Category: Environmental

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

EU: The time is right to finally drop the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement.

2 February 2024

Press Release

Thousands of farmers have been protesting across Europe in recent days, and many gather today in Brussels to denounce the unfair competition brought about by the implementation of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) like the EU-Mercosur, and the resulting poor working conditions and low income.

Friends of the Earth Europe, Eurogroup for Animals and the European Trade Justice Coalition (ETJC) share European farmers’ frustration over having to compete with imported products exempt from the EU environmental, labour and animal welfare standards. As President Macron, who reportedly asked the European Commission to stop the EU-Mercosur negotiations, meets Ursula Von der Leyen today at a summit of European Union leaders, groups reinforce the call to end the EU-Mercosur deal and stop other FTAs in progress. 

The crises of climate, workers rights and inequality we face cant be solved by more outdated and unjust trade agreements, negotiated behind closed doors. We need a u-turn on trade policy and to put the planet, and people at the centre. The only reasonable call is for more countries to join France in their demand to put a full stop to this disastrous deal.

Leah Sullivan, Coordinator, ETJC

Environmental, animal welfare, and trade justice NGOs also denounce current populist discourses seeking to blame green and progressive legislations for farmers’ unease. Farmers need fair and stable prices for more environmentally and animal welfare friendly produced food. In order to successfully transition to sustainable food systems and achieve food sovereignty, the EU must uphold the European Green Deal’s farming objectives and reform its Common Agricultural Policy. 

When thousands of farmers protest in Europe against unjust free trade agreements, a fight supported by environmentalists and a large part of civil society, how can the Commission still put corporate giants’ economic interests above our common well-being? The negotiations of the EU-Mercosur deal, a toxic and outdated deal, must stop now and for good”.  

Julie Zalcman, trade campaigner, Friends of the Earth Europe

If implemented, the EU-Mercosur deal will create further unfair competition between European and South American farmers, reinforce the intensification of monocultures, intensive animal farming and extractive models in South America, and fuel deforestation, pesticide use and human rights violations. Those issues are inherent to the deal and cannot be fixed with a non-enforceable joint instrument, as proposed by the EU Commission.  

Even with the proposed joint instrument, the agreement would still increase the risks of animal cruelty, deforestation and human rights abuse due to the EU’s demand for commodities such as soya, beef, and poultry.” 

Stephanie Ghislain, Political Affairs Manager, Eurogroup for Animals

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Uncategorized

USA: Animal rights protestors rally outside of LA Zoo to call for elephant’s release to sanctuary.

Asian elephant Billy at the Los Angeles Zoo. Getty Images© Provided by CBS Los Angeles

Animal rights activists gathered outside of the Los Angeles Zoo on Sunday, calling for the release of an elephant who has spent more than three decades in the facility’s care. 

The groups, made up of members from Guardians of Los Angeles and Los Angeles for Animals, calling for Billy, an Asian elephant who has been at the zoo for about 34 years, to be released to an animal sanctuary and that he should be freed from what they called “incarceration.”

“The few elephants that have been removed from this kind of situation and placed into a sanctuary often will recover mentally and physically,” said LA City Councilman Paul Koretz, who joined protestors on Sunday. “After all the years he’s spent at the LA Zoo, he deserves to be an elephant near the end of his life.”

They say that deaths of two elephants at the zoo over the last year, including 53-year-old Asian elephant Shaunzi, are due to the “unnatural and neglectful conditions and confinement for male elephants” that are part of the reason that the zoo has earned a spot on the Defense of Animals’ 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants list.

A Los Angeles city committee voted to send Billy to a sanctuary, but the resolution has not yet been approved by the LA City Council. 

The zoo responded to Sunday’s protest with a statement that read:

“The health and wellbeing of all animals in our care continues to be our top priority, and our expert animal and veterinary teams provide the highest standard of care. The small number of activists campaigning to move Billy to another animal holding facility are basing their message on misinformation, untruths, and intentional mischaracterization of the L.A. Zoo elephant care program, and the Los Angeles Zoo categorically disagrees with their characterization of the care and welfare of Billy and Tina.”

Animal rights protestors rally outside of LA Zoo to call for elephant’s release to sanctuary (msn.com)

Regards Mark

Environmental, Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News, Hunting, Live Transport

Vote for Animals: placing animal welfare at the heart of the EU Elections.

1 February 2024

Press Release

The Vote for Animals campaign, launched by Eurogroup for Animals, aims to place animal welfare at the core of the upcoming EU Elections. The campaign encourages candidate MEPs to take a pledge for the animals, while informing citizens about the importance of these elections for progress on animal welfare in the EU, helping them to choose candidates that share their values and encouraging them to vote.

