The Minister of Agriculture David Carter must toughen up New Zealand's weak
animal welfare codes that mean hens can be kept in horrifyingly cruel
conditions, Green Party animal welfare spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

TVNZ's Sunday programme last night revealed that many poultry farms around
New Zealand are using cages that were banned in 2008, and are keeping hens
in horrifying and unhygienic conditions.

"A senior Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) official admitted on
camera that New Zealand's animal welfare codes are effectively shams," said
Ms Kedgley.

"MAF admitted they know there are poultry farms that keep hens in cages that
were banned in 2008, but claim they cannot prosecute because animal welfare
codes do not have regulatory or legal force.

"The Minister of Agriculture must end this farcical situation," said Ms
Kedgley.

"New Zealanders who watched the Sunday programme last night will have been
horrified by both the cruel conditions thousands of hens have to endure, and
by the bureaucratic nightmare that means MAF does nothing about animal
cruelty.

"MAF's attitude and response to shocking scenes of animal cruelty undermines
the public's confidence in our entire animal welfare system.

"The Minister must take immediate action to restore public confidence by
giving our animal welfare codes some teeth," said Ms Kedgley

Note: The Green Party has pledged to end the practice of keeping all hens in
cages.

http://my.greens.org.nz/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=110368&qid=6339349