Month: August 2020

Environmental, General News

Iceland / UK; Good News of the Week. Beluga Whales (Little Grey and Little White) Finally Arrive In Iceland At New Sanctuary Home; After Years ‘Performing’ In China.

WAV Comment – Really wonderful news in these down times ! – I watched the move live into the special area, before going into the real sanctuary waters, on the BBC this morning (10/8/20); and it was great to see so many happy faces from people who have given so much to achieving this ‘dream come true’.  Thanks also to ‘Cargolux’, who flew the whales to their new home.  UK Merlin entertainments and the Charity ‘Sea Life Trust’ who were behind all of this all the way; and it is great to see that they know that wild animals such as these belong in the wild and not performing dumb tricks for even dumber humans who pay to go and see them ! – Mark.

Thanks but NO tanks !

Beluga whale Little Grey is one of two whales to be freed from captivity in China to swim in the sea for the first time in nearly a decade

Above – Beluga whale Little Grey is one of two whales to be freed from captivity in China to swim in the sea for the first time in nearly a decade

Beluga Whales Little Grey and Little White swim in the bayside care pool where they are acclimatising to the natural environment


Beluga Whales Little Grey and Little White swim in the bayside care pool where they are acclimatising to the natural environment
Beluga whales rehomed in worlds first open sea sanctuary

Our past posts on the trip to the sanctuary:

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/05/22/thanks-but-no-tanks-in-just-a-few-weeks-little-grey-and-little-white-will-enter-their-new-sanctuary-home-where-they-can-live-a-proper-life/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/06/19/little-grey-and-little-white-have-now-begun-their-journey-to-their-new-sea-sanctuary/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/04/05/beluga-whales-little-grey-and-little-white-moved-to-the-worlds-first-beluga-sanctuary-in-april-2019-confirmed/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/02/21/very-close-now-to-moving-little-grey-and-little-white-to-their-sanctuary-home-in-iceland/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/06/20/update-two-very-special-belugas-have-arrived-at-their-new-sanctuary-home/

Beluga whale Little Grey is one of two whales to be freed from captivity in China to swim in the sea for the first time in nearly a decade

Meet the whales with plenty to smile about! Two belugas are transported from captivity in China to a new ocean refuge 6,000 miles away thanks to British charity

All photos via the Daily Mail – UK newspaper.

Click on this link to see all the photos and videos of this amazing trip to freedom !

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8610215/Two-beluga-whales-transported-captivity-China-new-ocean-refuge-6-000-miles-away.html

Whales Little Grey and Little White have been taken to a sanctuary in Iceland

The belugas had been taught to perform tricks at Ocean World in Shanghai

It is the first time they  have been in the sea since they were taken in 2011 

They are creatures who always seem to have a smile on their faces.

And now, two beluga whales are sure to be feeling much happier thanks to British charity the Sea Life Trust.

The whales, called Little Grey and Little White, have been freed from captivity in China to swim in the sea for the first time in nearly a decade. 

In a painstakingly-planned, 6,000-mile journey the charity relocated the 12-year-old pair from a Chinese aquarium – where they performed as show animals – to the world’s first open water sanctuary.

They are now exploring a special area of the facility at Klettsvik Bay off the south coast of Iceland to acclimatise before their final release in to the wider sanctuary.

Andy Bool, head of the Sea Life Trust, said: ‘We’re absolutely delighted to be able to share the news that Little Grey and Little White are safely in their sea sanctuary care pools and are just one step away from being released into their open water home.

‘Following extensive planning and rehearsals, the first stage of their release back to the ocean was as smooth as we had hoped and planned for.’ 

It is the first time the belugas, both female, have been in the sea since they were taken from a Russian whale research centre in 2011, the charity said.

The cetaceans were later transferred to China, where they performed tricks for fish.

For their trip to Iceland, the pair were put in specially-designed slings with custom-made foam matting to cushion their bodies during the complex journey, which involved a lorry, a Boeing 747-400ERF cargo aircraft and a harbour tugboat.

The final stage of their release is due in the coming weeks. Merlin Entertainments, the UK firm that owns Sea Life centres, acquired Changfeng Ocean World aquarium in China in 2012, and had been searching for a new home for the belugas. 

The company made a ‘substantial donation’ to the Sea Life Trust to fund the operation.

The Sea Life Trust describes Little Grey as ‘very playful’ but she also has a mischievous side – and likes to spit water at her care team. 

