Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Kedgley Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:624;Page:19043] 
8.  
SUE KEDGLEY (Green) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Agriculture 
: What action is he taking in response to the stockman’s report of a recent shipment of cows to China in which it was stated that the cows were “sleeping in shit up to a foot deep” and were fed hay that included dead animals various bits of wire and thistles and in which the stockman wrote “I hate to see them in this state.”? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Associate Minister of Agriculture) 
: 
 Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officials have read the stockman’s report and have taken action. They have gone back to the exporter seeking more details of the shipment and are awaiting written reports from both the shipping company and the exporter. They will be investigating whether all requirements of the animal welfare export certificate were met. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Can he confirm that on the same voyage the ventilation system broke down on occasion resulting in a very rapid build-up of heat and ammonia on the decks housing the cows that many animals became lame from standing on the hard floor covered in sharp anti-slip grip and that some animals did not have adequate access to feed and water; and can he further confirm that these conditions do not comply with the requirements under the Animal Welfare Act to provide for the health and well-being of animals? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I am not aware of those particular claims but they will be investigated. We will have a written report. There are requirements that have to be met both under the animal welfare export certificate and under the maritime transport code. It would seem that those conditions might not have been met but we will await that report and the outcome of it. 
Sue Kedgley 
: Can he confirm that this was not a one-off incident that on another recent shipment of cows to China some animals were so overheated that they died and many others were severely stressed and that on another shipment in 2003 110 animals died as a result of injuries sustained on board the ship; and why does the Government support a trade that clearly breaches the Animal Welfare Act? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: New Zealand produces some very good genetic material in livestock. That is why people seek to import those animals from our country into their own country. There are very high standards of welfare on most of those shipments but there will always be the odd occasion when deaths will occur. Reports on most shipments indicate that fatalities are very low in number. I finish by saying that as a Government we are focused on adding value to our economy and we encourage as much processing of animals on shore as possible. We do try to minimise the amount of bull shipping that does occur. 
Janet Mackey 
: What measures are currently in place to ensure adequate welfare standards for cattle and sheep being exported by sea? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: A Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry - approved veterinarian inspects all shipments prior to departure. The shipments must comply with welfare standards that have been developed by the ministry. The standards cover a range of requirements such as minimum space preconditioning and feed and water requirements. A voyage report is sent to the ministry following each shipment. 
Ian Ewen-Street 
: Why are we exporting 20000 live breeding stock this month alone to countries such as Mexico and China when it is clear that the animals will simply be used to improve the quality of their herds so that those countries will then be more competitive relative to us in international markets; why does the Government allow a trade that is simultaneously cruel to animals and detrimental to New Zealand farmers? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: We do not accept that the trade is cruel to animals. Very high standards have to be met and for the most part they are. As I said before we produce the highest-quality genetic material in the word. There will always be countries that seek to import that livestock. It is up to us as a country to ensure that we stay ahead of those countries and produce better-quality livestock. 
Sue Kedgley 
: How can the Associate Minister claim that the Government is trying to keep this trade to a minimum when the export of live animals from New Zealand has increased by 300 percent over the past 2 years when 20000 live cows and sheep have been exported this month just for breeding purposes and especially when breeding could be done by the export of semen alone? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: We allow the export of embryo and semen as well. To go back to the point that I am trying to make to members because we have high-quality livestock other countries will seek to import it. There was a very large trade in livestock in the 1990s. That trade has reduced and the animals that are exported from this country are for breeding purposes not for slaughter and this Government supports that. 
Sue Kedgley 
: I seek leave to table a report by a stockman of conditions on a shipment in December of last year. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that report. Any objection? There is objection.