Photographers Capture Powerfully Moving Images of Animal Exploitation Around the World

Thanks to Stacey at ‘Our Compass’ for supplying this info.

There are lots of terrible photos on this link; so it is best you are directed there rather than we download all the photos and text.

Regards Mark

Photographers Capture Powerfully Moving Images of Animal Exploitation Around the World | Our Compass (our-compass.org)

Please remember that all animals exploited for human use suffer, no matter the country; animal suffering is not limited to certain locations or areas, an animal whose body is used, manipulated, taken from, and violently killed, is an animal who is abused, no matter the conditions endured prior to vicious, terrifying slaughter, but that 99% of all animals in the United States, and >90% globally, are “produced” in extremely confined, CAFO/Factory Farm conditions. The ONLY humane is vegan. SL

WAV Comment: We have covered this news recently; but here is the official from the BBC network.

EU Court backs ban on animal slaughter without stunning

A Belgian ban on kosher and halal slaughter of animals without being stunned has been backed by the European Court of Justice, which rejected objections by religious groups.

The EU’s highest court backed a Flemish decision to require the use of stunning for livestock on animal rights grounds.

The animal is not killed in the stunning process.

The head of the conference of European rabbis said the ruling would be felt by Jewish communities across Europe.

“This decision goes even further than expected and flies in the face of recent statements from the European institutions that Jewish life is to be treasured and respected,” said Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt.

But the Flanders government in northern Belgium hailed Thursday’s decision, with nationalist animal welfare minister Ben Weyts saying “we’re today writing history”. Animal rights group Gaia said it was a great day and the culmination of a 25-year struggle.

The ruling came as a surprise as it went contrary to a recommendation in September to quash the Flemish law by the Court’s Advocate General, who said stricter animal welfare rules were allowed if the “core” religious practice was not encroached upon.Under the requirements of Muslim halal slaughter or Jewish shechita, an animal’s throat is slit quickly with a surgically sharp knife while it is still conscious.

EU law, along with UK law, already requires animals to be stunned before being killed, unless the meat is intended for Muslims or Jews, and then only in approved abbatoirs.

What did the Court rule?

The European Court said all member states had to reconcile both animal welfare and freedom of religion and EU law did not prevent countries from requiring the stunning of animals as long as they respected fundamental rights.

While the Court accepted that imposing such a requirement limited the rights of Muslims and Jews, it did not ban ritual slaughter and the Belgian law’s “interference with the freedom to manifest religion” met an “objective of general interest recognised by the European Union, namely the promotion of animal welfare”.

It also said the Flemish parliament had relied on scientific evidence indicating that prior stunning was the best way of reducing an animal’s suffering and that the law allowed “a fair balance to be struck” between animal welfare and freedom of religion.

• Should religious slaughter be banned in the UK?
• Stunned halal meat move ‘inhumane’

https://emp.bbc.co.uk/emp/SMPj/2.36.7/iframe.html media captionButcher Mohammed Adnan explains the difference between halal and non-halal meat

Muslim groups repeatedly challenged the Flemish legislation before it was passed and came into force in January 2019. The French-speaking Wallonia area of southern Belgium adopted the law months later.

When the Belgian laws came in, Muslim and Jewish groups feared they were being used by nationalists to whip up anti-immigrant sentiment.

The head of the European Jewish Association, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, said Friday was a “sad day for European Jewry” and Belgium’s Jewish umbrella group, CCOJB, said it would take its legal fight to the European Court of Human Rights.

EU Court backs ban on animal slaughter without stunning – BBC News

Study Finds Growing Popularity Of Plant-Based Diets In The Czech Republic

A new study reports a growth in the popularity of plant-based diets in The Czech Republic, with people wanting to improve their health and help the planet.

by Emily Baker

A study has found an increase in the popularity of switching to plant-based diets in the Czech Republic, in line with a rise across Europe.

Whilst the research found a growing will to reduce meat consumption amongst younger age groups, it was also found that Czech people are not primarily ‘pro-plant-based’.

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Health driven

Of consumers asked, 20 percent said they expected to reduce their meat intake in the future – and the main factor was to improve their health.

The market study was conducted by the Agricultural Economics Society (AES).AES claims the increase in popularity is not just consumer-led, and that large retail chains are developing their own plant-based product ranges.

Growth

Earlier this month, research from the vegan and vegetarian food app HappyCow saw the Czech Republic fair in the top three for having the most vegetarian-friendly restaurants per population size in Europe.

Expats.Cz claims there has been a surge in the country’s restaurants favoring meatless menus over the past four years.

Reports conducted by the Czech Vegan Society last year predicted an increase in plant-based diets – showing 30 percent of people were planning to consume more plants.It also noted 45 percent of respondents believed animal agriculture was negatively affecting the planet.

Rise across Europe

More vegan food has become readily available across Europe in recent years, from Burger King’s expansion to the Beyond Meat production facility which opened in the Netherlands this year.

Statistics from The Vegan Society show a skyrocket in vegan food and drink businesses across Europe between 2016 and 2019.

Plant-Based Diets On The Rise In The Czech Republic – Study Finds (plantbasednews.org)