Live Animal Export by Sea

There have been no shipments of live animals for slaughter purposes since 2008. Live export for breeding continued until 30 April 2023 when New Zealand enacted a world-leading ban on the live export of cows, sheep, deer and goats by sea. Millions of animals, however, are still exported by air from New Zealand. 

In 2023, the newly elected Coalition Government signalled plans to reinstate live export by sea. However, in 2026 Cabinet was unable to reach agreement on reviving the industry and confirmed it would not move forward with reinstating live exports by sea. 

As a result, the ban remains in place. 

Following New Zealand’s ban on live export by sea, many other countries began following in our footsteps and taking steps to review and phase out the industry. On 2 July 2024, Australia enacted a ban on the live export of sheep by sea. This is set to come into effect on 1 May 2028.

Animals selected for live export are taken from their familiar herds and made to endure harrowing journeys to countries with far weaker animal protection laws.   

Transport by sea is inherently stressful for animals. They are exposed to rough waters, lack of ventilation and prolonged periods of standing in their own excrement, leading to increased risk of heat stress, injury, illness, and death.   

In their destination countries, animals are vulnerable to being treated in ways that may be illegal in New Zealand. Former Chair of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC), Dr John Hellstrom, said:   

“The reality is they are mainly going to large feedlot operations, where there is high mortality and poor fertility. The way they treat bobby calves shouldn’t be mentioned in public, and they don’t have any significant welfare protocols for transport or slaughter.”  

Analysis by The Guardian found that live export ships are at least twice as likely to suffer a total loss through sinking as standard cargo vessels. 

For these reasons, many animal welfare experts consider live export by sea to be inherently dangerous for animals. 

Animals are crammed tightly onto live export ships where they have limited ability to move and display normal behaviours. Animals like cows and sheep who would normally graze on pasture are fed an unnatural grain-based diet which can cause digestive complications and discomfort. Animals are also made to stand in their own excrement during voyage. These unsanitary conditions can increase animals’ risk of infection and disease.  

 Animals can easily lose their footing in rough waters, leaving them vulnerable to injury and death. When animals are injured on-board, they are sometimes killed and simply thrown overboard. Some animals may even be transported during pregnancy. Stress can alter the metabolic, hormonal, and immune health of transported animals, making them more susceptible to disease.     

The ban followed years of concern about the welfare of animals exported from New Zealand. 

In 2019, an ABC exposé revealed hundreds of thousands of New Zealand cows suffering on Sri Lankan farms. In response, the Labour Government conducted a review of the trade, considering a range of options from improving existing systems to a total ban. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) received over 3,500 submissions, many of which were from SAFE supporters. 

In September 2020, the Gulf Livestock 1 capsized in the East China Sea, taking the lives of 5,867 New Zealand cows and 41 crew members (including two New Zealanders). Following the Gulf Livestock tragedy, MPI temporarily suspended live export while it conducted a further review of animal welfare during live export voyages (the ‘Heron’ review). Upon completion of the Heron review in October 2020, live export resumed with some new regulations such as reducing stocking density on ships and increasing the amount of food that must be carried on ships. SAFE criticised these changes as insufficient, arguing that live export was inherently dangerous and inhumane. 

Following reviews of the trade and strong public pressure, the New Zealand Government announced a ban on live animal exports by sea in April 2021, with a two-year transition period. 

The ban came into effect on 30 April 2023. 

A ban on the live export of cows, sheep, deer and goats by sea came into effect on April 30th, 2023. Disappointingly, exporting live animals by air was not included in this ban and will be allowed to continue. New Zealand exports goats, llamas, pigs, alpacas, bees, deer, horses, and millions of day-old baby chicks by air every year. We also export sea creatures such as longfin eels – who are “at risk” native animals. 

Live export by air carries many of the same risks and animal welfare concerns as live export by sea. Regardless of the method of transport, most animals exported from New Zealand end up in countries with lower animal welfare standards and are likely to spend their lives in intensive farms. They will eventually be slaughtered, usually through methods that are not legal in New Zealand.