ANIMAL rights campaigners welcomed a total ban on snares and glue traps in Wales, which came into force yesterday.
Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths called it a “historic day” for animal welfare and said she is proud Wales is the first of the UK nations to introduce the move.
RSPCA Cymru’s Billie-Jade Thomas said: “We very much welcome the ban on snares and glue traps coming into force today.
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Regards Mark
This Animal-Rights Group Wants Adidas to Hire New President Opposed to Kangaroo Cleats
A week after Adidas announced North America president Rupert Campbell will leave the company at the end of the month, the Center for a Humane Economy called on the company to replace the outgoing executive with someone opposed to using kangaroo hides on soccer cleats.
“Adidas has long been the biggest apologist and end-user of kangaroo skins for soccer cleats in the world,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Washington, D.C.-area animal welfare group and Animal Wellness Action. “It now stands alone among the biggest athletic shoe brands in financing the slaughter of kangaroos, including the mass orphaning of joeys.”
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This Animal-Rights Group Wants Adidas to Hire New President Opposed to Kangaroo Cleats (yahoo.com)
Regards Mark
19 October 2023
Press Release
A new barometer on animal welfare shows an overwhelming majority of European citizens who demand better EU legislation that truly protects animals, with over nine in ten Europeans stating that it is important to protect the welfare of farmed animals, and an absolute majority deeming it very important. More than eight in ten Europeans believe that farmed animals in their countries should be better protected than they are now. These results should prompt the European Commission to follow through on its commitment to deliver all the proposals to revise the EU animal welfare legislation as promised.
The much awaited special Eurobarometer on Attitudes of Europeans towards Animal Welfare has finally been published today. The poll surveyed 26,376 citizens across all member states between 2 and 26 March 2023, and acts as an official tool that is used to advise the EU institutions when drafting reports and legislations.
The results confirmed the strong support from EU citizens towards animal welfare, confirming the previous survey from 2016, which had also sent a very strong message for the EU to better protect animals.
Highlights from the survey:
Over 90% of Europeans consider that farming and breeding practices should meet basic ethical requirements, while two-thirds of respondents said that they would like to have more information on the conditions in which farmed animals are raised.
Nearly six in ten Europeans (57%) said that fur farms should be banned in Europe, in line with the 1.5 million citizens who made this call in the successful Fur Free Europe ECI
Over nine in ten Europeans believe that farmed animals should have enough space to be able to move around, lie down and stand up, with 89% saying that animals should not be kept in individual cages, supporting the call by 1.4 million citizens who asked for a ban on cages. Currently in the EU, over 300 million farmed animals spend their lives confined in cages, which cause them immense suffering.
Nearly nine in ten Europeans (88%) said that it is important to improve the welfare of animals in slaughterhouses.
89% of Europeans favoured a ban on mutilations, a practice that is still very common in the EU, despite the pain it causes.
Three quarters of respondents found the practice of killing male chicks after birth to be unacceptable. In addition, eight in ten Europeans believe that ensuring sufficient skills and training in people handling animals is important.
On the issue of live animal transport, which the EC is expected to propose a revision on, 83% of respondents think that the travel time for the transport (for ‘commercial purposes’) of live animals within or from the EU should be limited.
When it comes to food imports from non-EU countries, over eight in ten Europeans (84%) believe that the current animal welfare situation should change, either by imposing import requirements or a very strict labelling system.
60% of the respondents indicated that they would be willing to pay more for products sourced from animal welfare-friendly farming systems, despite the survey being carried out during high inflation periods.
74% believe that the welfare of companion animals should be better protected, and over eight in ten respondents said that good welfare conditions for horses, cats and dogs bred for commercial purposes is important.
These results come at a time when the European Commission comes under fire for failing to uphold its commitment to deliver the full proposals to revise the EU animal welfare legislation, and backtracking from its promises as part of the Farm to Fork Strategy.
The support of EU citizens for better animal welfare is enormous, with this Eurobarometer once again they made a clear call for better protection for animals on all fronts. We urge the European Commission to listen to this loud and clear message and come forward with a solid commitment and timeline for the Kept Animals and Slaughter Regulations
Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals
Regards Mark
Thanks Stacey
world migratory bird day | Our Compass (our-compass.org)
Yes, it is now a very troubled World. Mark.
World migratory bird day
OCTOBER 14, 2023
❤️World migratory bird day 2023❤️
The 13th of May
The 14th of October
Today
For birds to fly
Far
Above the troubled world below
To navigate above us
In ways only they know
Regards Mark /Stacey.
Pythagoras
Pythagoras of Samos (Πυθαγόρας; c. 570 BC – c. 496 BC) was an Ionian Greek philosopher often revered as a great mathematician, mystic, scientist, and putative founder of the traditions referred to as Pythagoreanism.
Polish elections: which parties defend animal welfare?
