06 Feb

The news today of the death of 75,000 chickens at an egg farm in Waikato is yet another outrageous and avoidable tragedy.

“The fact that so many hens died in this fire in the Waikato is a testament to the systemic neglect and disregard for animal welfare that exists within the egg industry,” says Animal Justice Party Aotearoa NZ spokesperson Rachel Poulain.

“The Ministry for Primary Industries has consistently failed to prosecute the worst offenders of these horrific mass animal deaths. How many more needless disasters must there be before the government recognises the need for better protection and welfare for animals?”

In November 2019, nearly two hundred thousand chickens suffocated to death in a power outage at a Tegel broiler ‘farm’ in Helensville, west of Auckland.

Shockingly, no one was held legally accountable for this disaster.

The 75,000 hens who died today were likely confined to cramped and unsanitary conditions, with no access to fresh air or sunlight. They lived short, miserable lives in service of the egg industry's profit, only to die in a fire that could have been prevented with better safety measures and infrastructure.

The Animal Justice Party Aotearoa NZ believes that all animals deserve to live their lives free from harm and suffering. We believe it is time for systemic change to ensure that all animals are treated with dignity, respect and compassion.

We plan to contest the election in October, advocating for stricter animal welfare laws, increased government oversight and enforcement, and greater accountability for those who profit from the exploitation of animals.

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