News

SAFE CEO Debra Ashton and SPCA CEO Andrea Midgen have co-authored a letter to Jacinda Ardern asking her to show the world just how kind New Zealand is by banning the export of live animals. The letter was published in this morning’s edition of the New Zealand Herald and a...

Animal rights organisation SAFE will host an international virtual protest this evening against the live export trade. Over 6,000 people have registered to attend the protest, who are all calling on the New Zealand Government to permanently ban the export of live animals. Read more

The Ministry for Primary Industries has today launched an independent review into the assurances for safe transport of livestock by sea. Mike Heron QC has been appointed to lead the review, which is expected to take about a month. SAFE Campaigns Manager Marianne Macdonald says this review won’t make a...

In an interview with RNZ Checkpoint yesterday, Dr John Hellstrom ONZM described his first-hand experience seeing New Zealand cattle suffer overseas which, in his view, meant a ban on live export is necessary. His concerns highlight the need to ensure all animals are treated humanely and protected from unnecessary suffering...

The Gulf Livestock 1 issued a distress signal at 4.45am on the 2nd September (NZT) from the East China Sea, an area effected by Typhoon Maysak. The ship had left Napier on 14th August, and was carrying 5,700 cows and 43 crew members, including two New Zealanders. At 4pm a...

The Gulf Livestock 1 has a history of engine problems. During a voyage in July 2019, the livestock vessel drifted for 25 hours whilst undergoing repairs following an engine failure. Australasian Global Exports (AGE), the company exporting the 5,867 cows on the Gulf Livestock 1 before it capsized, was reprimanded...

Livestock carrier Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress signal at 4:45am NZT yesterday in the East China Sea. The area is affected by Typhoon Maysak. At 4pm a patrol plane spotted a lifeboat – with no people in it – and a man in lifejacket nearby. The ship departed Napier...

Last week on TVNZ’s Meat the Family, we watched in horror as a UK family of four cared for chickens as pets for three weeks before they were forced to make a tough decision – commit to vegetarianism to save the chickens’ lives or send them to the slaughterhouse and...

The winter grazing debate has reached boiling point, and now it’s spilling over. Farmers are railing at the Government who are introducing new winter grazing rules under the proposed freshwater regulations. I’m joined by Environmental campaigner Geoff Rei

New footage released by SAFE today shows a cow in labour in a mud-filled paddock and another who has recently given birth. Other cows and their young calves were filmed, as well as one cow with what appears to be her dead calf. The footage and photos were taken from...

Animal issues have fallen off the political radar in 2020, and there is no sign that any of the political parties are focused on making positive and significant improvements to animals’ lives. Colony cages will therefore only be banned after the election if animal activists step up to carry out...

The new TV show ‘Meat the Family’ aired its first episode in New Zealand on Tuesday 25 August. ‘Meat the Family’ has replaced the delightful series ‘The Dog House’ on TVNZ 1. Last night, along with many other animal lovers who were expecting to watch a heart-warming show about dog...

In the first episode of TV series ‘Meat the Family,’ which aired on TVNZ 1 last night, a family was given three chickens to raise as ‘pets’ over a three-week period. At the end of this time they were then faced with the decision whether to kill and eat the...

The livestock carrier Dareen is due to collect approximately 7,300 cows from Napier tomorrow, following the Yangtze Harmony which collected a consignment of cows from Port Taranaki yesterday. The ships arrive in the wake of an investigation launched by Australian Federal agencies into the inhumane slaughter of Australian cattle in...