NZ Government Drops Plans to Revive Live Export Trade

The New Zealand government will not move forward with plans to reinstate live animal exports by sea, ensuring the ban on the trade remains in place at least for this parliamentary term.

Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard confirmed yesterday that Cabinet had been unable to reach agreement on reviving the industry.

SAFE CEO Debra Ashton says the announcement is a huge relief. "Live export forces animals into grueling journeys across oceans where they can spend weeks confined on crowded ships, exposed to extreme heat, distress, and injury. No animal should have to endure that."

Ashton says the outcome reflects the strength of public opposition to the trade.

"More than 57,000 people signed a petition in 2024 calling on the Government to protect the ban. New Zealanders made it clear they did not want to see animals shipped overseas on long and dangerous journeys."

The Government had previously signaled it intended to revive the trade under what it described as a "gold standard" for animal welfare.
Ashton says that promise was never credible.

"There is no such thing as a ‘gold standard’ for shipping live animals across oceans. The risks are inherent to the trade itself. No amount of regulation can remove the suffering animals endure during weeks at sea, or guarantee their welfare once they arrive overseas."

Many New Zealanders remember the Gulf Livestock 1 sinking in 2020. When the ship went down after leaving New Zeland, 41 crew and all cattle on board (almost 6,000 pregnant cows) perished.

A global network of 36 animal welfare and protection organizations around the world has issued an urgent call to the IMO to introduce binding international regulations for livestock carriers.