13 October 2023
Otwarte
For the first time, Polish organisations Albert Schweitzer Foundation, Otwarte Klatki, Green REV Institute and Compassion in World Farming Poland joined forces on a pre-election campaign to encourage citizens to vote for animals in the national elections taking place on 15 October.
On their campaign website, the organisations demand protection of animals used for the production of meat, milk, eggs, and clothing. They oppose industrial farming that negatively affects the well-being of people, animals and the environment, and they support transforming the food system to a sustainable and plant-based one.
According to their ranking of Polish political parties, the Razem (Together), Zieloni (Greens) and Nowa Lewica (New Left) parties are the leading parties for animal welfare issues in Poland. The ruling nationalist Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (Law and Justice) party is vying for an unprecedented third term in office, but is not projected to gain a majority in the parliament. The main opposition party Platforma Obywatelska (Civic Platform), led by former European Council president Donald Tusk, would also need support from a coalition. Civic Platform ranks 6th for animal welfare, and is likely to join up with other more animal welfare-friendly parties. Prawo i Sprawiedliwość ranks 8th with a final score below zero, and would seek a coalition with Konfederacja (Confederation), who rank bottom in the animal welfare chart.
Every year, over a billion chickens are killed in our country. We produce the most poultry meat for slaughter in the entire EU. We want to inform voters interested in the fate of farm animals about the views and plans of political parties regarding the protection of their rights. We want to create pressure on politicians to take urgent actions to improve the welfare of farm animals.
Grzegorz Stachacz, Director, Albert Schweitzer Foundation
The campaign has reached major media, with coverage on TVN24, the largest online news service in Poland, ONET, and FAKTY TVN.
The ranking is based on party positions for welfare demands including phasing out cages for laying hens, pigs, calves, rabbits and quails, banning fur farming and the slaughter of day-old chicks. On transport, the organisations call for a ban on the export of live animals and a maximum transport duration of 8 hours for live cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. For poultry and rabbits, the transport duration should be limited to 4 hours.
The ranking also covers party positions on creating an Ombudsman position on animal protection, and transitioning to a sustainable food system.
Regards Mark
Pauline has just sent me over these wonderful photos – am sure you agree.
This time taken on a trip to Hertfordshire – another English County.
Think the water vole is my favourite. Enjoy !
Below – Ibis
Below – Kingfisher
Below – Grey Heron
Below – Stock Doves
Below – Egret and Little Egret
Below – Water Vole
Regards Pauline and Mark
Where do things stand with the world’s first octopus farm?
8 October 2023
CIWF
Spanish seafood company Nueva Pescanova announced plans in 2019 to establish the world’s first octopus farm in the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
To mark World Octopus Day 2023, we take a look at the application’s progress following resounding opposition from scientists, animal welfare and environmental organisations, and the general public.
Our case study Uncovering the Horrific Reality of Octopus Farming published together with Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), attracted significant international media attention.
In our new video, we update you on key welfare and environmental concerns of octopus farming, the current state of the application processes to establish the farm, and options for citizens to support our call to stop octopus farming.
Thanks to continuing media attention, online petitions and protests worldwide, the issue remains on the radar, and public pressure is working.
At regional level, the Canary Islands government has recently required a more exhaustive environmental impact procedure. Typically, intensive aquaculture projects in Spain are only subject to a simplified environmental assessment, but it was concluded that the octopus farm could have a significant impact on the surrounding environment. For Nueva Pescanova, this means that after waiting 2 years for the green light, they must now start over with a tougher evaluation process.
At EU level, several MEPs have expressed their opposition to the farm, raising a parliamentary question to the European Commission, as well as sending a joint letter to the Canary Islands government.
Outside the EU, Washington state has proposed a bill prohibiting octopus farms, and the UK has legally recognised octopuses as sentient beings. Hawaiian authorities have closed the Kanaloa octopus research farm, and in Canada, a governmental petition was proposed to ban octopus farming.
Moreover, the well known seafood certification labelling schemes by RSPCA and Friend of the Sea have made a resolute stance announcing their refusal to certify any farmed octopus products.
Nevertheless, we have to keep up the pressure to make sure octopus farming never sees the light of day.
Led by CIWF, on the occasion of World Octopus Day 2023, we have joined forces with 75 NGOs and experts worldwide to urge the Canary Islands Government to reject plans for the world’s first octopus farm in a joint letter.
In the face of overwhelming scientific evidence, ethical concerns, and global opposition, creating the world’s first octopus farm is a perilous path we must not tread. Octopuses, solitary in nature, and with extremely complex behaviours, simply do not suit intensive farming conditions. There is no effective stunning method for the slaughter of farmed octopuses, and no EU legislation exists to protect farmed octopuses. Their wellbeing and the harmony of our ecosystems should stand as our guiding principles, urging us to abandon the notion of commercial octopus farming.
