Had this through from friend and animal buddy Mark (Glover) at Respect For Animals.
Have put this on the site as it is very important action against fur farming; and 1 Million signatures need to be obtained during the next year for EU action on this citizens initiative. This can only be signed by citizens of the EU; so if you are one of them, please do it and pass on the link to all your contacts.
Please note – ONLY EU CITIZENS can sign this – here is the citizens initiative / petition link:
Animals on fur farms live in intense confinement, in row upon row of small barren cages. They suffer from self-mutilation, infected wounds, missing limbs and cannibalism. Fur farming contravenes even the most basic concept of animal welfare.
The European Citizens’ Initiative “Fur Free Europe” calls on the EU to:
Ban fur farms
Ban farmed fur products from the European market
Be part of achieving history!
Act now by adding your name to the Initiative.
This is not just a petition. Once we reach 1 million validated signatures, the European Commission is obliged to respond and take action.
This is just a word to let you know that things will be slowing down, or stopping, for a while.
I thank you for your support and kind messages, but as always, there are just a few which arrive and make no serious comment, but do contribute to how one feels about things.
I have personally suffered from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for over 23 years now; that, plus the constant work of fighting for animal rights, which I have done for over 40 years now, kind of drags you down a bit sometimes – and now is one of those ‘real’ times. In order to improve my health and get back to a better situation, I need to take some time out.
Please keep sending anything through the normal channels (Stacey (Our Compass https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=stacey ) and Erika (Animal Aid Unlimited https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=animal+aid+unlimited ) as always); I am not going away, just lightening up for a time. If and when I want to do posts, then they will be done; but at the moment I cannot go on researching and keeping the site going on a daily basis.
So you will see some reductions for a while; a period of re charging batteries and getting back to strength. This is not the end for sure; but it is a time for closure until things improve.
This gives an insight into what campaign work has been done in the past; especially huge fighting for the strays and fur bearers of Serbia since 2005; the Russian seal pups fight which was eventually stopped, and as always, live animal transport anywhere ! The Serbian site has been archived now but is still fully open for visitors. Check out some of the videos and our huge work in the archive section links on the left side.
There are also a few memories I share on the site from past campaign days:
A whitecoat pup netted by the Russian seal pup hunters.
Beautiful Whitecoat pup.
Doing our bit outside Downing Street, London (home of the brash, outrageous and free !) – Mark is Russian sealer on left. Read the campaign stories link below for more about this.
All pics: Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
More than 100 live animals found in women’s luggage
Two women have been arrested after trying to smuggle 109 live animals out of Thailand in their luggage.
Officers discovered 35 turtles, 50 chameleons, 20 snakes, two white porcupines and two armadillos in their bags.
The pair were trying to board a Thai Airways flight to India, and suspicions were raised following what was meant to be a routine X-ray inspection.
Officers discovered 35 turtles, 50 chameleons, 20 snakes, two white porcupines and two armadillos in their bags.
The pair were trying to board a Thai Airways flight to India, and suspicions were raised following what was meant to be a routine X-ray inspection.
Both have been arrested and charged with violations of Thailand’s Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act, Customs Act, and Animal Epidemic Act.
The incident happened at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on Monday.
According to Traffic, a non-governmental organisation that monitors the trade of wild animals, such incidents are a “serious and growing” problem.
“It comprises the fourth-largest illegal trade worldwide after arms, drugs and human trafficking, and frequently links with other forms of serious crime such as fraud, money laundering, and corruption,” a March 2022 report warned.
Common motivations for wildlife smuggling include their use for food, traditional medicines, artefacts, fashion and exotic pets.
Between 2011 and 2020, Traffic’s research claims more than 70,000 wild animals – including their body parts or derivatives – were discovered at Indian airports.
And Chennai International Airport, where the arrested pair were travelling, had the highest number of wildlife seizure incidents in the country.
While Henry Hamilton-Smythe minor (8) was playing croquet with Cynthia Jane De Blaise-William (9), sweet-smiling Cynthia raised her mallet high and gracefully removed Henry’s head.
Two weeks later, in Henry’s nursery, she discovered his treasured musical box.
Eagerly she opened it and as “Old King Cole” began to play, a small spirit- figure appeared. Henry had returned – but not for long, for as he stood in the room his body began ageing rapidly, leaving a child’s mind inside.
A lifetime’s desires surged through him. Unfortunately the attempt to persuade Cynthia Jane to fulfill his romantic desire led his nurse to the nursery to investigate the noise. Instinctively Nanny hurled the musical box at the bearded child, destroying both.
Yesterday, the Home Office (UK) published the statistics of the number of animal experiments conducted in Britain in 2021. As usual these were shocking: there is no need for Britain to continue animal experiments –better, safer and kinder methods are available. It is very difficult to get access to laboratories due to high levels of secrecy in this cruel industry, and so the use of animation is a good way to give an insight into what happens to millions of animals each year.
Check out our brand-new animated film, for your quick and colourful guide to animal testing in Great Britain. The film explains about animal experiments – and the numerous non-animal methods, all of which are far more reliable than using animals. It is not gruesome or gory – and has lots of useful facts and figures! We hope that it will inspire people: You can take action by sharing our film with your friends!
