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Protesters and farmers in South Canterbury disagree on the benefits of live animal exports.
About 20 protesters lined a corner near The Bay Hill and Port Loop Rd above Timaru Harbor Wednesday morning after the massive Ocean Drover cattle transport docked to pick up nearly 8,000 head of cattle bound for China.
JOHN BISSET / Stuff
Protesters against the export of live animals chanted in Timaru as vehicles whistled in support.
Protest organizer Felicity Penno said the protest was organized on short notice and she was impressed with the number of people who had turned out.
“We just want people to be aware of how cruel the export of live is, I would like to dispel the myth of the economy.
JOHN BISSET / Stuff
Protesters against the export of live animals gathered at the intersection of Port Loop Rd and The Bay Hill in Timaru.
“Farmers will say they need this, but it is not boosting the economy.
“The unpleasant fact is that the animals go to intensive factory farms on concrete paddles where the mortality rate is higher than the fertility rate.”
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However, Federated Farmers South Canterbury president Jason Grant said the animals would not be abused during the journey or when they arrived in China.
“What happens is that the animals have attracted a huge cost to the people who buy them, so they will treat them very well.
“They will keep very well and they will be fed very well.
“They go to China to produce milk.”
Grant said he had worked on a live sheep export ship.
“I have experienced how well maintained the stocks were on the boats.
“This cattle has a huge price, there is no way it is going to be abused, it will be looked after very well as it is valued,” Grant said.
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Federated Farmers South Canterbury President Jason Grant has worked on a live sheep export ship and said he experienced how well cattle are cared for.
“Mortality rates on ships are lower than on farms, it is an important economic outlet for farmers with surplus animals.”
The 176.7 meter long Ocean Drover is touted as the world’s largest livestock hauler and was being loaded with feed on Wednesday. The Timaru port operating company, PrimePort, confirmed that the Ocean Drover would have to move on Thursday to make way for the arrival of the container ship Rio Bravo, which will depart on Friday night.
JOHN BISSET / Stuff
The food material is loaded on board the Ocean Drover in the port of Timaru.
A second live export ship, the 136.5-meter-long Ocean Swagman, is also en route to Timaru from Australia, leaving the Queensland port of Gladstone on Wednesday morning and leaving the Sunday after the Ocean departed. Drover.
On Wednesday, the animal rights charity Safe NZ said the Ocean Drover was the first ship to arrive in New Zealand to export some of the 24,000 cows that had been in quarantine since the sinking of Gulf Livestock 1 in a typhoon in the Sea. from East China on Wednesday. September 2nd.
JOHN BISSET / THINGS
The world’s largest cattle transport, the Ocean Drover, arrived at the port of Timaru on Tuesday night.
Shipments were temporarily suspended by the New Zealand government until October 23 and, as per the resumption from October 24 to November 30, there is a “conditional ban”, which means that the density on ships will be reduced, until no more than 90% of previous limits (in line with new Australian standards), increased veterinary reports on board ship and increased forage requirements.
