Dear Ministry for Primary Industries,

In 2010, following the advice of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, David Carter initially attempted to implement a ban on inhumane slaughter of animals in the new 'Code of Welfare: Commercial Slaughter'. Following various covert machinations, Carter backed down and allowed shamans of a particular religion to slaughter chickens by cutting their throats until the blood spurted out profusely without humanely stunning them first, under what became "Minimum standard No. 15A: Shechita of poultry", a special exception allowing for inhumane slaughter of poultry in the Code of Welfare: Commercial Slaughter ( https://www.mpi.govt.nz/animals/animal-w... ).

I have some questions regarding how the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and subsequently MPI has acted to perform its duties regarding said regulation:
1: Section 15A provides that "The number of poultry that will be subject to shechita will not exceed the number necessary to meet the needs, within New Zealand, of the local Jewish community and kosher observant visitors to New Zealand".
question 1a) What actions has MPI taken to ensure that the inhumane slaughter of poultry under Section 15A does not exceed those needs? A summary of any actions by year is fine.
question 1b) Please provide the number of chickens and/or other poultry that have been slaughtered under Section 15A, by year, since 2010.
question 1c) Since 2010, has MPI at any point provided approval for the export of any kosher chicken meat or chicken-based products, which is to say, for the export of inhumanely slaughtered poultry products that were killed for a purpose specifically other than "to meet the needs, within New Zealand, of the local Jewish community and kosher observant visitors to New Zealand"?

2: Section 15A that "The Minister and the Auckland Hebrew Congregation and the Wellington Jewish Community Centre will from time to time discuss the number of poultry required to meet the needs of the local Jewish community and kosher observant visitors to New Zealand."
question 2a) I appreciate that there will have been a lot of initial discussion around this in 2010 and possibly 2011. As such, to ensure that MPI can answer this OIA request efficiently and promptly, please provide all details held by MPI, in their original form, about any such discussions since January 2012.

Yours faithfully,
Mohammed Khan