This month is ‘plastic-free July’, a chance for us to reconsider our plastic consumption, which as we all know, is harming the planet, animals and marine life. With the sea change in public concern about climate change (sorry, couldn’t resist) there is some hope that we can start to repair the damage caused by our plastic habits, but we need to change those behaviours which caused it in the first place!
It’s also down to big companies to take seriously their responsibilities: You can help by starting up the conversation with local newspapers, TV and radio stations, about how supermarkets, restaurants, businesses, and delivery companies should be reducing their use of plastic.
Get Shopping !
When you make a purchase from our wonderful Animal Aid shop you are also helping to fund our campaigns to protect animals.
We have a great range of plastic-free toiletries, cosmetics, sweet treats and gifts ideas – and we use biodegradable packing chips made from vegetable starch, instead of single-use plastic! Get shopping here
World Chocolate Day
On the 7th July it’s World Chocolate Day, so why not stock up on a few vegan goodies? Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the ‘Conscious’ chocolatiers, a vegetarian hoping to make the switch to vegan, or you’re just looking for gift ideas, browse our delicious chocolate range today! A few favourites from our team include Vego, Love Raw and Booja Booja!
We have had concerns about the UK – Australia Freer Trade Agreement (FTA) from the start. We expressed our concerns to UK government in June. See our original letter and the government response in the following links:
Whilst our concerns were based around animal welfare issues and antibiotic usage, pesticide usage has also raised its head as another topic. Pesticide limits in Australia are 200 times higher than the UK’s. Australia also have 144 licensed pesticides, whereas the UK only licenses 73 of these substances. So the questions have to be asked to the UK government about its environmental attitude when it appears to be rushing this FTA with Australia through without proper scrutiny from UK Parliament. The following article outlines the pesticide concerns.
Here is an article from ‘The Guardian’ newspaper in London,
UK trade deal with Australia amounts to ‘offshoring’ pesticide use, MPs say
A wheat crop in South Australia. ‘Pesticide limits in Australia are 200 times higher than the UK’s,’ said the MP Angus MacNeil. Photograph: David Gray/Reuters
Select committee says ministers want to rush through deal allowing food imports that fall below UK environmental standards
The government is rushing through a trade deal with Australia that would allow food produced with pesticides banned in the UK to be imported into the country, campaigners and MPs have said.
The international trade select committee in parliament has called for a vote on the deal, which would result in food produced below British domestic environmental standards being sold in the UK.
The SNP MP Angus MacNeil, who chairs the committee, said there was a risk that the deal would be rushed through without scrutiny by MPs, and that it amounted to “offshoring” pesticide use.
He told the Guardian: “There is no democratic input so far into the debate, and there will be pressure on government members to just push it through at the end of the month. We have asked that the time for approval be extended, that parliament gives us 21 more sitting days for parliamentarians to digest the report before ratification.
“As it stands, the UK could ratify this deal without any parliamentary vote whatsoever.”
The MP is calling for it to be put to a vote in parliament because “it is one of the most liberalising deals we’ve seen on agricultural standards”.
This week, the international trade secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, skipped a session of the trade committee after the MPs accused her department of avoiding scrutiny on the issue.
“We had a fight with her yesterday,” MacNeil said. “The fallout we’ve had this week is the secretary of state not even turning up to the committee meeting.”
The Department for International Trade said at the time that Trevelyan pulled out because she was busy with other commitments.
MacNeil said the deal was far too liberalised on pesticides. “Pesticide limits in Australia are 200 times higher than the UK’s. They also have 144 licensed pesticides, whereas the UK only licenses 73 of these substances. The environmental movement talks about offshoring carbon; you could say that what we are doing is offshoring pesticides.”
Josie Cohen, the head of policy and campaigns at the charity Pesticide Action UK, said: “Australia uses toxic pesticides that are banned here on health and environmental grounds. They also permit residue levels many times more than in the UK. The government’s own advisers have conceded that overuse of pesticides in Australia will put our farmers at a disadvantage but claim existing border checks will keep food with high pesticide residues out.
“However, there is reason to believe that the UK’s border controls on food are nowhere near as robust as the government claims. Government ministers should not be running away from parliamentary committees with legitimate questions to ask – not least, what will the government do to keep consumers safe and why are they breaking their own manifesto commitment to maintain standards in trade deals?”
Orla Delargy, the head of public affairs at the charity Sustain, said: “Government appears to be trying to rush the UK-Australia deal through without giving parliament a chance to examine it properly. The government has yet to respond to the steer from its own advisers that our concerns about pesticides in Australian produce are valid and the food standards agencies have not examined the possible impact of this on public health, which feels like a huge oversight. Ministers have questions to answer about all of this – and parliament should not simply let them off the hook.”
A government spokesperson said: “Our trade deal with Australia does not create any new import permissions, and all agri-food products will continue to comply with our robust import requirements, including on pesticides.
“We have made enhanced commitments to scrutiny and transparency at every stage of negotiations for our agreement with Australia. This includes already giving parliament six months to scrutinise the legal text, in addition to the 21-day period provided by us triggering the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act process. The international trade secretary immediately offered an alternative two-hour slot on 6 July, which the committee has since accepted.”
World Animals Voice 