(08/01/2002) Fur Farming Banned in England and Wales from 2003
The ban on fur farming will come into force on January 1, 2003,
under the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000 (Commencement) Order
2001. From January 2003, it will be illegal in England and Wales to
keep animals solely or primarily for slaughter for the value of their
fur.
After January 1, 2002, fur farmers who incur losses as a result of
the ban will be able to submit claims for compensation, as set out in
the Fur Farming (Compensation Scheme) (England) Order 2001. These
Orders were made under the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000, which
received Royal Assent on November 23, 2000.
The Compensation Scheme Order sets out the conditions for
entitlements to compensation and the categories of income and
non-income losses for which compensation is payable. The rest of the
Order looks at the procedure for fur farmers to make claims for
compensation and for the Minister to deal with such claims. Fur
farmers can close at any time between November 23, 2000, and January
1, 2003, when the ban comes into force, without losing eligibility for
compensation. The legislation provides for disputes over compensation
to be settled by arbitration or the Lands Tribunal.
Animal Welfare Minister Elliot Morley said: "I am pleased that
fur farming will be banned from 2003. Fur farming is not consistent
with a proper value and respect for animal life and it is right and
proper for the Government to have introduced this ban. However, the
Government recognizes the need for fair compensation to be made
available to the fur farmers put out of business by this ban. The
views of interested parties have been taken into account in producing
the compensation scheme and I consider that it is a fair and
reasonable scheme."
Sources
(09/01/2002) HLS has transferred its stock market listing to the
USA - The British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection
(www.buav.org) reports:
HLS has de-listed from the London Stock Exchange and transferred its
stock market listing to the USA. This now makes it a US listed company,
registered in Maryland under the name Life Sciences Research (although
the Huntingdon name is retained for operational purposes).
Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that HLS the company will close down or cease operating in the UK, their UK facilities will remain
operational as before. HLS has not attempted to hide the fact that this move is a direct reaction to the growing UK campaign by animal
rights groups, which has resulted in a decrease in share holder support. It believes that US public and investor attitudes to vivisection will be less hostile, despite the fact that there is
already a vibrant animal rights campaign in the US campaigning for HLS's closure. Shares in Life Sciences Research will begin trading on
January 24th 2002.
(10/01/2002) Finally a ban of dogs and cats fur coats in Italy
The Health Under-Secretary Cesare Cursi has finally signed an ordinance that, when published in the official Gazette, will ban the import and the sale of cats and dogs fur coats in
Italy.
“ If such ordinance will be put into effect”, says Walter Caporale, President of the PeTa in Italy, “ it will become an historic event for
Italy.”
Ilaria Ferri, the Italian representative of SIRIUS GLOBAL ANIMAL ORG, that for quite a while now has been working side by side with the PeTa in fighting against the dogmeat and the traffic of cats and dogs fur coats, says:” We are very pleased that in such a short time since the beginning of our collaboration, the Health Under-Secretary Sen. Cursi has not only been showing his personal sensitivity to this problem, but has also intervened on an institutional level in order to put a stop to such barbaric practice.”
“It will spare the lives of over two millions cats and dogs, that would have been otherwise used in such trade. We are also hoping”, states Walter Caporale, President of the Peta, “to also be able to ban the import of the hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs furs already on the Italian market in the form of filling of coats and parkas. We also wonder what those furriers who have gotten rich by passing cats and dogs fur for minks, foxes, and rabbit, are going to do now. Our commitment is now to save the lives to the hundreds of thousand of animals still in the sixty breeding farms. By January 2002, such farms will have to follow strict standards established by a European Directive.”
And on this the Peta will, once more, be on the front line.
(11/01/2002) Demonstration for South Korean Dogs and Cats in London on 25 January 2002
IAKA/KAPS are arranging a demonstration at the South Korean Embassy, 60 Buckingham Gate, London, on Friday 25 January at 12.30pm. The purpose is "to protest the ongoing illegal torture, slaughter and consumption of dogs and cats in South Korea". With Kim Hong-Shin's bill due to go before the Korean Assembly in February, this demonstration is extremely important.
Lamb poses a greater theoretical risk of spreading BSE to humans than
beef, scientists have warned. As many as 150,000 Britons could die from
eating infected meat if sheep as well as cattle have the disease, say
experts at Imperial College, London, UK.
But the country's Food Standards Agency (FSA) says the risk of BSE in sheep remains theoretical. The agency is not advising against the consumption of lamb. The scientists' warning is based on a theoretical prediction of the potential health risk if BSE has passed to sheep and is spreading through the national flock. Professor Neil Ferguson, leader of the research team, said: "Our latest analysis shows that the current risk from sheep could be greater than that from cattle, due to the more intensive controls in place to protect human health from exposure to infected cattle, as compared with
sheep." (Source: BBC News | SCI/TECH – 9 Jan 2002)
6.9 million kangaroos and wallabies to be killed in Australia
A record 6.9 million kangaroos and wallabies will be able to be killed for commercial purposes this year after
the Environment Minister, David Kemp, approved a national quota increase for kangaroo culling of about 1.5 million. The decision to increase the quota of kangaroos available for commercial killing has been condemned by animal welfare groups as unnecessary
slaughter. (Source: The Sydney Morning Herald)
Japanese city considers creating whale farm
Wednesday, January 9, 2002
NAGASAKI - The city of Hirado in Nagasaki Prefecture is considering a plan to create what would be the world's first "whale farm" along its coast.
