Concerns raised over live cattle export

PORT STOCK: A planned live shipment of dairy cattle from Napier Port to China by sea next week has animal welfare advocates concerned about the safety of the stock. photo file

A planned live shipment of dairy cattle from Napier Port to China by sea next week has animal welfare advocates concerned about the safety of the stock, but the Ministry for Primary Industries says high standards are applied to animal health on such voyages.

MPI confirmed yesterday that it had received an application from Landmark Operations NZ Limited for an Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC) for 5,300 breeding cattle (Holstein Friesian) to be exported to China by sea.

It is understood that Saudi businessman Sheik Hamood Al-Ali Al-Khalaf's boat, the Awassi Expresss, will be used for the shipment, which has set alarm bells ringing for the likes of the animal rights organisation SAFE.

In 2003, Mr Al-Khalaf owned a boat upon which thousands of sheep died on their way to the Middle East, resulting in the banning of live sheep exports.

In 2014, 900 pregnant sheep were flown to Mr Al-Khalaf's private farm in Saudi Arabia, where some of those ewes and most of their new-born lambs later died.

This resulted in an inquiry into the Government's investment of $11.5 million of taxpayer money into the project, which cleared Foreign Affairs minister Murray McCully of corruption over the Saudi deal.

According to the Port of Napier shipping schedule the Awassi Express was due at the port some time between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday night next week.

Yesterday, a Ministry for Primary Industry spokesperson said the AWEC had not yet been issued, but that exporters were expected to meet high standards to receive one.

"A MPI Verification Services veterinarian will only issue the AWEC at the time of export, provided all requirements for the welfare of the animals have been met, he said.

"During the voyage, the exporter must meet requirements around water, food, space, facilities and having suitably experienced stockmen and/or veterinarians.

"They must also have medicines and equipment for treating any animals that become unwell during the journey. If unusual levels of mortality or sickness occur during the voyage, the ship's master is to report this immediately to MPI."

SAFE executive director Hans Kriek said that although the animals were valuable and would be looked after, there was no doubt that such a journey was stressful.

"They are pregnant and being put on a ship for a two-week journey - it's highly stressful even if they are well fed and watered - and what happens if there are high seas?"

Aside from the journey, he questioned what environment the animals were going into.

"These are pasture-raised animals who are going into an indoor mega-dairying environment that is alien to them. Most New Zealanders would like to see dairy cows outside where they belong, not thousands of them on concrete pads."

The other, even more important issue, he said, was that New Zealand had a ban on exporting livestock for slaughter, so there was no way to know that the cows would be killed humanely.

"Even though the government says things like they are being sent away for breeding purposes, we know they are eventually going to be slaughtered.

"We have regulations in New Zealand, but in places likes China and the Philippines they have no requirements for the animals to be stunned before they are killed.

"We know they are going to be slaughtered in a manner that's illegal and deemed cruel in New Zealand."

This issue was one that would receive interntional attention this year, Mr Kriek said, with the World Animal Protection organisation also expressing concern.