Whaitiri MekaANIMAL WELFARE AMENDMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon MEKA WHAITIRI (Associate Minister of Agriculture (Animal Welfare)) on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture: On behalf of the Minister of Agriculture the Hon Damien O'Connor I present a legislative statement on the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill.DEPUTY SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon MEKA WHAITIRI: I move That the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Primary Production Committee to consider the bill.The bill amends the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to ban the export of livestock by sea and shows the Government's commitment to upholding New Zealand's reputation for high standards of animal welfare. It's vital we stay ahead of the curve in a world where animal welfare is under more and more scrutiny. The Government started a review of the livestock export trade in 2019. Following the independent Heron report which was carried out after the tragic loss of the Gulf Livestock 1 in September 2020 on 29 March 2021 the Government decided to ban the export of cattle deer goats and sheep by ship with a transition period of up to two years. The Government like some in the farming sector believes the livestock trade opens New Zealand and its farmers to long-term reputational damage no matter how high we set animal welfare standards for the voyages and everyone's best efforts. We acknowledge the economic benefits some farmers get from the trade but support for it is not universal. There are different opinions on its long-term value amongst farmers how it affects New Zealand's commitment to animal welfare and our image in the eyes of international consumers. Those involved in the trade have made improvements over recent years but the voyage times to the Northern Hemisphere markets will always impose animal welfare challenges. In submission to the live export review it is important to note that the independent National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) which advises Ministers on animal welfare issues said that the practice should stop. The tragic sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1 highlighted the possible risk of the trade. Because of New Zealand's strong reputation for farming livestock exports by sea have increased in recent years but they amount to approximately 0.2 percent of our primary exports revenue since 2015. The Government has set a two-year transition period for the trade which will end on 30 April 2023 to allow our trading partners time to adopt alternative options and to give those farmers involved enough time to change their business models. It's hard to estimate the total number of farmers who use the trade as that can be dependent on conditions and on-farm decisions from year to year. We recognise the importance of our relationships with international partners and are committed to working with them to boost trade through other means such as scientific work into dairy cow genetics and germplasm use. Implementing the ban through primary legislation will enable people in the industry to give their views through the select committee process and Parliament to vote on the final proposal. I am informed that most affected parties—exporters farmers trading partners and importers—are aware of the ban and understand the intent of the transition period. These actions do not set a precedent for other animal exports. Primarily animals such as chickens are exported by plane and the travel times are much shorter. The journey time via ship for New Zealand livestock is far longer than by air raising animal welfare concerns. During the transition period improvements are being made to the trade. Following the loss of the Gulf Livestock 1 and the independent Heron review a series of recommendations were implemented including reducing stock density to no more than 90 percent of previous limits increasing minimum fodder requirements introducing a more comprehensive stockperson declaration to verify competency increased voyage reporting and improved quality of reporting from exporters and requiring additional information on animal welfare and on the voyage. Longer-term improvements will be implemented as part of the livestock exports continuous improvements work programme. I encourage all interested parties to involve themselves in the select committee processes. On behalf of Minister O'Connor making this change to the Animal Welfare Act 1999 will prohibit the live export of cattle deer goats and sheep by ship from 30 April 2023 reinforcing and building on New Zealand's reputation as a safe producer of high-quality products. I commend this bill to the House. DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.