"Lots of voices together can make quite a rattle," said Napier protester Sonja Christensen. Photo / Warren Buckland
"Lots of voices together can make quite a rattle," said Napier protester Sonja Christensen. Photo / Warren Buckland
For Napier woman Sonja Christensen, the practice of exporting live livestock on ships is a "bruise on her heart".
The protester was one of about 100 who gathered outside Napier Port on Saturday afternoon to protest the arrival of the Yangtze Fortune, due in on Monday, which will transport closeto 5000 live New Zealand cattle to China.
It's thought it will be of the first livestock ships to leave New Zealand since a ban was introduced after the Gulf Livestock 1 capsized in the East China Sea on September 2, with 41 crew and 6000 New Zealand cattle on board.
Christensen said it was part of a wider problem about how people treated animals, also raising welfare concerns about horses in the racing industry.
"It's not just about stock on ship. I'm appalled by the way people have treated animals for money.
"It's just one of many examples of how people exploit animals."
A keen runner, she used to "cringe" when watching the livestock trucks enter the port knowing where the animals were destined for.
Dressed in a cow onesie, she said awareness about the issue was "growing" and protesters had been offered support from the public with lots of toots and friendly waving.
"Lots of voices together can make quite a rattle."
About 100 protesters turned out over the impending arrival of a live animal export ship, set to transport about 5000 live cattle to China, in Napier Port. Photo / Warren Buckland
Debra Ashton, chief executive of animal welfare advocacy group SAFE, said it was an "incredibly successful" day.
Having made the drive up from Wellington, she said was impressed by the amount of local support.
There were plenty of out of towners too though, with one protester even having flown in from Whangārei, she said.
Ashton said the live export of animals to countries with lesser animal welfare standards was a "reputational risk" for New Zealand.
"It doesn't measure up.
"These animals are going to countries where they'll be slaughtered in ways, we as New Zealanders, wouldn't be proud of.
"Anything we are doing in NZ a far as agriculture and exports, carries a lot of weight.
"If we are seen to be doing the wrong things in New Zealand it makes our products less attractive to overseas buyers."
SAFE chief executive Debra Ashton drove up from Wellington to show her support for local protesters against live animal exports. Photo / Warren Buckland
She said she was also concerned about the conditions animals faced onboard the ship – "crammed in" and an "unnatural environment".
"When they hit the high seas, they get thrown around a lot and get really stressed.
"Just because they end up at the other end and they are still alive, doesn't mean they haven't been through a heck of a lot of stress."
Following the Gulf Livestock 1 tragedy, the Government enacted a temporary ban on live exports, which expired on October 23 but a "conditional prohibition" remained in place until the end of November when MPI will have discretion to consider applications for Animal Welfare Export Certificate (AWEC) applications for livestock exports.
SAFE had long been against the practice, and Ashton said she hoped to see live exports banned following an independent review, launched in June 2019, into the animal welfare assurances MPI receives from exporters .
The Yangtze Fortune is travelling from Australia and will be loading livestock before it heads to China.
It's due to berth in Napier Port on Monday morning.
