A WHALE suspected of being a spy for Vladimir Putin before it “defected” from Russia may have been shot dead, animal rights activists claim.
The infamous white beluga Hvaldmir was found dead this weekend after unsuspecting fisherman saw his carcass floating off the coast of Norway.
Suspicious animal rights groups are now looking into if the 14ft whale was actually a victim of foul play and “senselessly murdered”.
Concerned organisations, OneWhale and NOAH (National Office of Animal Health), say they believe all signs point towards the animal being gunned down.
A police report, both groups claim to have seen, reportedly says Hvaldmir suffered “intentional human-inflicted injury”.
They also say bullet wounds were found on the 1,200kg whale’s corpse.
Continue reading (with video and photos) at:
Very, very sad world when such a magnificent animal is accused of ‘defecting’ and then being hunted down and murdered by humans because of this farce. Does a whale ‘defect’ ? – no, it has more intelligence than that. It simply wants to live its life as a marine animal, enjoying the norms that hopefully would come with it; not being accused of being a a traitor in some East / West ‘sided’ ‘human’ trained spy machine that in the end is terminated because of what the humans think. I find this such a pathetically sad story which shows how some of the human species regard those in the animal kingdom. Sad that the Putins, Netinyahu’s, and Trump do not consider the wonders that exist outside of their pathetic little (and I mean little) power grab personal races to maintain being at the ‘top’ (top of what ?). Pathetic, and a danger to normal compassionate people, all of them.
Regards Mark
Tuesday 3rd September – LONDON.
Protests against the UK Badger cull; please open the following for all details and lots more Badger information:
https://www.badgertrust.org.uk/
Badger Trust and our allies are holding a National Day of Action against the badger cull on Tuesday, 3 September 2024.
Wildlife groups around the UK will come together in a powerful display of unity to call for the new government to end the cull as intensive badger killing begins again.
Regards Mark
The Badger is a protected species – until the UK Government decides to cull it that is !
Upcoming actions against the cull are given here by the Badger Trust:
https://www.badgertrust.org.uk/
Please note dates and actions and support if you can thank you.
Regards Mark
Below – A daily and very welcome visitor to my garden:
I think Mr Krebbs was totally correct in what he said all along – https://www.bing.com/search?q=krebbs+report+badgers&cvid=0552abb706e544d29743826acab3518b&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQABhA0gEJMTE5NjZqMGo0qAIIsAIB&FORM=ANAB01&PC=DCTS
= Vaccinate, DON’T CULL
Regards Mark
We get masses of the beautiful ‘Goldfinches’ visiting the garden each and all day.
Here are a few pictures I took in the the garden of these beautiful birds:
A flock of Goldfinch is called a ‘Charm’ – and charming they are for sure.
In the last week, (now start of August) there has been a massive drop in the birds visiting the feeders for the Sunflower Hearts – same on talking to my neighbour, Was getting concerned as a huge and very massive decline; (down from a flock of around 50 to virtually nothing in a week !) – more investigation needed. With the following video and other data researched, it ended up being ‘job sorted’ – no need to worry = phew ! see you beauties all again in the coming winter months.
Regards Mark
1 August 2024
WAP
The ban on commercial seal products on the EU market should remain, EU citizens say, as the European Commission conducts an evaluation of the legislation adopted in 2009.
In 1983, the EU prohibited the import of products from seal pups and in 2009 the legislation was complemented with a prohibition on the placing of all seal products from commercial hunting on the market, based on moral concerns on seals being killed with inhumane methods. This legislation, referred to as the EU Seal Regime, includes an exemption for products derived from traditional hunts from indigenous communities.
The regulation was put forward after a long battle, and came through after EU citizens became aware of the cruelty involved in obtaining seal products. The legislation was challenged under the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which confirmed, in a landmark decision, that animal welfare is a justifiable rationale for a trade restriction to protect public morals.
Since the legislation came into force, millions of seals have been spared a brutal and cruel death. Despite this, the EU is now, unexpectedly, running a fitness check, to assess whether this legislation should hold, with the risk of backtracking it.
A backtracking of this legislation would seriously undermine animal welfare and public morals since commercial hunting is extremely cruel and seals experience excruciating pain and slow deaths. Killing methods remain inhumane, involving the use of clubs and hakapik, and the shooting of seals from a distance resulting in severe injuries.
EU citizens continue to be against this practice. In a new survey conducted in 13 Member States, 80% of respondents said they support the EU ban on the trade of seal products derived from commercial hunting and 68% said it should not be weakened in any way. 80% also agree that the legislation remains important to protect ethical concerns of EU citizens and animal welfare.
A 2011 survey showed that 72% of citizens in 11 Member States supported the restriction on the trade in seal products, demonstrating growing support. It is therefore clear that EU citizens want this legislation to stay intact.
This survey clearly shows that the EU Seal Regime remains crucial to protect seals and address the concerns of Europeans. As demanded by its citizens, the EU should uphold efforts to protect the welfare of these animals on the continent and beyond, maintaining its leadership and driving positive change.
Léa Badoz, Wildlife Programme Officer, Eurogroup for Animals
In 2009, the EU banned the trade in commercial seal products in response to long-standing and serious public moral concerns about the welfare of seals being inhumanely slaughtered, primarily for their fur. These survey results clearly demonstrate that, since that time, EU citizens’ attitudes towards the cruel commercial sealing industry have not changed. It is vital that the EU Seal Regime is upheld.
Dr Joanna Swabi, Senior Director of Public Affairs, Humane Society International/Europe
This survey demonstrates that EU citizens are deeply concerned about the blatant and unnecessary cruelty inflicted in commercial seal hunts. Seals shouldn’t be treated as commodities for the sake of profit. They are of great significance to the wider ecosystem in which they live, and they deserve our protection. It is crucial that the EU Seal Regime is maintained.
Sanne Kuijpers, campaign manager Wildlife, World Animal Protection Netherlands
The survey shows that EU citizens are still very concerned about animal welfare. They are happy that seal products from commercial hunts are no longer sold on EU markets. The EU should stand up for the values of its citizens. The EU Seal Regime is a milestone that should be celebrated, not evaluated.
Barbara Slee, Senior Programme Manager – International Policy, the International Fund for Animal Welfare
Regards Mark
JULY 23, 2024
I’ve been unsure how animal activists should orient themselves in the coming American presidential election. Obviously, in the United States’ two-party system we should vote for the Democratic nominee. But should we do more than simply cast a ballot for the candidate, whoever that ends up being?
I typically argue we should prioritize nonhuman interests to the greatest extent possible, as there are so few people who do. For me, that means picketing legislators and writing letters to newspapers in the hope of using the political process to accelerate the development of cultivated meat.
But, as the election approaches, I wonder if the threat Donald Trump poses to animals and our movement is so extreme we should pause our usual work and temporarily focus on helping to defeat him. I put this question and others to a group of animal advocates who were kind enough to share their time with me.
Merritt Clifton is editor of the Animals 24-7 website. Previously, he was news editor for Animals’ Agenda magazine, as well as the editor of the Animal People newspaper. When asked what a second Trump presidency might look like, Clifton referred to his coverage of the Republican’s first term.
Continue reading this article – see link at top.
Regards Mark
The incredible ways that animals impact the earth.
World Animals Voice 