Little White is ‘much more reserved but still likes to play and forms close bonds with her carers’.

The average life span of a beluga is 40 to 60 years. An estimated 200,000 live in the wild.

General News, Vivisection

USA: Constipation ‘Research’ on America’s cats include Snapping their Spines and Injecting Potato up their Backsides for “research”, sickening records show. US Taxpayers Pay $500,000-$1million (£782,000) Per Year for this waste and abuse.

FRIGHTENING experiments on America’s cats include snapping their spines and injecting potato up their bums for “research”, sickening records show.

Barbaric tests on moggies as young as six months old for constipation and incontinence experiments involve the implantation of electrodes to stimulate bladders and colons, say campaigners.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12215724/experiments-americas-cats-exposed-spines-snapped-potato-injected-bums-research/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebarweb

Gut-wrenching photos and video of cats being operated on to insert devices have been provided exclusively to The Sun by the White Coat Waste Project, which obtained them through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Thousands of dollars have been spent on the lab cats in the US, FOIA information shows

The group was given receipts showing that thousands of dollars are being spent on lab cats supplied for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) research.

These include a tabby called Milo; Oreo, a black and white cat; and tabbies Prince, Otis and Joey – all used for constipation research.

The FOIA info shows:

  • The VA buys healthy cats and performs invasive surgeries to implant electrodes to remotely stimulate their bladders or colons, severs some of the cats’ spinal cords, and then kills and dissects them.
  • It exposes bowels for electrode placement, before increasing pressure on the cats’ colon “in response to rectal stimulation”.
  • Artificial poos made from bran, potato flour and saline “are used for bowel experiments”.

The Veterans Department says it has been granted approval to use felines to help Americans with debilitating illnesses.

For example bladder-based research was needed as, “more than 15 million Americans face the challenges of incontinence, frequent urination, or dysfunctional voiding”, where people struggle to pass stools.

The electrodes are placed inside felines as part of constipation and bladder research

CATS ‘BIG ENOUGH FOR DEVICES’

This is “often related to spinal cord injury, diabetes, or ageing, which are common in the veteran population,” says the VA.

It aims to find “better ways to diagnose and treat the causes of these problems” by using devices “that can monitor bladder volume and pressure under everyday conditions and in people without sensation.

“Cats control their bladders in ways similar to how people do, and are large enough for devices developed with them to be scalable for human use.”

FAKE POO USED

But, the VA has been slammed by the White Coat Waste Projects as “taxpayers are being forced to pay over $500,000-$1million (£782,000) per year for this waste and abuse.

“Using the FOIA, we have obtained never-before-seen videos, photos and other documents detailing constipation experiments in a US govt lab.

“Cats are given spinal cord injuries, implanted with experimental devices, and then fake faeces are forced into their rectums.

“At the end, the cats are killed,” the group says.

Justin Goodman, vice president of advocacy and public policy at the taxpayer watchdog group, told The Sun: “Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay millions for VA bureaucrats to buy healthy cats, cripple and mutilate them, and videotape their abuse in wasteful, bizarre and deadly constipation experiments.”

Gruesome pics show the cats being operated on to insert devices

Analysis of medical records obtained via the FOIA show the experiments and procedures cause the cats “distress, seizures, bloody urine, and depression”, the group found.

It’s accused the VA of “torturing cats as young as six months old in cruel and wasteful constipation and incontinence experiments”.

Instead of using animals, the tests “could be done in human volunteers which would give results directly related to people”, WCW urged.

From initial information released so far, two of the experiments show approval to “use and kill 35 cats”, the campaigners added.

Purchase receipts provided by the VA shows its researchers “typically buy cats for these experiments in August and September each year.

The VA insists the procedures help those with bladder and bowel control problems

“All of these tests are classified as painful experiments.”

Since January 2016, the VA’s constipation tests have cost taxpayers about $200,000 (£156,000) a year. This project is scheduled to run until December 2020.

These have been running alongside incontinence tests.

Mr Goodman said that after crucial lobbying “by our watchdog group and its over two million members, Congress has drawn a line in the sand.

“It has cut funding for the VA’s dog tests and directed it to phase-out its wasteful experiments on cats by 2025.

“But this taxpayer-funded horror show we’ve uncovered underscores that action is urgently needed right now.”

The VA has been urged to stop using animals for 'distressing' tests


The VA says on its website that it “is committed to supporting the research that is needed to improve medical care for Veterans”.

More than half of its research is “done with human subjects, computer models, analysis of existing data, or collection of data from biological systems other than vertebrate animals”.

Of the remainder, rats and mice are mainly used, while “less than five per cent of that last one per cent depends on living vertebrate animals involving dogs, cats, or nonhuman primates”.

Its animal testing is approved before going ahead, with “feedback provided by at least one boarded laboratory animal veterinarian” and it undergoes further reviewing.

The VA says that “cats are the smallest known species in which the control of bowel storage and emptying are managed as in humans.

“Research is to learn more about the neurophysiology mechanisms involved, so that better therapeutic approaches can be developed.”

Felines are also used for research on sleep, to help people suffering from sleep apnoea.


Talking of back passages – here above is a prime one.

Regards Mark

Hunting

Germany: Rollator for assholes!

One of the most popular and most common execution places in the German hunt is the “high seats”.
And that means that a murderer will climb that tower and shoot anything that moves.

Jäger im Hochsitz

Through the feeding that they regularly put in front of this murder seat, they want to get their future victims used to always coming to the same place so that they can be shot more easily.
They create, so to speak, the future place of execution.

fütterung PG
Because hunters are not only professional killers but also professional liars, they claim that they use this method to help weak wild animals not to starve over the winter.
In fact, they just want to shoot a deer quickly and not sit in the high seat for hours and wait for one to run past.
The winter of that year was very mild. So if the winter is so mild, it should go without saying that no hunter feeds. But they do it anyway.

I once asked a hunter in my area why his high seat is so close to the feeding place.
He said…
“Well, I’m a little visually impaired. The maximum distance to meet a deer is about 10 meters. Once I wanted to shoot a fox from 15 meters when I accidentally shot my hunting dog. It was a great tragedy. That should never happen again”.

Everywhere we are still literally surrounded by high seats and feeding places, at least on the high Black Forest, where I live.

With around 388,000 hunters in Germany (2019) and taking into account the fact that a hunting license can be obtained within 6 days, it very often happens that when hunting, many animals are only shot and die in agony.
In addition, not all animals that are hunted end up on the plate. Foxes shot dogs, cats, or badgers are not eaten and go into the garbage can.

To support them in their grueling actions, there are always new products on the market, and one of them is this high seat rollator that I found on a trip today.

Hochsitz_Rollator_20200809Rollator for assholes

My best regards to all, Venus

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

England: Want to Pay NO Tax and have a Very Limited Crew John ? – Then Register Your Ship In Panama.
SARAH M photo

What with the Panama registered livestock ship (Sarah M) operating for Irish exporters taking Irish cattle to Libya; and the environmental disaster today relating to a ‘Japanese owned’ but Panama registered tanker “Wakashio”, causing environmental havoc in Mauritius, I decided to look into ‘Panama and shipping’ a little more. 

With great help from the BBC in London, here is what was found.

Panama is a small nation of approximately three million, yet it has the largest shipping fleet in the world, greater than those of the US and China combined.

Thanks to its location and slender shape, Panama enjoys a position as the guardian of one of the world’s most important marine trade routes, which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Cheaper foreign labour

Most merchant ships flying Panama’s flag belong to foreign owners wishing to avoid the stricter marine regulations imposed by their own countries.

Panama operates what is known as an open registry. Its flag offers the advantages of easier registration (often online) and the ability to employ cheaper foreign labour. Furthermore the foreign owners pay NO income taxes.

About 8,600 ships fly the Panamanian flag. By comparison, the US has around 3,400 registered vessels and China just over 3,700.

Under international law, every merchant ship must be registered with a country, known as its flag state.

That country has jurisdiction over the vessel and is responsible for inspecting that it is safe to sail and to check on the crew’s working conditions.

Open registries, sometimes referred to pejoratively as flags of convenience, have been contentious from the start.

By last year, almost three quarters of the world’s fleet was registered under a flag of a country other than its own.

The registry is lucrative for Panama, bringing in half a billion dollars for the economy in fees, services and taxes.

However, critics of the system point to the ease of hiding the true identity of shipowners and the lax enforcement of rules and regulations.

Luis Fruto, representative of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) in Panama, says the country turns a blind eye to its “responsibilities in order to acquire higher registration”.

The ITF has led a campaign against flags of convenience since 1958. It considers that Panamanian registration is better than some “from a safety viewpoint, but it remains seriously flawed in areas such as oversight, accident investigation and crew assistance”.

Two years ago, Mr Fruto investigated the death of a woman sailor, 22, on her first voyage. She became trapped in machinery that was reportedly faulty and died.

The ITF says that, rather than heading for the nearest port as rules dictate, the ship continued to sail for more than two weeks with her body in a freezer.

Further investigation by the ITF suggested that some of the shipping certificates had been bought.

International legal requirements insist that countries operating open registries inspect vessels, comply with international regulations and investigate accidents and corruption.

But critics say that Panama cuts corners in all these tasks, putting maritime workers at risk.

Indeed, accidents involving Panamanian-registered ships are high.

In 2000, ITF general secretary David Cockroft was able to buy a Panamanian first officer’s certificate for $4,000 to navigate a ship – even though he had no maritime skills or experience.

Despite repeated assurances that the country was cleaning up its act, Roberto Linares, the head of the Panama Maritime Authority, resigned in June after it was discovered that workers were being certified without the proper qualifications.

“Panama’s registry will last for ever,” said Jorge Luis Sanchez, professor at the International Maritime University of Panama. “Those who don’t like the open registry can opt to do something else with their ships.”

Jazmina Rovi, former director of the Panama Maritime Law Association, said unions are better off enforcing uniform standards than eliminating the registry altogether.

With the new maritime administrator sworn in last month, it remains to be seen whether Panama will crack down on corruption and safety breaches or continue to live with the taint that still clings to flags of convenience.

We (WAV) doubt that the crew operating the Panamanian registered livestock  vessel ‘Sarah M’ are that familiar with the EU Regulation 1/2005 on the protection and welfare of animals in transport.  Thus, one has to ask if the Irish operators of the Libyan consignment; the  Purcell Brothers and Curzon Livestock. have concerns about animal welfare; or is it simply a case of getting the cheapest deal possible to operate a shipping vessel to carry livestock at any cost – and that is to find one registered in Panama ?

Regards Mark

Farm Animals

Mexico City forbids slaughtering and selling animals on the street

August 7, 2020
Mexico

On July 6th, Mexico City declared that mobile food vendors will no longer be allowed to sell or slaughter live-animals on the spot within the capitol. Vendors who operate food pop-ups at places such as street fairs, flea markets, and other outdoor spaces will have 90 days to update their registration with the Mexican government and abide by the new law.

The new rule doesn’t apply to brick and mortar stores.

 

 

VIOLATORS WILL BE SUBJECTED TO:

-Suspension of work from two to ninety days
-Cancellation of the vendor’s license
-Removal of the street fair/flea market representative

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR ANIMALS: The new ruling is a great step in the right direction and was implemented to address the lack of sanitation capabilities at these mobile markets, which could contribute to disease outbreaks.

Furthermore, the ban will spare many animals in Mexico City from the stress of travel, cramped conditions, and horror of being slaughtered while conscious.

blutendes schwein

WORKING TO END ALL LIVE-ANIMAL MARKETS: Animal Equality Mexico has been working with Senator Jesusa Rodriguez on a national initiative that would ban live animal markets and backyard slaughterhouses in all of Mexico.

We also have a global initiative for a ban on all wet markets that sell and kill animals.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Regardless of where they’re located, slaughterhouses and factory farms always contribute to risk in disease outbreaks. The best way to help both animals and public health is to stop contributing to these industries and go plant-based!

Also, take a moment to sign and share our petition asking the United Nations to help close all markets that sell and slaughter live animals.

BAN WET MARKETS THAT SELL LIVE ANIMALS

Petition: https://animalequality.org/action/markets

 

And I mean…A good step.
We are waiting and hope for another step, namely the ban of sell and slaughter of live-animals in all of Mexico.
Changes of this kind are achieved with pressure on governments and politicians through organizations, petitions, demonstrations.
Society will adapt and accept what the law says.
As simple as that.

My best regards to all, Venus

Environmental

Tanker accident in Mauritius: a crime against the environment.

Mauritius has declared an environmental emergency because an oil tanker ran aground off its coast. Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth asked France for help in combating the impending environmental disaster.

“Our country doesn’t have the skills and expertise to refloat stranded ships, so I have appealed for help from France and President Emmanuel Macron,” he said. Bad weather has made it impossible to act, and “I worry what could happen Sunday when the weather deteriorates.”

Mauritius Leaking Ship

This photo taken and provided by Georges de La Tremoille of Mu Press shows oil leaking from the MV Wakashio, a bulk carrier ship that recently ran aground off the southeast coast of Mauritius, Friday, Aug. 7, 2020.  (Georges de La Tremoille/MU Press via AP)

 

The freighter “Wakashio”, which belongs to a Japanese company and sails under the Panamanian flag, ran aground off the southeast coast of the island state on July 25 with around 4,000 tons of fuel on board. The 20 crew members could be brought to safety.

However, oil is currently flowing unhindered into the sea from a leak in the ship’s side.

mauriziusThe tanker “Wakashio” is aground off Mauritius. Around 1,000 tons of oil have now leaked. (Photo: DEV RAMKHELAWON / AFP)

 

According to a spokesman for Japanese operator Mitsui OSK Lines, an attempt was made to bring the oil from the freighter by helicopter. However, bad weather hampers the work, said the spokesman in Tokyo. The company also tried to prevent the oil from spreading by locking in the water. Because of the heavy swell “it doesn’t work well” (!!)

Government statements this week said the ship ran aground July 25 and the National Coast Guard received no distress call. The ship’s owners were listed as the Japanese companies Okiyo Maritime Corporation and Nagashiki Shipping Co. Ltd.

Environmentalists fear a disaster, the accident site is near two nature reserves. The oil threatens to pollute the coral reefs, lagoons and white sandy beaches that Mauritius is famous for as a tourist destination.

Aerial photos showed that large parts of the turquoise-blue water are already dark in color.

“Thousands of species around the pristine lagoons of Blue Bay, Pointe d’Esny and Mahebourg are at risk of drowning in a sea of pollution, with dire consequences for Mauritius’ economy, food security, and health,” Khambule said.

Mauritius-Unterwasserwelt-jpg

But above all, the unanswered questions cause anger among the residents.
The authorities are just now trying to get the disaster under control.
Why did the authorities appear to be inactive for two weeks?

“The oil should have been pumped out immediately after the accident to avoid leakage”, said Dowarkasing. That was gross negligence on the part of the authorities – “a crime against the environment”.
Near the wreck are two protected areas and a small island that is a model for nature conservation and biodiversity. Dowarkasing warned that all of this could be destroyed by the oil.

mauritius-003

“It will be years before it becomes the way it used to be. Or it will never be the same again.”

https://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/mauritius-oel-schiff-1.4993329

 

And I mean…It wasn’t long ago, in 2016, when we received calls for help from animal rights activists: save the monkeys of Mauritius!
What was there?

Mauritius is one of the few countries where it is allowed to catch monkeys from the wild and send them to laboratories all over the world. On this island, the animals are classified as “pests” because they feed on sugar cane.
That is why the trade in primates is booming on the holiday island of Mauritius.

After China, Mauritius is the world’s second largest exporter of long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis).
The island nation sells thousands of monkeys each year to the animal testing industry in the US and Europe, particularly France, the UK and Germany.
The number of animals imported from Mauritius has always been obscured.
This bloody business brings tens of millions into the island’s city treasury. Like tourism too.

Now Mauritius is begging for help everywhere, for a disaster that could destroy the lives and livelihoods of many families on the island if tourism stops, which the island primarily lives off of.

Mauritius never thought that the monkeys that were caught with traps also had their families, their children, their environment and all of it is destroyed at once, every day! And that it is also (and not only)  “a crime against the environment” to send these animals to laboratories, where they are tortured and die cruelly.

As soon as the disaster is repaired to some extent, Mauritius will live again from colonial tourism and the monkey trade. Everything will be as before.

My best regards to all, Venus

 

 

Mark Comment:

The freighter “Wakashio”, which belongs to a Japanese company and sails under the Panamanian flag, ran aground off the southeast coast of the island state on July 25.

Another vessel registered in Panama; just like the export ship taking bulls from Ireland to Libya.

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/08/08/ireland-irish-export-bulls-to-arrive-in-libya-today-8-8-20-read-more-and-contact-the-exporters-links-given-the-eu-does-nothing-as-alays/

One has to question the ‘seafaring’ abilty of these Panamanians; no doubt they are cheap; that is why everything with bad business seems to be registered there.

With the running aground of this tanker; environmental destrucyion is inevitable. Venus is absolutely correct in what she says about the Mauritanian primates. We campaigned about this in London what, 35 years ago (or more):

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/07/19/uk-mauritius-paradise-lost-35-years-on-for-us-and-mauritius-still-supplies-primates-to-the-uk-for-research/

GLAD primate 4

Farm Animals, General News

India: Swine Flu. A Problem for Years But Officials Deny Problems As Always. Remember Lebanon Explosion ? – Another Example of Government Failing to Act !

India reported over 1,400 cases of swine flu, also known as influenza A (H1N1) between January and March 2020, with 28 deaths. The country saw an outbreak of this disease in 2015, recording over 42 thousand cases and 2,990 deaths.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/swine-flu

LAST UPDATED : Jul 15, 2020

Swine flu is a type of respiratory disease which is caused by influenza viruses. The disease infects the respiratory tract of pigs and can be transmitted to humans. The behaviour of the diseases includes – barking cough, decreased appetite, nasal secretions etc. The symptoms of swine flu in humans are similar to most influenza infections such as – high fever (100 F or greater), cough, nasal secretions, fatigue, and headache.

The best way to prevent Swine flu is to get the vaccination. It will reduce the chances of becoming infected with influenza viruses. As per media reports, swine flu has claimed over 1,000 lives so far in the year 2017, which is four times more than the deaths recorded last year. As per the data from the Union health ministry, more than 22,186 cases of Swine flu have been reported across the India till now.

Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of deaths with 437 people succumbing to H1N1 infections, followed by 269 deaths in Gujarat, 73 in Kerala, and 69 in Rajasthan.

The health ministry data further revealed that the country recorded 1,094 swine flu deaths and 22,186 cases till August 20, 2017, as compared to 265 deaths and 1,786 cases last year.

The data also revealed that 342 people have died in August alone as compared to six deaths in the same period last year. 

This indicates the worst outbreak of H1N1 influenza in the pandemic years of 2009-10 when the disease killed over 2,700 people and affected around 50,000 others.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/punjab-to-get-uk-piglets-meant-for-northeast-states-now-hit-by-african-swine-flu/story-HDssgOwNfvbGY1kjHGCvPI.html

Punjab to get UK piglets meant for northeast states now hit by African swine flu

The animals, to be distributed among Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, which had come up with a special pig breeding policy, will now be sent to Punjab

Patiala About 250 high quality piglets imported from the United Kingdom (UK) under the National Livestock Mission for the northeastern states are now being sent to Punjab due to an African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The NLM under the Union department of animal husbandry and dairying had imported 262 piglets from the UK in February for the northeastern states for high quality pig breeding in India. As per the programme, the animals were to be distributed among Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, which had come up with a special pig breeding policy.

However, after the highly contagious ASF claimed the lives of hundreds of pigs and wild boars in the northeast, the NLM changed plans and Punjab was entrusted with the task of caring for them and to continue the breeding process.

The animals, which at present are quarantined at the Animal Quarantine and Certification Service Centre in New Delhi, will be housed in government piggery farms in Punjab.

Preparing to welcome them, the department of animal husbandry has initiated a sanitisation drive at Patiala district’s Nabha piggery farm, an innovative pig breeding centre.

Dr Inderjit Singh, director, Punjab animal husbandry department, said a formal communiqué from NLM to keep the animals in Punjab had already been received. “We have admitted to the terms and conditions of the project, which is completely sponsored by the NLM, while the department will provide all logistics to carry high-quality rearing of pigs in Punjab.”

Pig farming to get a boost

The move, he added, will give a boost to pig farming in the state with large-scale breeding of high-quality imported breeds of pigs in the coming years.

The animal husbandry department has already issued an ASF advisory. “Though no case has been reported in Punjab so far but the pig farmers have been alerted about the animal disease, which is turning deadly in the northeast states,” Gaba said.

ASF is a severe viral disease that affects wild and domestic pigs resulting in an acute haemorrhagic fever. No medicine or vaccine cure has been developed as yet.

Experts believe that the disease has a 100% of case fatality rate The animal husbandry department has already issued an ASF advisory. “Though no case has been reported in Punjab so far but the pig farmers have been alerted about the animal disease, which is turning deadly in the northeast states,” Gaba said.

ASF is a severe viral disease that affects wild and domestic pigs resulting in an acute haemorrhagic fever. No medicine or vaccine cure has been developed as yet.

Experts believe that the disease has a 100% of case fatality rate (CFR) among pigs.

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

Ireland: Irish Export Bulls to Arrive In Libya Today 8/8/20. Read More and Contact the Exporters – Links Given. The EU Does Nothing As Alays.

Re the ‘Sarah M’ livestock carrying ship taking live Bulls from Ireland to Libya.

The vessel is due to arrive in Libya today, 8/8/20; read more on all our information at:

Note that this position below is not current now –

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/08/06/ireland-sarah-m-en-route-to-libya-with-2000-bulls-latest-position/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/08/06/eu-european-commission-accused-of-gross-cynicism-toward-farmed-animal-welfare/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/08/02/ireland-peta-are-now-on-board-re-irish-live-exports-to-libya-please-sign-the-petition-and-crosspost-to-contacts/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/08/01/ireland-around-2000-bull-cattle-currently-being-shipped-to-libya-for-slaughter-learn-more-about-ship-hunting/

This is the latest position (8/8/20) information that we have:

https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/SARAH-M-IMO-7808463-MMSI-352548000

As you can see from this link, the ‘Sarah M’ livestock carrier was constructed in 1979 – 41 years ago !

It is currently registered in Panama; which we do not think is No1 in the world when it comes to crews being aware of EU live animal transport regulations – which is the case here as the vessel has sailed from Ireland; and existing EU member state.

This shipment from Ireland to Libya has been organised by the Purcell Brothers and Curzon Livestock.

The shipment puts the total number of Irish animals exported to Libya this year at about 7,600. In 2019, according to emailed data from Ireland’s Department of Food, Agriculture and the Marine (DAFM), cattle exports to Libya totalled 13,122 animals.

Two of the companies known to ship cattle from Ireland to Libya are Purcell Brothers and Curzon Livestock. Neither responded to calls, texts, or emails asking for comment. No comment was provided either by the European Commission.

Here is a link to the Purcell Brothers site –  https://purcellbrothers.com/

And here is a link to the Curzon Livestock site – http://www.curzonlivestock.com/

Contact details Curzon –  http://www.curzonlivestock.com/contact.html

Contact Purcell – https://purcellbrothers.com/contact

We can do nothing to help the animals on this vessel.  It seems that they have now arrived at their destination and will be unloaded and headed off for ritual slaughter very soon.

In May this year, a letter from over 30 welfare organizations to EU Agriculture Commissioner, Janusz Wojciechowski, and EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides, called for a ban on animal exports to Libya. Commissioner Kyriakides is charged with enforcing animal welfare laws.

Libya has been in chaos since 2011. The NGO letter argues that animals in Libya risk missile fire, the potential use of chemical weapons, and the possibility of COVID-19-related quarantines at anchorage, potentially adding an extra 14 days to any journey. From Ireland, livestock ships take about nine days to reach Libya. The animals’ eventual slaughter, the letter said, likely entails “extreme and prolonged pain and fear.”

The Commission’s response to the NGOs, which came in a letter last week, has sparked outrage. “The Commission’s reply is a disgrace,” says Compassion in World Farming lawyer, Peter Stevenson. The letter, he said, shows “gross cynicism” and is surprising and disappointing given Commissioner Kyriakides’ “personal commitment to animal welfare.” 

“Her letter says exports to Libya are taking place in a context of private operations and that the Commission cannot prevent such operations as long as they are carried out in accordance with EU legislation. With respect to the Commissioner, this is nonsense,” Stevenson said. 

“One of the key roles of the Commission and the EU member states is to regulate what private operators do, either through legislation or policy frameworks,” Stevenson said. Sending animals on long sea journeys to a war zone is “clearly at odds” with Article 13 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union which stipulates the Commission and member states pay full regard to animal welfare, he said.

Continue reading at  https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/08/06/eu-european-commission-accused-of-gross-cynicism-toward-farmed-animal-welfare/

We (WAV) and sister site SAV – read and see lots more here about our live export investigation work https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/  have always said that the EU are complete and utter junk when it comes to protecting live animals during transport.  This is despite their Regulation 1/2005 which is supposed to ‘protect’ live animals during transport.

In our opinion, and that of most other NGO’s and animal welfare organisations; the EU regulation for the ‘protection’ of animals during transport is worth less than the paper it is written on.

I will leave you to review the facts given, and to make your own decisions on animal transport.

Regards Mark – Kent, England

Farm Animals, General News

Third farm sabotage report

Received anonymously:

Several fattening camps in France, here dairy farm, sheep farm, laying hens and ducks for “foie gras” in Loire-Atlantique, were painted with messages making the connection between animal slavery and epidemics of zoonotic viruses, past, present & future.

