Shipment of Live Sheep by Sea for Slaughter

Policy

NZVA opposes the shipment of sheep by sea unless their welfare is managed according to the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

Explanation

While recognising that animal welfare is best served when animals are slaughtered as close to their point of origin as possible, NZVA accepts that the export of sheep from New Zealand has continued to occur at a low level. However, NZVA also recognises that such trade has the potential to compromise animal welfare throughout the assembly, shipping and discharge phases as well as during subsequent transport and slaughter in the importing country, and considers that safeguards must be put in place to ensure that the welfare of the animals is protected.

Guidelines

1. The NZVA recommends that efforts continue to be concentrated on improving the welfare of the sheep throughout the pre-export transportation, feedlotting and loading phases, the voyage phase, and the discharge, transportation and feedlotting phases through to the time of slaughter in the country of destination.
2. To this end, the NZVA advises the resurrection of the Technical Review Committee as the expert group on these issues. Part of their role would be the analysis of data collected on each shipment so that animal welfare standards are constantly monitored, with incremental improvements possible for each subsequent shipment.
3. A veterinarian experienced in sheep medicine and husbandry should accompany all sheep shipments to ensure animal health and husbandry issues are completely managed. The veterinarian should be able to monitor the sheep and their environment in a manner that enables a proper veterinary evaluation of the welfare of the sheep. Ideally, a pool of such veterinarians with experience in such voyages should be maintained. Veterinarians who have no experience of shipboard management should undergo training with a member of the TRC who has.
4. The NZVA strongly endorses the requirement under the Animal Welfare Act 1999 that in any application to export sheep, “the manner in which the welfare of any animals previously exported by the applicant was attended to on the journey between New Zealand and the country to which they were exported” is taken into account, and recommends that any compromise to the welfare of the animals, or hindrance to the activities and requirements of the accompanying veterinarian under a particular exporter, should be taken into account when a further application from that exporter is being considered by the Director-General of agriculture.
5. Any shipment where the total mortality (including during feedlotting, loading, the voyage and disembarkation) exceeds 1%should be subject to an inquiry.
6. No shipment should be allowed to depart without a contingency plan signed by the importer to cover unexpected events such as rejection at destination.
7. Because of their susceptibility to pneumonia, sheep less than nine months of age should not be shipped by sea.
8. Pregnant ewes should not be exported during their third trimester as the risk of lambing, abortion and/or metabolic disease at sea could jeopardise their welfare.
9. The NZVA is aware that the Code of Welfare relating to Shipment of Sheep by sea is due for review, and that some of the information is out of date or inadequate. As the document that sets the detail of on board conditions including management of heat stress, suggested wool length, ventilation and feeding regimes, we would suggest that this be updated as a matter of priority so that adequate standards can be set.

Policy Files: 

12c - Transport of Live Sheep by Sea - 20Aug04.pdf