Public consultation around the reinstatement of livestock export by sea is set to go live in the coming months.
Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard has confirmed that the government is progressing its commitment to reinstate livestock exports by sea with a consultation process set to start before September.
“I acknowledge there is significant interest in this work, and I want to give stakeholders, and the public, a clear timeline for change,” Hoggard said.
He said live exports will only commence once strengthened welfare standards are developed and in effect to protect New Zealand’s reputation as a responsible exporter and international trade obligations.
“My officials are preparing a discussion document that will be released publicly before September,” he said.
Reinstating livestock exports by sea would require an amendment to the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Strengthened welfare standards will be developed before the trade returns, Hoggard said.
“I understand animal welfare is a top priority for all Kiwis. It’s vital, and in fact non-negotiable, that the new standards are in place before trade is restarted.
“Hearing a range of voices will help us to understand how we can best achieve this.”
Following consultation Hoggard said he intends to seek cabinet decisions before the end of the year and introduce legislation to the house in early 2025, followed by updated regulatory standards.
The road to reversing the ban promises to be anything but smooth, however. Last Tuesday a petition signed by more than 57,000 people calling for the government to keep the ban in place was handed over to Parliament.
It was accepted by former agriculture minister Damien O’Connor, who put the ban in place when he was in office.
Live Export New Zealand (LENZ) independent chair Glen Neal said the industry welcomes the government announcement.
“It is good news and we look forward to working with officials to get the rules right for the economic and animal welfare outcomes we all seek.
“We are working with the Ministry for Primary Industries to ensure the rules governing the export of live animals overseas reflect the high expectation New Zealanders have around animal welfare.
“The government laid out a clear signal around that [public concern] and new gold standard regulations address that concern.
“The job ahead for LENZ is to pull the sector together to make sure regulation is grounded in the realities of farming and trade and in line with world standards for the confidence of the wider community,” Neal said.
Live exports have earned NZ up to $400 million a year, with 5000 farmers across all regions of NZ having supplied breeding cattle for export in the 10 years to 2021.