Hirado, which prospered as a whaling center from the late 17th century until just after World War II, is thinking of breeding minke whales by capturing whales with fixed nets, according to city officials. (Kyodo News)
(12/01/2002) Campaign against cockfights initiated by GAIA, Belgium
GAIA starts legal action against the organisers of cockfights and requests that measures
against cockfights are taken by the Ministers AELVOET (Animal Welfare), DUQUESNE
(Police) and VERWILGHEN (Justice).
GAIA initiated legal action against someone called “Franky " who, on the Flemish TV station VTM, presented himself openly as organiser of cockfights, which are prohibited in Belgium. This person from Western Flanders explained in front of the cameras how he raises the cocks and how he arranges events directly on the other side of the
French/Belgium border.
GAIA wants that the authorities seek to identify that person and make an investigation. Cockfights are a particularly cruel form of animal abuse and are therefore prohibited in Belgium under the law of animal welfare. These events are true crimes against animals.
GAIA also requests to put an end to breeding of fighting cocks and that transports, possessions and trading with these animals are
prohibited.
Any person who organizes cockfights, takes part as a spectator, collaborates in any way like organizing them or arranging betting, risks a prison sentence of one to three months and a fine of up to 200.000 francs.
- Protest address: Minister Magda Aelvoet, responsable for Animal Welfare
E-mail.
(13/01/2002) Findings in Belgium: Listeria omnipresent in minced meat
One of three samples of minced pork sold in supermarkets is contaminated by the
bacterium, according to the Institut d'expertise vétérinaire (IEV).
Butchers do not always sell us quality meat. That is the finding of the latest report of the IVE, an organisation
which, throughout the year, analyses meat samples. The data referring to bacteriological contamination of meat is particularly alarming with regard to listeria
monocytogenes, the microbe at the origin of the listeriosis, a disease
which, in certain extreme cases, can have serious consequences. The most affected product is minced pork and beef of which 25 % and 16 % respectively of the samples (1 gram) are
contaminated, with a record of 31 % (one in three samples!) for minced pork sold in department stores. The figures are even more alarming since these products are often eaten
uncooked, a fact which brings the IEV to the conclusion that a risk for the consumer does exist and especially so for vulnerable people. For the IEV it is clear that a more detailed examination of each company is
essential (Source : La Libre Belgique 11 Jan 2002).
(14/01/2002) Turtles Smuggled to China as Food Find
Haven in U.S.
In December last year an illegal shipment of 7,500 turtles was seized
in Hong Kong. Packed like hamburger patties, one on top of another, live
turtles were found crammed into crates, without food or water and some
still with hooks in their throats, bound for the food markets of China.
Now heroic efforts, coordinated by the Turtle Survival Alliance, are
underway to rehabilitate and relocate the animals.
This weekend the fourth shipment of turtles (approximately 2,058
animals) arrives in Miami to receive medical treatment and subsequent
relocation to a breeding colony. For the past two years the Turtle
Survival Alliance (TSA), an unlikely consortium of commercial turtle
breeders, conservationists, hobbyists, university researchers, zoos,
aquariums, and veterinarians, have been talking with the Hong Kong
government about how to channel confiscated Asian turtles into
conservation programs.
The goal of the TSA is to use the confiscated turtles as breeding
stock to establish "assurance colonies." Each colony is a genetically
diverse collection of turtles from a single species that will be bred in
captivity to create "stockpiles" of the species and hopefully "assure" its
survival.
Eventually, the "stockpiled" animals would be used to restock protected wild regions whose endemic turtle populations have been wiped out. None of these turtles or their offspring will ever be commercially
traded. (Source National Geographic Society – 11 Jan 2002)
Gaia and Animaux en Peril lodged an immediate appeal against the
acquittal of seven cattle dealers accused of animal abuse at the market of
Anderlecht. Both organisations are shocked by the verdict and criticise it
as unacceptable.
The judge had not considered the video-footage of the cruelties revealed in mid-November 2000 as sufficient evidence – just the opposite: Gaia was reprimanded for not having respected the privacy of the accused by filming the cruel
facts. It is wrong to shoot at the messenger, says GAIA, after all the organisations have only fulfilled their social role by recording wrong-doings and by bringing them to the attention of the authorities - not more and not
less.
Alternatives to Vivisection promoted by the European Union
- this internet address offers researchers, students, specialists and the
interested public an immediate and rapid access to current information
about a new research network listing alternatives to vivisection.
(16/01/2002) New Secretariat for the European Vegetarian Union (EVU)
The Office of the EVU-Secretariat has changed from Switzerland to Belgium. With effect of 29 December 2001, Herma Caelen
(Belgium) has been appointed Secretary, with Renato Pichler (Switzerland) as
Deputy.
The European Vegetarian Union has been founded in 1985 as an umbrella
organisation for the European vegetarian movement. All questions relevant
to vegetarianism, such as animal rights, ecology, campaigns against world
hunger etc. are tackled and information on matters of health and consumer
protection is distributed.
However, one of the most important goals is the constant exchange with
vegetarian societies in the different European countries. By bringing
members together, personal contacts are created that lead to a better
understanding, sharing of ideas, support and cooperation across national
and linguistic borders. In this context, the EVU-magazine „European
Vegetarian“ does not only report about latest developments in areas of
mutual interest but presents also a helpful tool in improving unity. This
periodical comes free with membership but all subscriptions are welcome,
too.
In order to broaden this scope of international cooperation even further, the EVU is aligned with the globally operating International Vegetarian Union
(IVU).
European Vegetarian Union (EVU)
Herma Caelen - Secretary
26, Rue Moncoureur
B 7011 Ghlin
Tel 00 32(0)65/362584
e-mail evu@ivu.org
website:
www.ivu.org/evu/
(17/01/2002) African Lion-Oryx Friendship a Jungle Surprise
The story of a lioness that adopted a baby oryx in the northern
Kenya's Samburu Wildlife Sanctuary and protected it for 15 days before
another lion ate it, continues to perplex wildlife scientists. An oryx is
an antelope with long, straight horns, normally prey for lions. A week
after the protected baby oryx was eaten, scientists are still questioning
how such an unusual relationship could ever have been formed.
Visitors to the Samburu Game Reserve were at first lost for words when
they saw the lioness roaming the expansive jungle in the company of a
Beisa oryx calf. On the sixteenth day of their friendship, as the lioness
was taking water, another lion that had been stalking the calf snatched it
and took off. Kenyan scientists are unable to explain what could have
happened to enable the two animals to strike up a relationship, stepping
out of their species dictated roles as predator and prey.
"We followed the pair for two days and saw the lioness lie down to
rest in the hot afternoon sun and the oryx curl up casually beside it,"
said journalist Munene.
Certainly, it was a jungle surprise.
(Source: Environment News Service/ 15 Jan 2002)
(Notice) Things we can learn from a dog
- Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
- Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
- When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
- When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.
- Let others know when they've invading your territory.
- Take naps and stretch before rising.
- Run, romp and play daily.
- Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you've had enough.
- Be loyal.
- Never pretend to be something you're not.
- If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
- When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them
gently.
- Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
- On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
- On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
- When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
- No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt
thing and pout ...run right back and make friends.
- Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
(18/01/2002) Doctor Dogmeat Muzzled by Pet Lovers
SEOUL - Hounded by pet lovers, South Korean dogmeat proponents were
forced to postpone a major event planned for this week to promote canine
cuisine and fight off international critics. Feisty animal lovers' phone
calls prompted the owner of the venue to withdraw its offer to rent space
to a would-be dogmeat restaurant federation that planned to launch a
campaign to promote the meat to tourists before and during the World Cup.
"There were complaints from animal lovers," said Kim Yoong-kwan,
spokesman for KT Corp, the state-owned telephone company which owns the
hall outside Seoul where the dogmeat convention was to be held. “We
cancelled our plan to rent the building as we had allowed them to “use the
building on the assumption there will be a seminar, not something like an
opening ceremony," he said of the unwanted publicity.
Some 100 dogmeat restaurant owners were to launch their federation
Monday with an appearance by a college professor dubbed "Doctor Dogmeat"
who boasts 350 canine recipes and a development strategy for the Korean
dogmeat industry. Dogs are bred to be eaten in South Korea, notably in
poshintang, literally "body preservation stew," which advocates say is
good for your health and which is considered a delicacy by some. The
eating of dogmeat in Korea caused particular alarm abroad and among animal
rights activists in South Korea ahead of the 2002 World Cup soccer finals
as some dogs are killed to make the meat more tender by beating, burning
or hanging.
One South Korean civic group has used the Internet to run an aggressive campaign against eating
dogmeat, even calling for a boycott of the World Cup finals, which South Korea and Japan will co-host from May 31 to June 30. The Anti-Dogmeat Headquarters
(www.admh.org) challenges dogmeat proponents' claim that Korean culture is under
attack, declaring that "eating dogs is a barbaric Chinese custom."
(Source: Reuters)
(19/01/2002) Veal Tested Positive for Antibiotic
BERLIN - The German and Dutch farm ministries said in a joint statement on Thursday a laboratory had found a banned antibiotic in veal meat exported from a Dutch slaughterhouse to
Germany, France and Austria. The antibiotic found in the meat,
chloramphenicol, was the same as one discovered in fish scraps imported to Europe from Asia for use as animal
feed, sparking fears it may have entered the human food chain.
A German farm ministry spokesman said the source of the antibiotic found in the veal meat by a Dutch laboratory was not yet
clear. “We can't at the moment make any link between the two,” the spokesman told
Reuters. According to the statement, authorities in the countries affected had been informed and the meat had been
recalled. The German farm ministry spokesman could not say if it had already reached supermarket
shelves. (Source Reuters January 17 2002)
(20/01/2002) Rare mountain gorillas 'safe'
Nairobi - Many wild animals in the forests around Congo's Nyiragongo
volcano are likely to be harmed by the torrent of lava, ash and sulphurous
gas pouring from the crater, wildlife experts said on Saturday. Nyiragongo
is one of eight volcanoes on the borders of Rwanda, the Democratic
Republic of Congo and Uganda, a region dense with tropical forests and
famously home to rare mountain gorillas. However, the gorillas inhabit
only the slopes of the six dormant volcanoes, and experts said they should
be safe from direct impact from the destruction inflicted by Nyiragongo on
the town of Goma and nearby forest. "It is unlikely that the forest the
gorillas inhabit will be affected greatly," Annette Lanjouw, head of the
International Gorilla Conservation Programme, said in a statement.
