New regulations, but same old suffering for the animals

A complete farce. That’s what animal advocates are calling the new proposed animal welfare regulations, which the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) has devised.

The suggested changes are over 100 pages long, but SAFE says that very little will change for the animals.

The rules cover almost every animal in New Zealand, including: 

• Animals in factory farms
• Animals in rodeo
• Animals in live export
• Bobby calves, dairy cows, sheep, and more.

 “It is clear that the proposed regulations fall well short of introducing meaningful improvements to animal welfare standards,” says SAFE campaigns officer Shanti Ahluwalia.

“Bobby calves for instance can still be transported at a mere four days old. This falls well short of the 10-14 days standard in Europe. Sows can still be kept in farrowing crates, despite the fact that these crates breach animal welfare legislation.”

With a public consultation period open for just five weeks, SAFE says that the Government is deliberately not giving the public enough time to consult on these issues.  “It is clear that MPI does not want proper consultation and simply wants to rush through their meaningless changes.”

“We should not have to choose between fixing rules for bobby calves or for animals in factory farms. It is absurd to believe that we can give proper consideration to over 100 pages of regulations in the five-week timeframe they have given us,” said Mr Ahluwalia.

SAFE says that MPI is ignoring its legal obligations.  In creating laws around animals, MPI should promote animal welfare and follow certain consultation rules, but they have not met these requirements. “This farcical process once again proves that MPI cannot be trusted to look after the welfare of animals. New Zealand needs an independent authority for animals and that need is greater than ever,” says Mr Ahluwalia.