Candidate MEPs are being encouraged to sign a pledge stating a clear commitment to work to improve animal welfare if they are elected to the European Parliament (EP). The pledge, composed of ten asks, addresses live animal transport, imports of animal-based products, welfare of aquatic species, non-animal science and the conservation of wild animals, among others.

By taking the pledge, candidates commit to represent EU citizens’ demands for better animal welfare legislation. European citizens have been very vocal in demanding the EU to do better for animals. Six of ten successful European Citizens Initiatives are related to animal welfare, of which 1.5 million citizens have asked for a Fur Free Europe, and 1.4 million asked for a transition to cage-free systems. The last Eurobarometer, showed that over nine in ten Europeans believe that it is important to protect the welfare of farmed animals, while an overwhelming majority expressed the importance of better protection of kept animals during their entire lifetime.

Elected MEPs have the competence to drive animal welfare issues forward, by working to ensure it remains a priority on the EU agenda, being vocal on issues that need addressing, and voting in the interest of animals. During the current term, a significant number of MEPs have brought to light critical issues including the delay in the publication of the animal welfare legislation, the horrific nature of live animal transport and fur farming.

Elected representatives also have the opportunity to join the Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals, which provides a cross-party platform for MEPs to discuss and exchange views on animal welfare issues and to initiate and promote related  initiatives  in the EP. 

The Vote for Animals campaign page is translated in all official EU languages, and citizens are encouraged to send a message to their representatives, asking them to sign the pledge. 

MEPs can serve as catalysts to push for better animal welfare legislation. The Vote for Animals pledge is our commitment to do our utmost to make sure the European Commission comes forward with ambitious legislation on critical issues that need much attention. If I am given the trust by the public, I promise to continue to place these issues at the core of my work, representing the demands of citizens to do more in this aspect. I encourage other candidate MEPs to take the pledge.

Niels Fuglsang, MEP (S&D, DK)

With so many EU citizens asking for more action on animal welfare, the European Parliament must be representative of these interests, to drive forward much-needed progress. This campaign provides both citizens and MEPs the opportunity to shape an institution that keeps animals at the core of their work.

  • Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

Elections

Environmental, General News, Hunting

Russians kill innocent animals and shamelessly flaunt their deeds in photos – animal rights activists.

WAV Comment – Real Men always wear Combat Trousers !! ?

All Photos – UAnimals

Uanimals, a Ukrainian animal protection organization, has shared information that Russian soldiers have been killing animals in the occupied Kherson Oblast and proudly displaying their deeds in photographs.

The organization received the photos from a member of the volunteer community depicting Russians from the occupied part of Kherson triumphantly posing with the lifeless bodies of various animals.

Russian soldiers are shown holding dead hares and birds. Another picture shows a Russian posing next to a slain deer, a UAnimals associated at the Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology confirmed.
While the exact locations of these gruesome acts cannot be pinpointed, an analysis conducted by the organization validates that the photos were indeed taken in Kherson.

Before the invasion, deer thrived within the Askania-Nova Reserve and the Azov-Syvash National Park, both now under Russian occupation.

Read also: Russian occupiers pillage Askania-Nova Nature Reserve, committing ecocide

“These images are further evidence that Russians are killing everything alive in Ukraine and committing a true ecocide,” the organization said.

The left bank of Kherson Oblast has remained under Russian occupation since February 24, 2022, with military forces establishing an occupational “administration” within the Askania-Nova Reserve.

Ukrainian military personnel have reported that Russians are destroying natural reserves in the occupied Kherson Oblast. They deploy equipment, establish training grounds, and hunt unique animal species there.

Sick !!

Regards Mark

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/russians-kill-innocent-animals-shamelessly-141700369.html

I need something good after all this shit;

Time out – Enjoy – Brilliant Nige !!

Environmental, General News

EU: European Parliament votes to address welfare through the Common Fisheries Policy.

25 January 2024

Last week the European Parliament issued a resounding call to the European Commission, urging the Common Fisheries Policy to improve the welfare of aquatic animals.

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) encompasses both the aquaculture and fisheries sectors and is pivotal in establishing the foundational objectives for the management of fisheries and fish populations in the EU’s waters, along with the market and financial aspects of aquaculture. It ensures both sectors are ecologically, economically and socially sustainable. 

