Day: May 22, 2025

Environmental, General News, Wildlife

EU – Wolves Betrayed. The European Parliament Bows To Politics Over Science.

8th May 2025

Today was a bad day for the wolf; as the European Parliament voted to back the European Commission’s proposal to weaken the protection of wolves; meaning that wolf hunting will now be possible again.

I can sense the German hunters having a celebratory beer tonight !

This vote is the last step in the legislative process to decrease the level of protection for the wolf in the EU from ‘Strictly Protected’ to just ‘Protected’.

In March, the European Commission proposed to amend wolf protection under the EU Habitats Directive; after the Bern Convention had accepted its request to downgrade the species’ protection in December. The EU Council had already approved the proposal a few weeks ago.

This decision marks a worrying precedent for European nature conservation. Under the EU Habitats Directive, decisions must be based on SCIENCE. Despite the proof that wolf populations are recovering due to strict protections; the species continues to be in an unfavourable conservation status in six out of seven ‘EU biographical regions’.

These decisions undermine the credibility of EU nature laws; as well as threatening the recovery of wolves across Europe.

‘Wolves are vital to healthy ecosystems; but todays vote treats them as a political problem, and not an ecological asset’ said Ilaria Di Silvestre, the Director obut thef Policy and Advocacy at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

There is no data justifying a lower level of protection; but the EU institutions decided to ignore science. Decisions made on the basis of political interests rather than on facts. These now seem to be undoing decades of conservation progress.

The EU was once proud to lead on nature protection; but now we are witnessing vital species such as the wolf being sacrificed for short term political interests that will benefit nobody. Member States must now step up and do the correct thing. Wolves still need STRONG PROTECTION if we are at all serious about saving Europe’s nature.

Despite the Parliaments decision; EU member states can STILL CHOOSE to keep wolves strictly protected – a step nature conservationalists strongly recommend. They remain legally bound to ensure that their wolf populations achieve and stay at a favourable conservation status.

Birds, Environmental, Farm Animals, Fish, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Live Transport, Stray Animals

EU’s Long Term Budget Must Support Farmers In The Transition Towards Better Animal Welfare.

I sadly accept that there will always be some folk who enjoy eating dead animals as part of their diet. Saying that, a reduction in meat consumption and the associated reduction in animal murders (slaughter houses) can only be seen as a positive from my corner.

But I am a realist also, accepting that everyone on the planet will never move to plant based. Thus as welfare campaigners, we have a responsibility to ensure that we get the best for animals that we can. The global tide is rather rapidly moving towards plant based diets – and that can only be positive; very positive. In other ways, a negative global tide is surrounding us in the form of global warming and the ‘master human’ who knows best – no, ask the whales !

The more posts I can write about on this site re the ‘killing factories’ (they are SLAUGHTER HOUSES, not abattoirs – a place where animals are killed for their meat) BEING CLOSED DOWN; then the better.

We all saw that the recent closure of Arley ritual slaughterhouse; a closure really attributed to their own non conformances with national UK laws which are supposed to give animals the maximum protection ?? at the times of their deaths. Does frightening the shit out of a sheep about to be slaughtered by playing a recording of a howling Wolf in the background constitute UK laws regarding slaughter legislation? – no, they do it for kicks which really shows the types they are.

They failed in many areas, they were closed down – end of. WONDERFUL.

England – Arley Slaughterhouse License Revoked After Formal Investigation – Excellent !

So, as the EU Parliament now commences votes on its priorities for the next long term EU budget, all of us in the welfare camp are calling for higher funding in the transition to better animal welfare practices in accordance with the vast majority of EU citizens demands.

The ‘Multiannual Financial Framework’; or MFF, is a seven year framework regulating the EU’s annual budget. The current long term budget runs until the end of 2027; so now we have to start work !

Ahead of the proposals in the next long term budget; expected in July; the Budget Committee of the European Parliament; has set out its priorities in an own-initiative report. It emphasises the need to meet more ambition to meet citizens expectations in the context of the US retreating from its global role; Russia’s war on the Ukraine; economic and social challenges, EU competitiveness and the worsening climate and biodiversity crisis.

The report implies that the budget should finance public goods, support the resilience and competitiveness of EU small scale farms and better help protect the environment. It highlights that the ‘Common Agriculture Policy’, or CAP, is crucial for food security, and that spending must persue EU objectives.

The Eurogroup for Animals call for the long term spending on the CAP to consider the expectations that EU citizens have on improved animal welfare. These expectations are not yet fully met, and the importance of animal welfare as a public good has been repeatedly demonstrated by the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘End The Cage Age, as well as the latest barometer on animal welfare. More than 9 out of 10 Europeans state that it is important to protect the welfare of farmed animals; with an absolute majority deem it as very important. More than 8 out of 10 believe that farmed animals in their countries should be given more protection than they are at present.

There is a crucial need for adequate funding from the long term budget for the transition to new animal welfare rules and regulations. The proposal for a review of the EU farm animal directive is envisaged in 2026.reduce production costs;

Financing better animal welfare in the EU is not just an ethical priority, it is a financial security for the EU’s future. Improved animal welfare can and would reduce production costs, enhance the product quality, drive innovation and strengthen the EU’s global market postioning.

Adequate funding from the MFF for the CAP is crucial to support farmers in transitioning to the new animal welfare rules. There needs to be higher funding for farmers to transition to higher animal welfare standards; and the need to support early transitioners is a vital element.

As someone with a special interest in campaigning for, and stopping long distance live animal transports; enough evidence has been supplied over decades by investigators to show the abuses with the ‘EU system’.

It is now time for them to step up to the plate; ACCEPT THE MASSIVE ABUSES UNCOVERED, and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT !!