New Zealand's Reckless regression

The NZ Nationals have received strong criticism from  Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa (VAWA) over their assertion that they will reinstate live export.

Managing Director of VAWA (and former President of the New Zealand Veterinary Association) Dr Helen Beattie is reported by Scoop NZ as saying "Having set a lauded global precedent and prioritising the welfare the animals, overturning the Labour Government’s brave and ethical decision to ban livestock exports by sea, would be a reckless regression." It "makes even less sense given the recent dairy downturn was reported in part to be driven by lower Chinese demand for our milk powder - their dairy herd is now bigger than ours and many of those cows came from New Zealand."

And similar to Australia: "Contrary to their claims of economic prosperity generated from the trade, the livestock exports industry makes up less than 0.5% of Aotearoa’s agriculture export revenue, though that small amount does make a lot of money for a few people. It is no surprise then that those are the voices that we hear advocating to reinstate the trade, despite the risk to our animals and to our high welfare, ethical, pastoral farming narrative."

Lets hope good sense, NZ's stellar international reputation and its strong ethics prevail!

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2310/S00147/new-zealands-reckless-regression-the-dangers-of-new-government-reinstating-livestock-exports.htm