Government Shelves Live Animal Export Plans

The Fresh Zealand government has abandoned plans to reinstate live animal exports, a policy reversal welcomed by animal welfare advocates. Animal Welfare Minister Andrew Hoggard confirmed he was unable to secure Cabinet support for overturning the existing ban, which was a commitment made in coalition agreements with both the ACT Party and New Zealand First.

Green Party spokesperson Steve Abel hailed the decision as a victory for animal welfare and public sentiment. “From the outset, there was overwhelming outrage from veterinary experts who expressed there was no way to maintain animal welfare standards and herd cattle onto ships where they spend weeks at sea wallowing in their own waste. It’s fundamentally cruel and there’s no way to uphold the barest animal standards while exporting at sea,” Abel stated. He added that the public strongly opposed the proposal.

A 2024 petition with over 57,000 signatures had been presented to Parliament urging the ban to remain in place. Hoggard had previously expressed his desire to overturn the ban by 2025 and in April 2025, indicated legislation was expected to head before Cabinet within months, though delays in the Parliamentary Counsel Office hindered progress MSN.

The decision comes despite efforts from the livestock industry to revive the trade. Livestock Exports NZ chief executive Glen Neal had expressed hope that the ban would be overturned, but acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the bill was unhelpful MSN.

Parliamentary questions revealed that Minister Hoggard had not received any new advice on the plan since mid-2025, despite previously stating the amendment had been considered by Cabinet in December of the same year MSN.

Background of the Live Export Ban

The ban on live animal exports was initially implemented in April 2023 by the previous government following a review initiated by the Ministry for Primary Industries in 2020. This review was prompted by the sinking of the Gulf Livestock 1 in September 2020, which resulted in the deaths of 41 crew members and nearly 6,000 cattle MSN.

The National Party had campaigned on overturning the ban, proposing stricter regulations for animal welfare and safety, including purpose-built ships and certification for importers. Andrew Hoggard, a former president of Federated Farmers Wikipedia, had identified reintroducing live exports as a priority.

In 2024, an investigation by RNZ revealed that Livestock Export New Zealand planned to invest $1 million in efforts to dismantle the ban, including political lobbying and public relations campaigns MSN.

Andrew Hoggard is currently the Minister for Biosecurity and Minister for Food Safety in the Sixth National Government Wikipedia and a Member of Parliament representing the ACT Party New Zealand Parliament. He was born in 1974 or 1975 and holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics degree from Massey University Wikipedia.