Bavaria has declared war not only with the wolf, but now with fish otters as well.
From 1/8/23 a new regulation is in place that allows all year round hunting. The otter is a protected species under European law (?) and law suits are already being filed. But the sheer cheek of these people !
Elections are up and down there. One Markus Soder hopes to gain votes from the ‘right sort’ with these actions. Mountain farmers, fishers, hunters etc,
Much of Bavaria is rural, and so he can indeed hope to succeed.
I had this through the other day (9/8) from the Conservative Animal Welfare Group; the Conservatives currently being in government here in the UK.
When Boris was the Prime Minister; he appeared to be pushing forward more on animal welfare issues; probably because he was also being driven by wife Carrie; an activist in her own right.
Since Rishi ousted Boris and became PM himself, there has been no real movement on both animal welfare or environmental issues. See below.
The 52 signatories to the letter, dated July 28, include Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace UK, the National Trust, RPSCA and RSPB. They say they represent 20 million people.
After referencing recent wildfires across the globe, and flash flooding in India, they write that the environment “remains a central concern for voters” and there is “no public mandate for a delay”.
The letter concludes: “We will not stand by whilst politicians use the environment as a political football.
Now the CAWF are banging out mails as follows below. Personally I have been fighting for a live export bn for 35 years. In my view, the Conservatives have never had, and currently do not have, any real idea of what a big vote winner both positive animal welfare and environmental action can be; see the poll results in the CAWF actions below. Yet still, right now, both issues appear to have been put on the back burner by the current Rishi government,
How long does tis go on ? – I personally predict that in the next General Election, which will probably be within the next 12 months, the Conservatives are due to be annihilated by other parties who claim to be better at animal and environmental issues. I don’t really have faith in any of them; they all make false promises to get votes and when elected into power on those issues, the British public are just given a kick in the teeth. I have over 60 years experience of being bullshitted to and being kicked in the teeth by past and current governments. The big problem is that in reality, there does not appear to be any UK political party which acts for animals, and will act for animals and the environment in the future. Now I read from the CAWF of their policy recommendations for the Conservative Party to adopt in their next Manifesto.
They say; We have been disappointed by moves to drop the long-promised Consultation on animal welfare labelling, and the discontinuation of the Kept Animals Bill (which included an end to live exports for fattening and slaughter). While we remain supportive of the Government’s approach to deliver these measures through alternative legislative vehicles, we fear not all of these can become law before the next General Election.
The Kept Animals Bill was already working its way through Parliament; this would have included a ban on the live export of animals for both slaughter and further fattening. Along with New Zealand, the UK would have been pivotal in halting live animal exports. Now. Rishi has done a U turn and scrapped the entire Bill.
I can do U turns as well; and steering well clear of Conservative Manifesto bullshit for the next General election will be at least one of the. They have betrayed so amny of us, the voting public; maybe soon it will be time for revenge !
From the CAWF:
Dear Friend,
We hope you are enjoying a relaxing summer. From briefing officials at 10 Downing Street, to launching our new report on perceptions of farm animal welfare, it’s certainly been a busy few months since our last update in April.
With a General Election now on the horizon, CAWF launched its 2024 Manifesto ‘Leading the Way for Animals’ in July which set out key policy recommendations for the Conservative Party to adopt in their next Manifesto. This coincided with some brand new polling we commissioned through Opinium, which showed two thirds of people (64%) would feel more positively about a political party if they included a strong commitment to animal protection.
Last month we also launched a new report ‘Farm Animal Welfare in the UK: What Does the British Public Want?’ which reveals the significant gap between what the British public demands as citizens and consumers, and the realities of what they receive via standard UK farming industry methods of production and practices.
Meanwhile last week our Co-Founder Chris Platt delivered a speech at the 2023 Animal and Vegan Advocacy (AVA) Summit in Los Angeles, United States. We were delighted with this opportunity to expand our international presence and advise other countries on building genuine, Conservative animal welfare advocacy.
Of course, all of this has taken place against the backdrop of major legislative changes on animal welfare. We have been disappointed by moves to drop the long-promised Consultation on animal welfare labelling, and the discontinuation of the Kept Animals Bill (which included an end to live exports for fattening and slaughter). While we remain supportive of the Government’s approach to deliver these measures through alternative legislative vehicles, we fear not all of these can become law before the next General Election.We are calling for a specific Government-led Bill on live exports, to ensure this vital policy and key Manifesto commitment for farmed animals is honoured.
We are also urging our supporters to ask their local MP to write to the Prime Minister and ensure time is set aside for a Government Live Exports Bill.
Read on for more information about all of this and much more. We hope you have a restful summer, and look forward to continuing to keep you up to date with our latest work.
Thank you for your support and best wishes,
Chris and Lorraine Platt Co-Founders
Finally, on a lighter cringe note, I guess he should have should have stuck to guitar
At least he got a clap. How do they all sit there with such straight faces ? – I would be howling with laughter !
With a bit of perseverance, at long last I have now managed to get Goldfinches into the garden continually; I have put out a lot of Sunflower hearts for them, and this is really doing the trick to attract them.
I am pleased to share our Summer 2023 edition of Coyote Chronicles, our quarterly newsletter.
In this update, we share progress toward ending wildlife killing contests in New York and Illinois, growth of our #CaptureCoexistence campaign, headway in wildlife governance reform in Wisconsin, and a collaborative victory in Pasadena, CA whose city council chose coyote coexistence instead of killing.
We hope you’ll enjoy reading these updates and accomplishments, learning a seasonal coexistence tip, and joining us in welcoming new staff and advisory board members to our pack.
Whether you take action through our action alerts, engage with us on social media, or financially invest in Project Coyote’s mission, YOU make a difference and your steadfast support is directly reflected in the accomplishments shared in our seasonal Coyote Chronicles newsletter.
Thank you for supporting compassionate carnivore coexistence and we hope you enjoy reading about our latest work! As always, please share this e-newsletter with other wildlife lovers. We are grassroots and need your help in growing our community of support!
When consumers look to purchase more animal and planet-friendy products, many turn to labelling schemes for guidance. Little do they realise, the majority of sustainable aquaculture certification schemes fail to consider animal welfare at all. Essere Animali has launched a new campaign against misleading labelling in aquaculture.
According to the EU’s Common market for fisheries & aquaculture Regulation, sustainable aquaculture activities include environmental protection, animal health and animal welfare. Similarly, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) recognised fish as sentient beings capable of experiencing feelings such as fear and pain, and their welfare is explicitly mentioned in all official documents dealing with sustainability in aquaculture, from the European Commission’s Strategic Aquaculture Guidelines to the guidelines for companies developed by the Global Reporting Initiative. In other words, animal welfare is intrinsic to sustainability.
Certification schemes that fail to protect fish welfare will do nothing to relieve the unnecessary pain and suffering that farmed fish undergo in aquaculture. Practices such as high stocking densities, lack of environmental enrichment, poor water quality, painful procedures (egg/semen collection, vaccinations, catching for transport) and unstunned slaughter are highly stressful and lead to poor welfare outcomes for fish.
A poll carried out by Compassion in World Farming and YouGov in May 2020 found that 63% of participants were not clear on whether existing certification schemes protect fish welfare, but that 78% think that they should. Indeed, a recent study found that fish welfare is an important factor for consumers, and they were more likely to pay for an organic label if they knew that it addressed fish welfare.
With Essere Animali’s new campaign, UNsustainable aquaculture, the organisation is calling out an Italian certification scheme developed by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture together with the Italian fish producer association API for failing to address welfare. The scheme allows fish products to be labelled as “sustainable aquaculture”, without any specific animal welfare improvement, which Essere Animali claims misleads consumers. Essere Animali have four main requests for the scheme: to include a clear definition of animal welfare, an effective stunning requirement, and maximum densities and water quality requirements. Citizens are invited to participate in an email campaign to join the call for improved welfare standards.
Well-known global fish certification schemes also fall short on welfare. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is currently developing new fish welfare indicators that include stunning requirements, but ignore welfare standards during the farming phase. A public consultation of these indicators is foreseen by the end of the year.
WAV comment – I (Mark) want to personally thank GAIA President Michel Vandenbosch for all his wonderful work and a life completely devoted to the welfare of animals. I first encountered a young Michel back in the 80’s when we were campaigning at EU headquarters, Brussels, for ban on veal crates.
Michel has over the years led GAIA to become a real primary voice for the voiceless in Europe, and he deserves credit for all the work he has undertaken for deacades relating to his devotion to animal welfare.
Here is the photo (below) I took back in the 80’s at that Brussels veal crate demo – you can see Michel on the left.
This virtual zoo is yet another of Micel’s wonderful contributions to the bettering of welfare for animals, Thank you Michel.
On Wednesday 19 July, GAIA inaugurated the first virtual reality zoo alongside Prince Laurent of Belgium and Bernard Clerfayt, Brussels Minister for Animal Welfare. This zoo of the future immerses visitors in wild habitats in virtual reality, allowing them to observe all kinds of animals, from tigers and penguins to giraffes and elephants.
