The review was announced in June last year, after reports of cows dying while being exported from New Zealand and Australia to Sri Lanka by Australian live export corporation Wellard Ltd.
The number of dairy cattle being exported from New Zealand has dropped in recent years from 100,000 to between 25,000 and 30,000 animals a year.
■ Please note: An earlier article was printed online which did not include comments from TRC. The article incorrectly stated TRC had made the decision to allow the export of live animals. This was incorrect and we apologise for this. The online article has since been updated.