"However, chimpanzees and other wildlife in the forest around Nyiragongo
will probably be devastated."
The east African representative for the World Wide Fund For Nature, Sam
Kanyamibwa, said the recent eruption would affect every level of the mountain's
ecosystem, from worms to primates. While the mountain gorillas are too far from Nyiragongo to fear immediate
harm, the long-term effects from the volcano's eruption could be more
severe. Only about 650 mountain gorillas remain in the world, and more than half of those inhabit the slopes of the six dormant Virunga
volcanoes. They are ranked as critically endangered by international wildlife conventions.
(Source Fiona O'Brien /REUTERS 19Jan2002)
(21/01/2002 Invitation for the next Veggie Pride!
The second Veggie Pride will take place in Paris on 18 May 2002. All
vegetarians and vegans of the world are invited to demonstrate with us.
In short: Veggie Pride is intended for those refusing to kill animals
for consumption to show themselves. They make their existence known and by
that contribute to start a debate on the legitimacy of cattle-farming and
slaughter.
Veggie Pride requires the recognition of vegetarian and vegan rights (right to adequate meals in
communities, right to objective and correct medical information, granting of fair speaking time in media where their convictions or their practices are
attacked, right to refuse employment involving participation in animal-exploitation, right to refuse that their taxes are used for subsidies in cattle-farming and
fishing).
The law grants rights to human animals. Non-human animals do not enjoy
this privilege. So one of the aims of Veggie Pride consists in using our
legal privileges to prove solidarity by exercising pressure for the
benefit of other animals – whilst waiting for a better world in which
animals also will have rights.
All that is explained in detail on the Veggie Pride-website. Take a few minutes to check it out:
www.veggiepride.org.
You will find also information about the first Veggie Pride which took
place on 13 October, 2001. This very first VP was a surprising success
considering that we could start preparations only very late and that we
did not have an experience in organising demonstrations like that. The
next Veggie Pride is going to be much better – and bigger.
Herma Brockman,on behalf of the organizers of Veggie Pride.
Invitation à la prochaine Veggie Pride
La deuxième Veggie Pride aura lieu à Paris le 18 mai prochain. Tous les végétariens et végétaliens du monde sont invités à manifester ce jour là.
Voilà brièvement de quoi il s'agit:
La Veggie Pride est destinée à amener ceux qui refusent de faire tuer des animaux pour leur consommation à se montrer, à faire savoir au public qu¹ils existent, et ainsi à contribuer à ce que le débat sur la légitimité de l¹élevage et de l¹abattage des animaux soit enfin ouvert dans la société.
La Veggie Pride exige la reconnaissance des droits des végéta*iens (droit à des repas
végéta*iens dans les collectivités, droit à une information médicale objective et adaptée, exigence d'un temps de parole équitable dans les médias lorsque leurs convictions ou leurs pratiques y sont attaquées, droit de refuser les emplois impliquant une participation à l'exploitation des animaux, exigence que leurs impôts ne soient plus employés à soutenir l'élevage et la pêche).
A nous, animaux humains, la loi accorde des droits. Aux animaux non humains elle n¹en accorde pas. La démarche de la Veggie Pride consiste à utiliser notre privilège de " porteurs de droits " pour faire pression au bénéfice des autres animaux, dont nous sommes solidaires. En attendant un monde meilleur, où ces animaux eux aussi auront des droits.
Tout cela est beaucoup mieux expliqué sur le site de la Veggie Pride. Prenez 5mn pour y faire un tour. C¹est à l¹adresse
www.veggiepride.org. Vous y trouverez aussi des informations sur la première Veggie Pride (13 octobre 2001). Cette première VP a eu un succès inespéré, sachant que nous l¹avions préparée très peu de temps avant l¹événement et que nous n¹avions aucune expérience d¹organisation de manifestations. Pour la seconde, nous espérons faire mieux, ou du moins plus grand!
Jean-Pierre Oldenbourg et Corinne Bordonove (info@avea.net), pour les organisateurs de la Veggie
Pride.
Einladung zur nächsten Veggie Pride
Die zweite Veggie Pride wird am 18. Mai 2002 in Paris stattfinden.
Alle Vegetarier und Veganer der Welt sind eingeladen, bei dieser
Gelegenheit mit uns zu demonstrieren.
Worum geht es? Die Veggie Pride wird für all jene organisiert, die das
Töten von Tieren für den Konsum ablehnen, und die sich zeigen und dadurch
mithelfen wollen, dass die Debatte über die Rechtmässigkeit von Viehzucht
und Schlachten endlich aufgenommen wird.