On 18 January, the European Parliament (EP) voted on what the next steps of CFP implementation should include, adopting a new report laying out the achievements and shortcomings of the CFP since its last reform, over a decade ago. 

However, the report calls for updated legislation, ignoring the fact  that the key reason that the CFP is not resulting in sustainable fishing in the EU is because Member States consistently set fishing quotas above scientific advice. The priority should be better implementation and enforcement of the CFP, in line with the latest science. 

A critical flaw in the policy is the absence of any consideration of aquatic animals’ welfare, despite billions of them being farmed or fished and ultimately slaughtered every year in the European Union. Although Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union requires fishery policies – among others – to “pay full regard to the welfare requirements of animals”, the CFP is the only EU policy which deals with living animals but contains no animal welfare provisions.

Last Thursday, the Members of the European Parliament asserted the need to change this, calling on the European Commission (EC) to take into account the welfare of farmed and wild-caught fish in the CFP. This move aligns with the sentiment expressed by European citizens, as over 90% of respondents in the 2023 Eurobarometer indicated a demand for farming and breeding practices to adhere to basic ethical requirements.. 

This vote follows-up on scientific recognition of the sentience of fish, as confirmed by the European Food Safety Authority) and the European Commission, and aligns the EP with the Council of the European Union which, in June, also urged the Commission to enhance aquatic animals’ welfare through the CFP.

In the same vein, Commissioner Sinkevicius also made a promising statement during the debate – “I (…) recognise that future research and innovation is required, in particular on species-specific welfare parameters (…)” – gives us hope that the European citizens’ demand for better animal welfare conditions – including for aquatic animals – will be heard.”

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Hunting

Trophy hunting helps conservation? The industry’s biggest myths debunked.

18 January 2024

Four Paws

Despite the ever-growing biodiversity crisis, it is still legal to hunt endangered species for trophies, with elephants, rhinos, leopards, lions and polar bears often falling victim to this cruel practice.

The EU is the second largest importer of hunting trophies worldwide, with nearly 15,000 hunting trophies of individual animals imported between 2014 and 2018 alone. The industry often uses misguided messaging to justify their actions, but a new report, published by 30 NGOs from across Europe and Africa, scientifically addresses these myths. Here are just a few:

Myth: Trophy hunting helps in conservation efforts

Fact: It negatively impacts populations of endangered and protected species

Hunters often target large or strong animals, jeopardising the gene pool of a population and negatively affecting long-term survival. This also undermines efforts by local communities towards conservation and co-existence, as it normalises the killing of animals for personal pleasure.

Myth: It benefits local communities

Fact: For communities it is a lose-lose situation

The trophy hunting industry is riddled with corruption and mismanagement, maximising profits for hunting officials, hunting tour operators and government officials. Local communities benefit by as little as USD 0.30 and USD 5.90 per capita per year, depending on the country. Often, hunting fees do not even reach local communities.

For most communities, trophy hunting is a lose-lose situation. They lose their wildlife to the rifle of foreign hunters, and fail to profit from the money produced by this deadly business. Trophy hunting not only exploits wildlife and nature, but also robs local communities of their heritage and future existence.

Nick Clark, Wildlife Programme Leader, Eurogroup for Animals

Myth: Trophy hunting prevents poaching

Fact: Poaching and illegal practices are rampant in hunting areas

Evidence shows high poaching incidents in hunting areas, leading to depleted animal populations. This has been especially evident in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, the largest

hunting area in Africa, where approximately 55,000 elephants were poached between 2007 and

2014, leading to a population decline of 80 %. In some instances, animals migrate from protected areas to reoccupy empty territories in hunting areas, only to end up victims of trophy hunting.

Myth: Trophy hunting reduces human-animal conflicts

Fact: Trophy hunting exacerbates conflicts between humans and animals

Trophy hunters often target large and more mature males, which often disrupts social dynamics, exacerbating conflict with people. As an example, elephants from populations that have been subject to illegal hunting over a period of time often become more responsive towards humans, and may express aggressive behaviour. Hunting can also encourage predators to venture more frequently into human settlements, preying on farm animals as an easily available food source.

There is increased opposition to trophy hunting from the public, member states and NGOs.

The European Parliament has called for an import ban on trophies from protected species, and Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Finland have already implemented, or are in the process of, import restrictions. 81% of citizens from major European trophy importing countries oppose the practice and call for an import ban.

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Uncategorized

England: 18/1/2024 Goldfinches.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/goldfinch

18/1/24. Went out into the garden this lunchtime with my camera whilst waiting for someone to arrive.

