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Why is New Zealand banning live animal exports?

Cows are seen near the fence of a pastoral farm near Auckland August 6, 2013. Fonterra, the world's leading exporter of dairy products, apologised on Monday for a milk powder contamination scare in China that risks tainting New Zealand's reputation for food safety. Dairy produce accounts for about a quarter of New Zealand's NZ$46 billion ($36 billion) annual export earnings.
A ban on live animal exports goes into effect in New Zealand this month, ending a once-lucrative trade in livestock [File: Nigel Marple/Reuters]
Published On 26 Apr 2023

Thousands of New Zealand animals died when two ships transporting them sank. All exports of live animals were banned, and now the ban is becoming a symbol of the urban-rural divide. In one sinking in 2020, 41 crew members and 6,000 cattle on board the ship Gulf Livestock 1 were killed. Animal protection activists are celebrating the ban, but farmers and rural communities are concerned about its economic impact. The opposition National Party argues it could reduce GDP by up to $472 million, and it’s becoming an issue ahead of this year’s elections.

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In this episode: 

  • Adrian Brown, Al Jazeera correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan with Miranda Lin and host Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Adam Abou-Gad and Munera Al Dosari are our engagement producers. 

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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Source: Al Jazeera