New Zealand stopped live exports in 2004 after 5000 sheep died on an Australian ship bound for Saudi Arabia, prompting international disgust. However, for the past four years Saudi officials have been negotiating with New Zealand Ministry officials to try to lift the ban, and the government has plans for an agreement which would once again see sheep sent on a three week ocean journey to the Middle East simply to be slaughtered for their Hajj festival (a religious ceremony which involves families buying sheep from the market to take home and sacrifice).
I wrote to some of the MPs regarding this issue and received responses from Bill English and Nick Smith. This was the format of my letters:
I would like to write to you regarding the potential resumption of live sheep exports to the Middle East. I honestly believe that although having a good trading relationship with other countries is important, this is an area that we must withhold from. I understand that you are an extremely busy person but I really hope that your secretary or volunteer assistant can watch the following two minute video and convince you to either do the same or discuss it with you. It is a video made by an Australian animal rights group that shows footage of the conditions sheep have to go through when transported overseas:
I strongly urge you to seriously consider this issue and stand up for the rights of the animals in your next meeting with your caucus regarding this. I also attach some delicious vegetarian recipes for you to try out with your family if you wish.
I finally received a reply from the Prime Minister’s office today, and here is what he wrote:
On behalf of the Prime Minister, Hon John Key, thank you for recent letter concerning the export of live sheep for slaughter.
Mr Key can assure you that the export of live sheep for slaughter will not resume unless strict animal welfare standards are met and New Zealand’s reputation as a responsible exporter of agricultural products is maintained.
Since 2004, New Zealand has been negotiating towards a bilateral Arrangement with Saudi Arabia to re-open the way for the export of live sheep for slaughter. New Zealand stopped livestock exports to Saudi Arabia following the 2003 Cormo Express incident where there was a delay in offloading of live sheep from Australia to Saudi Arabia, resulting in a high death toll.
The aim of the Arrangement is to establish clear veterinary, transportation, quarantine and arrival processing guidelines, in order to ensure the welfare of animals. If the Arrangement is finalised, it would provide for an inspection by MAF Officials of the port, methods of transportation, holding and quarantine facilities, and commercial slaughterhouses in Saudi Arabia that would be utilised if a shipment from New Zealand was approved.
The Arrangement includes specific provision to guarantee the offloading of sheep – to prevent the risk of a repeat of the Cormo Express incident – and restricting trade to commercial slaughter houses. In addition, we propose requirements on both New Zealand and Saudi Arabia to abide by guidelines for the slaughter and transport of animals and killing of animals for disease control purposes agreed by the World Animal Health Organisation, of which we are both members.
These negotiations are continuing, and there is no set timetable for completion.
In 2007, Cabinet directed MAF to review the policy on the export of livestock for slaughter. Following this, the Customs Export Prohibition (Livestock for Slaughter) Order 2007 (CEPO) was put in place to prohibit the export of livestock for slaughter from New Zealand. The CEPO applies to all exports of cattle, sheep, deer and goats for slaughter regardless of the country of destination and the size of the shipment. The prohibition is not absolute and individual consignments may be approved by the Director-General of MAF on a case-by-case basis.
The Government is confident that trade in live sheep for slaughter to Saudi Arabia will resume only when there is a country-to-country agreement in place to support the trade relationship and in circumstances where individual consignments satisfy animal welfare standards.
Please do make the effort to send them e-mails of your own as major public pressure can often affect political decisions.