Keri Tietge, Octopus Project Consultant, Eurogroup for Animals
Citizens can help to continue the momentum by signing petitions against octopus farming, joining protests such as PACMA’s Save the Octopuses Fest on 4 November 2023 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and spreading the word using the hashtags #BanOctopusFarming and #StopOctopusFarming.
Regards Mark
Latest EFSA report on avian influenza cause for concern
5 October 2023
Infections now regularly occur not only in wild and domestic birds but in an increasing number of mammalian species, with occasional human cases.
According to the latest report published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), between the end of June and 1 September 2023, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks continue to be reported worldwide.
These are worrying results, especially regarding infections in mammals: numerous cases occurred in raccoon dogs, foxes, and American mink kept for fur, as well as in wild otters and seals. Occasional infections in domestic cats and dogs have also been recorded. Some strains now have developed mutations that improve the virus’ ability to infect human cells, increase its resistance to certain antivirals, and augment its virulence. Research is ongoing into the effects of such mutations, but these new subtypes could have a higher zoonotic potential (not yet demonstrated).
What is clear is that some of the circulating HPAI variants have the ability to jump from one species to another. For instance, it is believed that A(H5N1) which carries markers for adaptation to mammalian cells jumped from chickens to cats in one outbreak in Poland. On Finnish fur farms, the virus jumped from wild birds to kept mammals and further mutated once inside the farms. For this reason, the EFSA recommends increasing biosecurity in fur farms and promptly culling all animals in case of a HPAI outbreak. As long as fur farming remains lawful in the EU, we can thus expect more mass culling events like those witnessed in recent years and even very recently due to COVID infections in animals.
For now, human infections are infrequent and are therefore considered sporadic, usually as a consequence of direct human contact with infected poultry. However, the situation is evolving and the EFSA recommends consistent and continued monitoring of outbreaks in wild and domestic animals.
Recommendations from the report include:
Increased surveillance of the circulation of the virus both in wild birds and in free-living domestic carnivores;
Increased biosecurity in fur farms with prompt culling of all animals in case of a confirmed outbreak of HPAI, because of the increased risk of mammalian adaptation of the virus;
Timely and accurate reporting of cases in mammalian species for epidemiological purposes;
Both people and domestic carnivores should avoid contact with infected carcasses;
Hospitalised human patients with severe respiratory symptoms should be assessed for exposure risk to HPAI.
Of particular concern is the finding that “about 47% of the characterised viruses contain at least one of the adaptive markers associated with increased virulence and replication in mammals […]. These mutations with potential public health implications have likely emerged upon transmission to mammals.”
Additionally, in April 2023 a HPAI virus identified in farmed dogs in China had a key mutation that would allow it to jump directly from birds to humans.
As this report was published, South Africa was (and still is) dealing with the devastating economic consequences of its latest HPAI outbreak, which has resulted in the culling of several million broiler chickens and laying hens. A vaccination program will probably begin in the coming weeks.
Regards Mark
Rally on animal rights at Jantar Mantar on Sunday | Pune News – Times of India (indiatimes.com)
PUNE: In commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary ..
Regards Mark
Our past posts relating to these subjects:
Search Results for “spain hunting dogs” – World Animals Voice
Search Results for “spain bullfights” – World Animals Voice
A new Spanish law strengthens animal rights but exempts bullfights and hunting with dogs
MADRID (AP) — A new animal welfare law that took effect Friday in Spain outlaws the use of animals for recreational activities that cause them pain and suffering but allows bullfights and hunting with dogs.
Spain’s first specific animal rights legislation is intended to crack down on abuses. The law particularly targets the mistreatment of domestic animals, introducing fines of up to 200,000 euros ($212,000).
It bans the buying of pets in stores or online, but gives stores a grace period to find homes for their animals. In the future, it only will be legal to purchase pets from registered breeders. The new rules allow pets into most establishments, including restaurants and bars.
The law bans the use of wild animals at circuses and gives owners six months to comply. It allows zoos to keep using the marine mammals in their dolphin shows until the animals die.
Bullfights are regarded as part of Spain’s cultural heritage. A proposal to include hunting dogs in the law prompted an outcry in some rural communities, and the government backed down.
Government statistics estimate some 29 million animals are kept as pets in Spain, most of them dogs. But around 300,000 are abandoned each year, and about one-third of those are put down.
The law also aims to introduce mandatory pet insurance and registration as well as training for owners. However, those requirements and some other legal aspects were delayed because detailed administrative procedures have not been drawn up in the absence of a sitting government.
Spain’s July general election proved inconclusive, and political parties are in coalition-building talks.
Regards Mark
A new Spanish law strengthens animal rights but exempts bullfights and hunting with dogs (yahoo.com)
More:
Spain Strengthens Animal Rights, But Exempts Bullfights (yahoo.com)
New Spanish law strengthens animal rights but exempts bullfights – ABC News (go.com)
World Animals Voice 