Live sheep trade revival unlikely, says SPCA, after talks with minister

The Royal New Zealand SPCA does not expect a resumption of live sheep shipments to the Middle East, following talks, yesterday, between the Society and Agriculture Minster, David Carter.

At the same time, the SPCA has warned that a resumption of the trade could prove ruinous for a wide range of New Zealand’s agricultural exports across the world.

“The Minister has assured us that, to obtain approval, any shipments of live sheep would be subject to an extremely tight, user-pays regulatory regime, with animal welfare checks at all stages of transportation, both on and off the water and at point of slaughter.

“In our view, these requirements will make the cost of exporting live sheep wholly uneconomic, effectively preventing any shipments from actually taking place,” says the SPCA’s National Chief Executive, Robyn Kippenberger.

“The Society will nevertheless remain vigilant in opposing proposals for live export–for-slaughter shipments to the Middle East or anywhere else. If, despite the disincentives of the proposed regulatory regime, even one shipment takes place, it will not just be the sheep that will suffer. The ensuing bad publicity could have a devastating impact, on our export trade, globally,” she says.

As evidence of how the cruelties of the live sheep trade can impact on public opinion, both in New Zealand and internationally, Robyn Kippenberger cites the controversy surrounding the voyage of the Cormo Express, in 1990, when 10,000 sheep died from suffocation and overheating on their way from New Zealand to Saudi Arabia. The wave of protest triggered by this incident played a role in persuading the then New Zealand government to place a moratorium on the trade.

An equally notorious voyage by the same ship in 2003, resulted in 5,800 Australian sheep dying from either heat, exhaustion or sickness, as the vessel meandered from port to port, looking for a country that would accept its diseased cargo for slaughter.

There is also considerable evidence of abuse of live sheep cargoes when the animals reach their destinations. ‘Animals Australia’, an Australia-based animal rights organisation, followed sheep shipments from Australia in 2007, filming video evidence of appalling cruelty to the animals in transit and at point of slaughter. This cruelty occurred despite stringent animal welfare provisions put in place by the Australian Government.

“Today, the internet is a window to the world and anything that New Zealand does can become instant international news. We have an excellent record in this area of animal welfare, linked, in many people’s minds, to our reputation as a maverick in matters such as our anti-nuclear stance. Because of our moratorium against this export trade, we are held up as a shining example of good practice by organisatons such as Compassion in World Farming and the World Society for the Protection of Animals.

“However, if permission were granted for a single live sheep shipment to leave our shores, our hard-won reputation as an ethical and responsible food producer would be jeopardised and we could expect consumer protests, boycotts and long-term damage to our national brand in some of our most valuable overseas markets.

“It would be particularly foolhardy to take this risk, during a deep, global recession, when we are looking to export earnings to sustain us and help speed our recovery. This reality is well understood both by government and by the majority of New Zealand’s farmers ,” says Ms Kippenberger.

For further information, please contact:
Robyn Kippenberger
National Chief Executive
Royal New Zealand SPCA
027 419 SPCA (027 419 7722)
09 827 6094

Released by Ian Morrison
Matter of Fact Communications
Telephone: 09 575 3223
Facsimile: 09 575 3220
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