Die Veggie Pride fordert auch Rechte der Vegetarier und Veganer ein
(Recht auf korrekte Mahlzeiten in Gemeinschaftseinrichtungen, Recht auf
objektive und detaillierte medizinische Auskunft, faire Sendezeiten in den
Medien, in denen ihre Überzeugungen oder Lebensweisen attackiert wurden,
Recht auf Ablehnung von Beschäftigungsverhältnissen, die die Ausbeutung
von Tieren beinhalten), ausserdem wird abgelehnt, dass mit Steuergeldern
von Vegetariern und Veganern Subventionen für Tierzucht und Fischerei
finanziert werden.
Menschliche Tiere geniessen rechtlichen Schutz. Nicht-menschliche
Tiere haben diesen nicht. Also besteht eines der Veggie Pride Ziele darin,
mit den uns gegebenen legalen Möglichkeiten Druck auszuüben im Interesse
von Tieren, mit denen wir uns solidarisch erklären – in Erwartung einer
besseren Welt, in der Tiere selbst Rechte haben werden.
All das ist ausführlich erklärt auf der Veggie Pride Homepage. Nehmen Sie sich ein paar Minuten Zeit für einen
Besuch:
www.veggiepride.org. Sie finden dort auch Berichte über die erste Veggie
Pride, die am 13. Oktober 2001 stattfand. Diese erste Veranstaltung hatte sich als überraschender Erfolg
erwiesen, vor allem auch unter Berücksichtung der Tatsache, dass wir erst sehr spät mit den Vorbereitungen beginnen konnten und noch keine Erfahrung mit der Organisation derartiger Demonstrationen
hatten. Die nächste Veggie Pride wird noch viel besser – und viel
grösser.
Herma Brockman (animal_net@swing.be), im Namen der Organisatoren der Veggie
Pride.
(Notice) Commentary from India
God gave free will to mankind, and it's a free world. The fact that
most of us lack the wisdom to use our freedom for the good of ourselves
and others, is our fault, not God's. Man has brought the world close to
destruction, by his greed and thoughtlessness. We have invited diseases
like cancer, heart, diabetes, polio, and many more, because of the
lifestyles and diets we choose.
The mad cow disease can, of course, be put away as a coincidence which
we need not bother about any more. We can, of course, donate to
researchers to torture dumb animals in order to find a cure for self
created diseases. We can also pay fancy prices and consider ourselves
above morality by indulging in exotic foods like dog or cat meat which
carries agony in every molecule.
One cannot blame hoteliers for wanting to cash in where a profit may be had. Nor can one blame the heartless for lacking sensitivity. If we can blame anyone, let it be ourselves; that not all our progress and education and emancipation have succeeded in raising mankind beyond the crude monsters of pre-stone age era, as far as sensibilities seem to go.
What is indisputable is that the world would probably be a happier place without the homo sapiens, and that God probably regrets His efforts to save our souls through His suffering.
Purnima L.Toolsidass, Calcutta
(22/01/2002) PETA pounces on catwalk at Versace couture show
With Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and singer Sheryl Crow looking on, two
anti-fur protesters jumped on the catwalk during designer Donatella
Versace's haute couture show in Paris on Saturday. The demonstrators, who
claimed allegiance to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA),
were tackled by security guards as models continued to strut down the
runway. One unfurled a banner that said ''Fur Kills. Peta.''
The audience seemed stunned, but then the mood returned to normal as Madonna and Paltrow made
jokes. Madonna disappeared after the show to join other VIPs at a party hosted by Versace at the latest Paris hot spot, La Cantine du Faubourg.
(Source: USA TODAY)
(23/01/2002) Success of MATP-Campaign: Bullfights
in Caracas-Venezuela cancelled
In November 2001, the Anti-Bullfighting Movement of Portugal (MATP)
launched a campaign against the so-called Press bullfight that was to take
place in the “Poliedro” of Caracas. Although Venezuela is a country where
several bullfights per year are organized, there had been none in Caracas
since the last one in 1997 in the only bullring of the city, the "Nuevo
Circo". After a family opposing bullfights had bought this bullring, the
greed of organisations and bullfighters pushed for a re-introduction of
these cruel shows in the “Poliedro”, a Caracas stadium adaptable for these
events. We campaigned against these plans and succeeded, thanks to many
thousands of protests from all over the world.
The goals of MATP are not only to abolish already existing bullfights but also to work against their introduction
everywhere. In this context we are pleased that, with the help of many caring people working against
cruelties, we were able to prevent the Caracas project and similar ones in Cuba,
Moscow, and Kazakhstan.
We shall continue our efforts until there will be no more bullfights
anywhere.
Maria Lopes
Coordinator of the Lisbon's Delegation of MATP
and of the European Platform Against Bullfights
(24/01/2002) Press Statement by GAIA Belgium 22
January 2002: European subsidies encourage cruelty
Pictures reveal the cruelties inflicted on animals being exported to the Middle
East.
300.000 cattle are exported annually from the European Union to the
Middle East and North Africa. The principal exporters are Germany,
Ireland, France and the Netherlands. The long transport, brutalities
during unloading and the methods of killing practised in the Middle East
turn these exports into the cruelest trade of the European Union.
