NZ must never resume horrific live sheep trade

The Minister of Agriculture’s public statement that the cruel trade of exporting live sheep for slaughter won’t resume under his watch is good news for New Zealand’s reputation as a humane country, Green Party MP Sue Kedgley said today.

The Minister of Agriculture David Carter made his comments on TVNZ’s Sunday programme last night.

“The conditions sheep are forced to endure, both on the ships and on arrival in Saudi Arabia, are barbaric, and we in New Zealand should have no part in this cruel trade,” said Ms Kedgley.

Ms Kedgley believed the Minister had backed away from resuming the trade after the Green Party exposed the fact that the Government was negotiating a Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Arabia for the trade to resume.

Documents obtained by the Green Party under the Official Information Act confirm that negotiations for a resumption of the trade were well advanced. In the documents New Zealand officials discussed what age the sheep to be exported should be. Exporters believed there was a ‘window of opportunity’ to resume the trade between March and May this year, and were working to make this happen.

“I believe the Government, and exporters pushing the trade, were hoping it could be resumed quietly, under the radar, without animal welfare groups being alerted to it,” said Ms Kedgley. "When it was exposed, the Government backed away from it."

“Nevertheless, the Minister is to be congratulated for deciding it is not worth undermining New Zealand’s trade image or alienating public opinion by resuming the trade.

“The claimed economic benefits by those proposing the resumption of this cruel trade do not stack up. Resuming the live sheep trade could result in abattoir closures and significant job losses, as has occurred in Australia.”

Animal welfare groups around the globe high light the fact that Australia is a country that engages in the live sheep trade. The previous Minister of Agriculture Jim Anderton pointed out the risk to New Zealand’s overseas image as a reason for maintaining a moratorium on live sheep exports.

Link to the release from the previous Minister of Agriculture regarding the danger to New Zealand’s reputation from the resumption of live sheep exports:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/tighter+controls+live+animal+exports+slaughter