On 14 April 2021, Minister of Agriculture Damien O’Connor announced a ban on the export of live animals by sea – with a ‘wind down’ period of up to two years. However, two years is too long! 

The issue regarding this policy is the fact that many animals die during transport and the ones that do happen to survive to suffer a great amount due to barbaric and cruel industries that profit money off from them by exporting them. The export of live animals for slaughter has had decades of repeated evidence of suffering and cruelty. As animals spend up to days to weeks traveling in terrible, unhygienic welfare and conditions. 

The government needs to explore all options to end the trade at the earliest opportunity and does not need to sign any new contracts. I want this issue to be brought up in the New Zealand Parliament within the House of Representatives, and to use social actions to attempt to change this policy.