Leaving from Ireland, the cattle are transported by ship to the Middle
East on a 4.000 kilometre long voyage lasting between 7 to 10 days. In the
event of storms, hundreds of animals die already during the transport.
From Germany, France and the Netherlands, the animals are transported to
Southern ports for shipments of 6 to 10 days.
Latest pictures show the slaughter of animals from Germany, Spain and France in a Lebanese
slaughterhouse, where the animals are treated with greatest cruelty. They are hung by one hind leg and pulled to the killing place. These large animals have to suffer a painful and terrifying
treatment. They are not stunned before the throats of the fully conscious animals are cut and they are left to bleed to
death.
This inhuman trade is generously subsidized by the European Union.
Each year, 60 to 100 million Euros are distributed in the form of
subsidies to cattle dealers and exporters for cattle from EU countries to
the Middle East and North Africa in order to prevent a cattle-surplus on a
European market of bad reputation.
The European Coalition for the well being of the farm animals
considers it immoral that money of taxpayers is used to further this cruel
trade inflicting great sufferings on animals. The European Parliament
recently voted for the second time in favour of a cancellation of these
export-aids. However, the European Commission and the Council of the
European Union continue to ignore the claim and still subsidize cattle
exports. Consequently, the European Coalition for the well being of farm
animals requests that the Commission and the European Council of
Agriculture accede to the request of the European Parliament and abolish
these subsidies.
You can help us in our peaceful combat for the well being of all these
defenceless animals by supporting our campaign “Arrêtez le calvaire' (Stop
the Ordeal). Order protest postcards from us and send them to Minister
Aelvoet, responsible for the well being of animals.
GAIA, 90 Rue des Palais, 1030 Brussels, Tel: +32 2/245.29.50 Fax: +32 2/215.09.43
Email: GAIA@advalvas.be
Readers from other European countries - please contact your respective
Ministries of Agriculture!
(25/01/2002) Greenpeace: Global Whales Day of Action
On 23 January 2002, Greenpeace offices around the world took part in
the second day of global protest to stop Japanese whaling. The Japanese
whaling fleet is in the Southern ocean right now catching Minke whales and
the Japanese government is working hard to overturn the ban on commercial
whaling at the May meeting of the International Whaling Commission in
Shimonoseki, Japan.
In the lead up to the IWC meeting Greenpeace will be increasing the pressure around the world. You can join the Global Whales Action Team to get the latest information and help stop
whaling.
Sources.
Check out the Greenpeace whales web site:
whales.greenpeace.org
to see what happened on the Global Day of Action and how you can help.
No more pasta for lioness Lea
Rome - A seven-year-old lioness named Lea who spent the first years of her life in an Italian zoo eating pasta left Rome heading for South Africa where she is to be released into a game park.
"She's a real kitten, she even eats pasta," one of her keepers told the Italian Telenews agency before the big cat was caged up and put on a flight to Johannesburg The
seven-year-old, who spent the first year of her life in an apartment before being transferred to a Rome zoo for dangerous
animals, will undergo training before she is released into the Rhino and Lion Park just outside Johannesburg. The lioness has already satisfied veterinary surgeons that she can adapt to life in the game reserve after living in
captivity. (Source: Sapa-AFP - 24 Jan 2002)
(Notice) Save Iris, a Dolphin Dying in Captivity
For an extraordinary "show" for our children (parents are also welcome), starving for the fish
the trainer has at the tip of his fingers - their only given means of
sustenance - the dolphins will show you their best flips and jumps. They
look very happy to "play" but actually it is nothing else but"the
prisoners walk."
We the undersigned request that Iris and Ivo be released from the
Duisburg Zoo. Exhausted by 20 years of captivity, numerous friends’ death
and heart broken from the loss of her last child, Iris deserves freedom.
She could have other offspring's and live at least another 20 years if she
was in her natural environment. In Duisburg, she will probably be dead
soon.
Dolphins are suffering in captivity to the point of letting themselves
die. As of today, even with numerous cetaceans losses, no laws are
protecting them or forbidding these deathly conditions.
Freedom for Iris and Ivo before it is too late. They have a right to end their lives in dignity and
freedom. They already gave so much.Click
here for more info
(Notice) Demo in London, 25 January
When: Friday, Jan 25th at 12:30 pm.
Where: South Korean Embassy, 60 Buckingham Gate, London, England.
Why: To raise awareness of the ongoing illegal consumption of dogs and cats in Korea.
Please join International Aid for Korean Animals (IAKA) and animal
activists from throughout the United Kingdom to protest the illegal dog
meat and cat juice trade that.
To receive a full-color pdf (easy print) version of our demo flyer, please email us by clicking
here.
Demonstration Information - In the UK: Steve and Deb Wilkinson, Midlands Representatives,
Email, Phone 0178 225 6983 - UK Media Contact: Denise Potter,
Email, Phone 0208-332-7499 - In the US: Kyenan Kum,
Email, Phone 510-271-6795.
