Greens launch bill to stop animal cruelty through imported products
Photo:
RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
The Green Party wants to stop animal cruelty from entering the country via imported products.
Green MP Steve Abel has launched a Member's Bill aimed at closing a loophole that allows imported meat, eggs and other animal products to be sold in New Zealand - even if they're produced under conditions illegal here.
The proposed bill would require imported products to meet the same animal welfare standards applied locally.
Abel said New Zealand was a higher animal welfare standard for agriculture compared to other countries.
"But a significant proportion of the animal products that we import are produced under standards that would not be legally or socially acceptable in New Zealand.
"So for example 90 percent of pork imported to New Zealand in 2022 came from countries that allow the use of sow stalls which were prohibited here in 2016."
Abel said he would now be working in Parliament to get support for the bill.
Green MP Steve Abel.
Photo:
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Bill would require regulations regarding pigs and egg-laying hens to be in place within two years of coming into force.
Coinciding with Abel's bill, a petition with more than 11,000 signatures was presented to Parliament on Tuesday to challenge import standards and asks for action on animal welfare in trade.
Petitioner Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere, an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Auckland, specialises in animal law.
He partnered with Animal Policy International to launch the petition.
"We think that it's one of those rare issues that a lot of people can get behind and a lot of MPs should support.
"It hasn't really been around for long, and we were really surprised and really glad with the amount of cross-sector support.
"This is an issue that animal rights activists on one side could get behind, but also farmers can get behind as well because ultimately it's about upholding New Zealand values, ensuring that we are the best producers of animal products in the world.
"It's also upholding farmers' interests because for too long they've had to compete with cheap and cruel imports from around the world and we just don't think that's right.
"We don't think it's right by the animals, and we don't think it's right by the farmers as well."
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