The Green Party's spokesperson on animal welfare says the incident in the East China Sea shows New Zealand must stop exporting live stock for breeding.
A cargo ship has gone missing during a typhoon with 43 people on board - including two New Zealanders, and nearly 6,000 cattle.
It's believed to have been hit by a wave and capsized. One person has been rescued so far.
Gareth Hughes told Checkpoint the animals suffer from distress for weeks at sea and many farmers don't feel it's even economic.