France_farms sabotage _Aug20

While the number of clusters increases in France, many of them in slaughterhouses, the media continue to obscure the link between flesh consumption and pandemics, governments are NOT taking the necessary actions to protect the population, but are releasing billions from public funds to save the economy.

France_farms sabotage 2 Aug20c

We have the duty to force them to make that connection and act accordingly. Because beyond the human victims of Covid19, there are trillions of victims of speciesism every single year.

France_farms sabotage 3 _Aug20f

This thirst for blood is total nonsense.

France_farms sabotage 4_Aug20e

(original French text ):

Plusieurs camps d’engraissement, ici de vaches laitières, moutons, poules pondeuses, et canards gavés pour le foie gras en Loire-Atlantique, ont été tagués avec des messages faisant le lien entre l’esclavage animal et les épidémies de virus d’origine zoonotique, passées, présentes ou futures.

Alors que les clusters se multiplient en France, principalement dans des abattoirs, que les médias continuent à occulter le lien entre zoophagie et pandémie, les États ne prennent PAS les mesures nécessaires pour protéger la population, mais débloquent des milliards d’euros d’argent public pour sauver leur économie.

Nous avons le devoir de les forcer à faire ce lien et à agir en conséquence. Parce qu’au-delà des victimes humaines du Covid19, les victimes du spécisme se comptent par milliers de milliards chaque année.
Cette soif de sang est un non-sens total.

Plusieurs autres fermes seront nos cibles dans les jours qui suivent.
Nous exhortons les animalistes du monde entier à faire de même.
On ne remporte pas une guerre avec des fleurs comme seules armes

https://animalliberationpressoffice.org/

And we say.. thanks to the brave activists!
We just want to add one little thing: the thirst for blood is not just total nonsense.
It is a generated propaganda by the meat and dairy mafia in order to convince this society to a daily crime, the worst in human history.

Best regards to all, Venus

Environmental

Palawan: the rainforest belongs to animals and its indigenous people

 

The island of Palawan is a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve – a certified ecological and cultural treasure. But now the provincial government wants to open up areas of rich biodiversity and indigenous land to industrial plantations.

palawan-luftbild-sehmaschine

Palawan is the home of numerous endemic species – some of them, like the Hornbill, Treeshrew, and Philippine Pangolin, are just a few on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Palawan el-nido-nemo-4

The entire island is a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve and its southern regions the ancestral domains of the Pala’wan indigenous people.

Those living in the remote uplands, such as the Tau’t Batu, have limited contacts with the outside and possess a rich oral tradition and profound environmental knowledge.

paliwan indigenen
In spite of these ecological and cultural values, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has entered into a joint venture with Lionheart Agrotech, an industrial grower of hybrid coconuts.

If it bee realized, more irreplaceable lowland rainforest and indigenous peoples’ farmland would be turned into plantations.
According to the Coalition against Land Grabbing (CALG), Lionheart has already destroyed indigenous peoples’ sacred sites and burial grounds without compensating the impacted communities.

palawan mit Indigenen -copia

Some tribal leaders who have stood up in opposition have reportedly received death threats.

It appears that the company has also encroached on the Mount Mantalingahan Protected Landscape, one of only ten sites of the global Alliance for Zero Extinction in the Philippines and one of the 11 key bird areas in Palawan.

palawan-pfaufasan-flickr-feggy-art

Furthermore, the provincial government recently passed a resolution supporting the opening of indigenous ancestral domains and valuable ecosystems for agricultural, industrial, and other purposes.

All of this is being pushed through in total disrespect of environmental laws and in blatant violation of the indigenous peoples’ rights.

Please support the indigenous peoples’ resistance with your signature – we need to bring international pressure to bear before these ecological and cultural treasures disappear forever!

Please sign our petition and help preserve one of the last true slices of paradise in the Philippines!

https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/petitions/1215/keep-plantations-out-of-palawan-forest

 

And I mean…In 2015, many demonstrations, petitions, and direct resistance took place with the aim of preventing the planned coal-fired power plant on the Philippine island of Palawan.

And the goal was achieved!! on June 6, 2015, the City Council of Puerto Princesa passed “a decision that strictly rejects the construction of a coal-fired power plant on Palawan”.

palawan. demonstrant jpg
The fight is not over yet.
Let us make hope out of our fear.
This struggle to save the last paradise in the world with its indigenous and animal inhabitants defines our values and principles.

We find out every day that we have a lot more civil courage than we thought.

My best regards to all, Venus