(26/01/2002) Hungary gears up to fight Italian bird poachers
Hungary said on Thursday it would ask the European Parliament to ban serving protected birds as delicacies in Italian restaurants to stop Italian hunters crossing to Hungary to kill
them. Last November Hungarian customs officials seized the carcasses of more than ten thousand protected birds in a truck on the Hungarian-Croatian border, heading to EU-member
Italy. On Wednesday, customs officials caught an Italian smuggling 20 birds into Hungary from Romania in his car. In an effort to end the killing of rare and protected
birds, Hungary plans to set up a nature protection squad. (Source: Reuters 25Jan2002)
BSE cattle born after feed curbs cause concern
Scientists are trying to explain a sudden rise in the number of BSE
infected cattle born after tough feed controls were meant to throttle the
disease. Four such animals have been diagnosed over six weeks, bringing
the total to 10 and more are likely now that the government has stepped up
testing.
The European commission has signalled it would consider imposing new
export controls on British beef if the number rose to more than 50 in 12
months. The latest case to be announced was a Friesian cow which had spent
its entire life in Leicestershire. But there has been a wide geographical
spread of cases, including two in Northern Ireland, causing difficulties
for officials trying to pinpoint causes of infection - likely to have been
well over five years ago. Although officials say there is no food safety
risk, because the animals are too old to go into the food chain,
frustration is growing among government advisers. There is increasing
suspicion that mammalian meat and bone meal continued to reach calves
after August 1996, when feed laws were strengthened, either through
supplies being kept on farms or through cross-contamination. One theory
suggests this might have happened on container ships. But questions are
also being raised about how rigorously farmers have obeyed the law.
Scientists had hypothesised some animals might get the disease when in the
womb. But it is understood maternal transmission appears unlikely in most confirmed cases. The possibility exists that BSE is being spread on a small scale through pastures being contaminated by excrement from infected
cows. (Source: Guardian Unlimited – 25Jan2002)
(27/01/2002) Lion of Kabul roars his last
Marjan, the lion who survived years of conflict and ill-treatment in
Afghanistan and touched the hearts of animal lovers abroad, has died at
Kabul zoo. The 48 year-old beast who was half-blind, lame and almost
toothless died of old age only weeks after an international animal rescue
mission arrived to help him. The only lion in Kabul zoo, he was a gift
from Germany in more peaceful times 38 years ago, and became something of
a symbol of survival against the odds. Among his reported exploits are
killing and eating a Taleban fighter who climbed into his enclosure to
prove his bravery. The man's brother attacked the lion with a grenade in
revenge, leaving it lame and blind in one eye.
The keeper who looked after Marjan for the last eight years said the
lion had not eaten for a few days when he found him dead in his cage on
Saturday morning. "He was very old. He had to go sometime", Sheraq Omar
was quoted as saying. And he expressed hope that Marjan would be replaced,
preferably by a breeding pair.
Teams from the World Society for the Protection of Animals are in Kabul and took food and medical aid for Marjan and the few other animals to have survived at the run-down zoo. They also installed heating and lighting in Marjan's indoor quarters and provided a ramp to help him get in and out. The society said conditions at the zoo had been truly
awful. But it paid tribute to zoo staff who had remained to care for the animals despite not being paid for several months and being short of food
themselves. (Source BBC, 26 January, 2002)
(28/01/2002) Korea dog meat row - South Korea has thousands
of dog meat restaurants
Animal rights activists in South Korea have held a rally in the capital Seoul to protest
against the custom of eating dog meat. Protesters burnt pictures of two
South Korean legislators who have led a campaign to legalise the practice.
The demonstration was organised to counter moves by restaurant owners who
on Friday launched a national federation to protect the eating of dog meat.
The several dozen protesters chanted "Stop abusing animals" and
displayed pictures of skinned dogs at the rally in a Seoul park.
Dogs are specially bred in South Korea to be eaten - notably in "poshintang",
which literally means "body preservation stew". Afficionados say
it is good for health, and some consider it a delicacy. Foreign activists
have criticised the illegal way in which some dogs are killed to make the
meat more tender - by beating, burning or hanging. Such methods are now
officially banned. It is estimated that only 16% of dogs in South Korea
are bred as pets.
In November, FIFA President Sepp Blatter urged South Koreans to stop eating dog meat
during the World Cup. The practice has also been denounced by the French
actress turned animal rights activist, Brigitte Bardot. (Source. BBC
27 January, 2002)
(29/01/2002) Passionate Pigs By Russil Durrant
Perhaps no other animal is more a subject of abuse and derogation than the
pig. However, the pig in real life, in its natural environment, is neither
dirty, gross nor nasty, but instead is blessed with sensitivity, intelligence, curiosity and
charm. It is time we reappraise our attitudes to pigs, for they are surely animals worthy of our love and compassion, not
disparagement, unkindness and abuse.
As the growing number of people who are adopting pigs as companions can
testify, pigs are naturally playful, curious and sensitive animals. They are also highly intelligent. For
example, John Robbins, author of Diet for a new America, relates a story of pig heroics which was widely covered in American
newspapers. Carol Burke and her eleven year old son Antony were enjoying a swim in a Texas
lake, when Antony strayed too far from shore into deep water, and began to panic. Fortunately for the terrified boy, Victoria Herberta had also brought her pet pig Priscilla to enjoy a swim at the
lake. Priscilla, obviously noting Antony’s distress, immediately rushed into the water and swam strongly out towards
him. Luckily the boy managed to stay afloat until Priscilla reached him. Antony then took hold of Priscilla’s
leash, and as bystanders watched from the shore in amazement, Priscilla pulled the boy to
safety.