Several million wild animals are kept in captivity in the 10,000 zoos currently counted around the world. Locked up in enclosures infinitely smaller than their natural habitat, in artificial environments that have little to do with their original savannah or forest, the animals suffer.
Many of them develop stereotypies (abnormal repetitive behaviour, a sign of psychological suffering). Boredom and frustration drive animals to incessant pacing, constant rocking, compulsive grooming and self-mutilation.
GAIA’s idea is simple: rather than observing polar bears pacing on a fake concrete ice floe, or bored monkeys in a glass enclosure, it would be better to get to know them while respecting their freedom.
In GAIA’s new virtual zoo, we will be able to admire wild animals evolving freely in their environment without being disturbed by visitors. This initiative could significantly reduce the number of animals kept in zoos, especially where minimum welfare standards cannot be met.
The value of this initiative also outweighs the educational benefits of zoos, where visitors cannot learn the natural behaviours of wild animals. Besides exotic animals, there are thousands of wild animals that can be observed, with patience and precaution, close to your home.
Injecting animal welfare in renewed EU-Latin American trade relationships
18 July 2023
As leaders from the EU and from the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) gather in Brussels for the third EU-CELAC summit, willingness to accelerate the conclusion of controversial trade agreements is on the agenda. What’s at stake for animals?
During the EU-CELAC Summit on 17-18 July, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Mercosur countries reiterated their “determination to work towards the conclusion of the Agreement between the EU and MERCOSUR by the end of 2023”.
Instead of pushing forward an unsustainable and harmful trade policy, the EU should redesign its trade deals to be compatible with the EU Green Deal and the Farm-to-Fork Strategy. These deals, as exemplified by the EU-Mercosur FTA, grant further unconditional market access to animal based products, leading to an increase in the trade and further fuelling the intensification of farming both in the EU and abroad. This trend not only implies poor animal welfare conditions, but also raises public health concerns in terms of zoonoses and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Intensification of animal production also generates high levels of deforestation, impacting the welfare of millions of wild animals.
For all these reasons, Eurogroup for Animals, together with 50 civil society organisations from South America and Europe, and with the support of MEPs from the Greens/EFA, the Left and S&D, organised an international conference calling for ‘A new EU-Latin America trade relationship for the 21st Century’.
The Left in the EP
During the conference, a wide range of speakers from the EU and South America agreed that the EU-Mercosur deal is toxic for indigenous people, workers, the environment and animals, and that the proposed additional protocol offers nothing more than cosmetic, unenforceable adjustments. Furthermore, the risks of the deal aggravating deforestation cannot be restrained by the recent EU legislation on imported deforestation, given that the legislation ignores many products that contribute to deforestation and other biomes destroyed by intensive agriculture. For example, soy-fed animals such as poultry are not covered by the legislation.
Other speakers echoed Eurogroup for Animals’ criticism of the EU-Mexico and EU-Chile agreements. These deals have had devastating consequences for local communities, including pollution and destruction of natural habitats, and their “modernised” versions are likely to have further negative impacts on animal welfare, human rights, deforestation, the climate crisis and biodiversity. While the agreements do include some animal welfare provisions – including on animal sentience and growth promoters and, in the case of Mexico, a standalone chapter on animal welfare and antimicrobial resistance – the language is weak and will do nothing to offset the negative impacts unconditional trade liberalisation will have on animals, people and the planet.
All eyes are now on the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council to avoid fast-tracking the EU-Chile and the EU-Mexico FTAs by side-stepping national and regional parliaments and removing Member States’ veto right. This is critical given the range of negative impacts the agreements will have on animal welfare, human rights, the climate crisis and biodiversity. Concerning the EU-Mercosur FTA, Eurogroup for Animals calls for a full renegotiation of the deal, including conditioning all trade preferences granted in the agreement to EU-equivalent animal welfare standards.
Cruise line apologises after passengers witness dozens of pilot whales being slaughtered
We have campaigned against this along with thousands of others for decades – at least the uninformed may know a bit more about the abuse that takes place every year.
Myself, Joanne and Trev fight to get Faroese fish stopped in our local supermarket – when was this ? late 80’ s ? To see more pictures please click on https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/
Others have called on cruise ship companies to boycott the Faroe Islands in order to end the killing of whales in the area. “Cruise companies need to take a stand in support of ocean wildlife and remove the Faroe Islands from itineraries,” Rob Read, the chief operations officer at Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK, told Yahoo News Australia. “Their continued visits to the Faroe Islands inadvertently supports the abhorrent practice that is the Grindadráp.”
World Animals Voice 
