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Nearly 200,000 chickens died at D B Chicks near Auckland’s Helensville on November 29, 2019. (File photo) An investigation into a mass chicken death incident remaining incomplete a year on is “inexcusable”, an animal welfare organisation says. About 190,000 chickens died at D B Chicks near Helensville, northwest of Auckland,...

The New Zealand vegan community has thrown its enthusiastic support behind The AM Show host Duncan Garner following his announcing he’s going plant-based for a year. In July, Garner promised he would turn vegan for a year if Labour polled high enough to govern alone. Read more

The extra requirements from an independent review follows the sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1 in September. Photo / Tony des Landes Just under two months since a livestock export ship left Napier Port and sank near Japan, another live export vessel is due to leave the port next week...

Livestock carriers are “at least twice as likely” to be lost at sea compared to standard cargo ships, according to an analysis by the UK’s Guardian newspaper. The paper looked at more than 10 years of data comparing the percentage of livestock carriers that had sunk with that of standard...

It’s business as usual for the primary sector with ministerial portfolios remaining relatively unchanged but from a few tweaks. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas Damien O’Connor has kept his job as Minister of Agriculture, one he held last term, and picks up Trade and Export Growth from David Parker and...

A New Zealand animal welfare group says the Government’s racing minister role in Cabinet contradicts the new animal welfare position. Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced her new Cabinet – appointing Grant Robertson, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, to racing. Read more A reminder of our...

Live cattle exports were carried out from Port Taranaki on board the Gelbray Express earlier in 2020. Nearly 12,000 people have signed a petition calling for an end to live cattle exports from Port Taranaki. Animal rights organisation SAFE, and Taranaki Animal Rights Group (TARG) presented an online petition with...

Protesters are gathering in Timaru on Wednesday as the world’s largest livestock vessel prepares to take thousands of cattle to China. The shipment follows the capsizing of the Gulf Livestock 1 in September, which sank off the coast of Japan with 43 crew onboard – including two New Zealanders –...

Another protest against live cattle exports is taking place on Saturday, with the arrival of the livestock carrier Yangtze Fortune in Napier. Animal rights group SAFE said the demonstration was intended to send a message that “Kiwis across the country are fed up with a lack of action from the...

The Yangtze Fortune (right), which is expected to carry 5000 cattle overseas has docked at the Napier Port. A livestock ship which is expected to carry 5000 cattle to China docked at Napier Port on Monday. The Yangtze Fortune arrived after 9am, and is due to depart Napier at 10.30pm...

Government officials say there was nothing unusual about the loading of a live export ship in Timaru at the weekend, despite claims thousands of animals were sent aboard in the dark to avoid scrutiny. The claims come after two animals reportedly jumped from a truck en route to the livestock...

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Farrowing crates restrict the movement of sows and reduce their ability to carry out nest building and other normal behaviours. Animal welfare standards brought in by Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor in 2018 were illegal and invalid because they circumvented earlier law changes designed to phase out the controversial practice of...

Both pigs and humans alike should rejoice over the High Court’s ruling on farrowing crates, writes University of Otago law lecturer Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere. If you know anything about pigs, it’ll likely be that despite their slovenly and biblically-dubious reputation, actually, they’re quite clever creatures. Read more