Help us stop the export of live animals from Port Taranaki.
We, the undersigned, request that Taranaki Regional Council, as sole shareholder in Port Taranaki, directs the Port to cease the export of live farmed animals.
Why is this important?
Live export of farmed animals puts animals at risk, both on the sea voyage and when they arrive in their destination country.
Onboard ship, animals can be thrown around in rough seas and some struggle to survive on the unnatural diet, so different from the paddocks they were raised in. At their destination, these animals can face an additional long journey by road and then an uncertain future.
Port Taranaki started exporting cows at the start of 2020. In January, 4,800 cows spent 17 days at sea to their destination in China. This was followed by 3,300 cows being exported in March, again to China, and a third shipment of 4,450 animals in April. These cows are being sent to expand and strengthen the dairy industry overseas.
Taranaki Regional councillors have chosen to allow these thousands of cows to be exported from Port Taranaki to places with lower animal welfare, transport and slaughter standards than New Zealand. Caring Kiwis don’t want this cruel trade to continue. [1]
The export of live farmed animals for slaughter has already been banned, due to the suffering this trade inflicts on animals, but a loophole permits animals to be shipped for breeding purposes, which ultimately end in slaughter.
The cows exported will likely be confined life-long in concrete factory farms and, once no longer “profitable” they will be slaughtered by means so cruel they are illegal in New Zealand. Most countries that New Zealand exports to do not require stunning prior to slaughter. This means that their throats are slit while they are still conscious.
Taranaki councillors are putting profits before animal welfare.
The live export trade is currently being reviewed by the Government and Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor has expressed his preference for a conditional ban on livestock exports. [2] Despite this, live export ships continue to take tens of thousands of New Zealand cows to an uncertain future.
The elected officials of Taranaki Council have the power to stop all future live exports from Port Taranaki. For the sake of animal welfare, live export needs to be stopped for good.
PLEASE SIGN to end the cruel export of live farmed animals from Port Taranaki.
References:
[1] https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/120114883/protesters-make-stand-against-live-export-near-port-taranakis-gates
[2] https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-country/news/article.cfm?c_id=16&objectid=12275052
