A Southland calf rearer who failed to declare the movements of 753 cattle andr register 52 other animals under the National Animal Identification and Tracing (NAIT) Act, has been fined $35,000.

Under the Act, all cattle or deer must be declared in movements to the NAIT organisation, OSPRI, within 48 hours. Additionally, all animals must be fitted with a NAIT tag and registered in the NAIT system by the time the animal is 180 days old, or before the animal is moved off farm.

Mark Andrew Taylor (54) was yesterday (26 Nov 2025) sentenced in the Gore District Court on three charges under the National Animal Identification and Tracing Act, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

"This was hundreds of animals, and it only takes one animal to potentially cause a biosecurity problem, as we have learned from our experience with Mycoplasma bovis," says Peter Hyde, MPI Manager Animal Welfare and NAIT Compliance South.

In February this year, MPI analysed Mr Taylor’s NAIT records and compared them with animal status declarations regarding animals moving on to or off farm. MPI found 52 tagged cattle had never been registered into the database. Another 197 cattle that came from various other properties were not declared as being moved on to Mr Taylor’s property and a further 556 cattle were sent to five different locations in the South Island without declaring any of these movements.

"The NAIT tag and registration system is only as effective as the information that’s entered. If you are unsure about what you need to do, reach out to our partners at OSPRI. There is plenty of information, advice and support available.

"MPI takes non-compliance with NAIT seriously. The scheme provides a critical tool in the fight against biosecurity incursions.

“Put simply, when people in charge of animals disregard their NAIT obligations they put the whole agricultural sector at risk," Mr Hyde says.

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