Beautiful Winters day – very cold, but clear with fantastic blue skies. I decided to take some photos of the Goldfinches that come into the garden each day to feast on the Sunflower hearts I put out for them in the feeders, and which you can see packed into the clear feeder tubes in the pictures. Got some ok photos which you can see below. Goldfinches are one of my favorite birds; colours are just amazingly beautiful.

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Stray Animals

UK / England: UK RESIDENTS ONLY – Can You Help By Taking Part In The Big Garden Birdwatch ? One Weekend, 1 Hour No Record All Birds In Your Area. Join 300,000+ Others To Date.

Photo – Pauline

When – 1 Hour Between 26 and 28 January

What is Big Garden Birdwatch?

I (Mark WAV) have tried to attract Goldfinches – See Picture below; into my garden. It worked after a few months of trying; now I get up to 6 on the feeders at the same time. They are beautiful birds as you can see – a host of colour !

Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest garden wildlife survey. Every year, hundreds of thousands of nature lovers like you take part, helping to build a picture of how garden birds are faring.

It’s easy to be part of Big Garden Birdwatch. Simply choose an hour between 26 and 28 January and count the birds you see in your garden, from your balcony, or in your local park. Only count birds that land. Then tell us what you saw. Even if you saw nothing, it still counts.

Big Garden Birdwatch FAQs (rspb.org.uk)

Telling us what you saw

When do I need to send you my results?

Please tell us what you saw at www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch before 18 February. By giving us your results online, you’re helping us to spend more on saving nature as it reduces our costs. However, if you prefer to post us your results, you can print and complete the form found in the guide, and send it back to reach us by 13 February. Please take a look at the guide before printing, as it may be that you don’t need to print it all. Every piece of paper saved is better for nature!

Free Guide and ID chart

You can take part in the Birdwatch by simply counting the birds for one hour then going online to tell us what and how many you saw. However, we know some people prefer to use a guide. You can download this year’s free guide below.

big-garden-bird-watch-how-to-english.pdf

Birds of conservation concern

The UK Red list for Birds keeps track of population trends in 245 species, with birds listed as ‘Red’ deemed most at risk. In 2021,Greenfinches moved onto the Red List for the first time. 

Photos – Pauline

Back in 1979, when Big Garden Birdwatch began, Greenfinches first came in at number seven, but in 2023 they were down to 18. This demonstrates the devastating population declines seen in these charming little finches, caused by a disease called trichomonosis. We now know that Chaffinches are affected too. 

You can help stop the spread of this disease by removing old food and cleaning your bird tables, bird baths and feeders weekly. Check here for guidance on cleaning feeders to keep you and your garden birds safe.

Big Garden Birdwatch | Register (rspb.org.uk)

Regards Mark

Who knows what else you might see ?

England: My Breakfast Buddy – and More !.

Photo – Pauline

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

EU: End the Cage Age: Ombudsman opens inquiry on European Commission’s failure to act.

8 January 2024

The European Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into the European Commission’s (EC) failure to publish a legislative proposal to phase-out and ultimately ban cages for farm animals, in line with its official answer to the End the Cage Age European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI).

Eurogroup for Animals and numerous other animal protection organisations wrote to the European Commission in October after it unexpectedly backtracked on the commitment to bring forward legislation banning cages in 2023, and did not provide any clarity on when it would be published.

In June 2021, the EC promised that by the end of 2023, it would put forward a legislative proposal to phase out and finally prohibit the use of cages, a commitment which it re-stated and reinforced on numerous occasions. The EC had generated considerable legitimate expectation among citizens that legislation would be forthcoming, creating a case of maladministration. 

After not receiving a response from the EC, in November 2023, Eurogroup for Animals and several of its members made an official maladministration complaint to the European Ombudsman against the EC for failure to uphold its commitment to an ECI in which 1.4 million citizens asked for a ban on cages and failure to appropriately communicate its u-turn on this promise.

The complaint raises the issue of the EC undermining the rules that govern ECIs and the very credibility of the democratic participatory process they represent. In the run up to the European elections in June of this year, this is a particularly poor signal to send to citizens.

The European Ombudsman has now asked the EC to send an official reply to Eurogroup for Animals and all the other complainants by the end of January. 

The opening of the inquiry of the European Ombudsman sends a clear signal that the democratic tool of the ECI should not be undermined. Citizens are using the tools at their disposal to make their voice heard on issues that matter. We expect the European Commission to follow through on its commitment, and we continue asking for a timeline indicating when the promised proposals will be published.

Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals

Regards Mark