NSPCA seeks to stop live animal exports by sea

The NSPCA brought an urgent application against the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson in the Grahamstown High Court last week, in a bid to stop the exporting of live animals by sea for slaughter in Mauritius.

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Additional respondents include the registrar of animal improvement in the department, the MEC for the department of agriculture in the Eastern Cape and trustees of the Page Farming Trust. “The NSPCA has long opposed the export of live animals for slaughter, considering the practice to be archaic and cruel. There are alternates. Exporting meat rather than live animals is preferable,” the NSPCA said in a statement.

The NSPCA reacted to reports that a ship was en route to East London, to be loaded with cattle destined for Mauritius.
“Over and above the travelling time, it can take two days to load the animals and two days to off-load them,” said NSPCA executive director Marcelle Meredith. The agriculture department had not responded to questions by the time of going to print.