Live export

On 30th April 2023, Aotearoa New Zealand became the first country in the world to ban live export by sea.

Image credit: Taranaki Animal Save

This significant milestone came after years of public pressure to protect hundreds of thousands of cows and other animals from horrific suffering at sea and abroad. But the fight is not over yet. This important ban is under threat as the coalition government plans to restart this barbaric trade.

Right now, the live export ban safeguards cows and other animals from suffering in unbearable conditions on long, arduous journeys by sea. If the ban is reversed, our animals may once again be exposed to the cruelty of long sea journeys and poor regulations in destination countries, as well as potential injury, illness, and sometimes even death on these harrowing voyages. And it would be the first time that Aotearoa New Zealand's law was changed to reduce rather than improve animal welfare.  

Image credit: Taranaki Animal Save

Animals are often highly distressed on a live export ship. They are usually crammed so tightly together there’s little room for them to move or lie down.

Every moment is fraught with pain and suffering as these vulnerable animals are forced to stand in their own excrement for days or sometimes weeks and can have limited access to food or water.

The animals could be tossed around by large waves in rough seas and endure motion sickness on these voyages from hell. As the ship is hosed down to remove excrement from the decks, the animals may become covered in each other’s faeces from the decks above.

Whistle-blowing live export veterinarian Dr Lynn Simpson, who has served on 57 live export voyages, states that “animals are not designed to live or thrive in a hot metal box that moves constantly on the ocean and is at greater risk than any respectable farm of causing animals harm.”

Dr Simpson also describes these ships as noisy, hot, humid, multi-story carparks that animals would escape from voluntarily if they could. She even recalled that there was not a single voyage she had done where there was not an element of heat stress, regardless of the season. And there is no veterinary medicine that could help the animals from dying because of it.

Some animals even lose their precious lives in transit because of the horrific conditions onboard. However, those who do make it to the destination countries can sometimes face even worse cruelty in countries whose animal welfare standards are well below New Zealand’s. No animal deserves to endure such suffering for financial gain.

Image credit: Taranaki Animal Save

New Zealand’s decision to ban cruel live animal exports by sea set an international example, helping to move countries like Australia and the UK to review their involvement in this barbaric trade and phase it out.

This shift is also a clear indicator of the global consensus against this inhumane trade.

Tragic incidents such as the capsizing of Gulf Livestock 1 in 2020 have shown us that it is not only the lives of animals that are at serious risk on these voyages, but also the crew who board these often dilapidated, decades-old ships of cruelty. 41 crew lost their lives when the Gulf Livestock capsized and sank, along with around 6,000 cows.

The regressive move to repeal the ban on live exports would not only have a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of animals but also threaten New Zealand’s reputation as a leader in animal welfare on the global stage.

Image: Over 57,000 signatures to #ProtectTheBan were handed into Parliament in June this year. Credit: SAFE

With your support, we joined animal groups and animal lovers from all over the country to hand in the parliamentary petition demanding the Government protects the world-leading ban on cruel live exports by sea.

The parliamentary petition was led by Dr John Hellström, former National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee chairman, and former chief veterinary officer for the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. The handover event took place outside Parliament in Wellington on 25th June 2024.

Together, we were more than 57,000 voices strong for animals, sending a powerful message to decision makers that there’s a groundswell of community support to protect the ban on live exports.

Together, we can move the Government to safeguard New Zealand animals and uphold our country’s reputation as a leader in animal welfare. Forever.