Such stories of pig intelligence and integrity abound among the many guardians of these wonderful
animals. For example, Doctor Mike Seltzer, a long-time companion of Boris, a pot-bellied
pig, relates how Boris would usually accompany himself and his family on their regular outings
together. One day his children were going for a walk with some of their
friends, and Mike, thinking that they might not appreciate the company of Boris, kept him inside the yard, which was
fenced, with a bolt-lock on the gate. However, such confinement was no match for Boris, who went straight to the
gate, unbolted it with his snout and trotted happily after the children, who were delighted to see
him.
These stories of pig intelligence are well confirmed by animal
psychologists, many of whom rate the pig as above dogs in terms of intelligence and problems solving
abilities. For example, Professor Stanley Curtis from Pennsylvania State University has taught pigs to play special computer games where they demonstrate sophisticated learning and problem solving
abilities. The pigs appear to learn the fundamental aspects of such games as quick as the smartest chimps do. They can also remember their lessons for more than three
years.
The image of pigs was given a substantial boost recently by the film Babe, which portrayed Babe the pig as an intelligent and highly moral animal who could carry out the difficult sheep-herding role normally played by
dogs. Although this film was obviously a fantasy, it may well have its counterpart in real life, according to Katy
Cropp, a sheep-dog trials winner. Katy reports having been able to teach pigs to carry out the rounding up and splitting of sheep in much the same manner as dogs are capable of
doing. These examples of pig intelligence raise important questions about the use to which we often put these much-maligned
animals. As Dick Smith, author of the book The sheep dog, on which Babe was based notes, “we don’t tend to eat animals that we rate high in intelligence, like dogs and
chimps. So if pigs are as intelligent as these animals as seems to be the case, then we shouldn’t eat them
either.” Indeed, after the screening of Babe, pork consumption declined 40 per cent in
Australia.
There are obviously more people finding these animals interesting ( seehttp://PigsInTheNews.com
) but, of course, happy pig stories are difficult to come by. So if you know of
any, please share them with us.
(30/01/2002) Motion in the Ocean may save the Whales
Japan's long disputed claim that it has to kill whales in order to study them is about to be further contested with a breakthrough by Australian scientists. They have developed a method to determine whale stomach contents for the first time by DNA testing, sifting through the giant mammals' bodily waste for their evidence. Data collected tells the scientists what prey the whales have consumed, gives an individual signature for each animal, and even shows which intestinal parasites they carry.
"We will be telling the International Whaling Commission that this is a robust, non-lethal method for studying whales," said Nick Gales, a principal research scientist at the Federal Environment Department's Antarctic Division. Despite repeated votes against Japan's whaling program at the IWC, its whalers kill more than 500 minke whales each year under a self-awarded scientific permit. In 2000 it also began catching small numbers of the larger Brydes and sperm whales. The meat is sold at fish markets.
IWC permits demand consideration of whether scientists' questions can be answered using non-lethal methods, and Japan has repeatedly argued that it must kill whales to examine their stomach contents. Dr Gales said the DNA method, tested with blue whales, had found it was possible to identify in their faeces prey species such as krill, as well as nematode parasites, and even the whales' gender and individual identity. "It's going to provide some real information to put into food web models," Dr Gales said. "If it points out that they are competing with fish stocks, then we'll have to deal with that."
He agreed that some other Japanese research questions, such as foetal growth rates, could not be answered by the new method. The breakthrough was achieved when researchers in Victoria, Western Australia, and the United States collected blue whale faeces in nets. The wastes are eliminated by the animals near the surface, as a thin brown cloud in the water. Dr Gales said the DNA in the wastes had been separated and individually identified, to be matched with known species. He said collecting data could be time-consuming, because it meant finding and staying close to surfacing whales. "But it's certainly no more time-consuming than killing whales. And it's a lot
cheaper." (By Andrew Darby in Hobart - The Sidney Morning Herald)
(31/01/2002) Belgian PCB Contamination Spreads to Pigs
Brussels (Reuters) - Belgium said on Tuesday it had found the same cancer-causing chemicals in pig feed that it had found in chicken feed made by a local compounder, raising fears of another dioxin-type scandal. Health officials said two samples of pig feed made by the compounder in the western Flemish town of Roeselare near the French border had traces of polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs. Their level of contamination exceeded by up to eight times the national threshold of 200 micrograms per kilogram, according to the federal agency in charge of safety in the food chain, known by its French acronym AFSCA.
"Given the measured value of the meal and the short exposure of the animals, the expected concentrations in the fat of the pigs are not expected to be alarming,'' it said in a statement. The feed went to eight pig farms on January 4. Four of the farms sent pigs to slaughterhouses before they were ordered by the AFSCA to stop
deliveries. The AFSCA said it was still trying to locate the pork sent to market.
On January 18, the agency seized 4,500 pieces of frozen chicken at a slaughterhouse in the nearly town of Torhout, but not before another 13,500 pieces had gone to the
market. (Reuters, January 29, 2002)
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