Category: General News

Farm Animals, General News, Vegan Recipes

UK: Leading British Supermarket Known For Its Animal Welfare Commitment Stop Selling Unnaturally-Fast Grown Fresh Chicken.

WAV Comment:  M&S are a national chain.  With regard food and animal welfare they have always been one of the best promoters of.  Although we do not support meat eating, we accept that people still do, and buy from M&S; therefore, if things can be done to improve animal welfare then we fully support it.  Interesting to note that ‘it beats rivals’; hopefully many other food stores will move away from selling un natural growth chickens in the near future.

M&S becomes first UK supermarket to stop selling unnaturally-fast grown fresh chicken | Daily Mail Online

M&S becomes first UK supermarket to stop selling unnaturally-fast grown fresh chicken – after probe revealed how birds buckled under own weight and spent final days lame and in pain

  • Marks and Spencer beat out rival retailers and promises change by next autumn
  • Several industry leaders have praised the British retail giant’s ‘landmark’ move 
  • Fast-grown chickens used by many major supermarkets use genetic selection, but several media outlets revealed the shocking conditions the birds endure

Marks & Spencer is set to be the first UK supermarket to stop selling unnaturally-fast grown fresh chicken after a probe unveiled the shocking conditions such birds live in. 

The British supermarket giant has become the first in the country to pledge to replace its fast-grown fresh chicken with slower breeds by next year.

And in a further promise and major boost to British farmers, M&S said all the chicken it sells will come from homegrown farms that use slower growth methods and are backed by the RSPCA.

A 2019 report by the Times revealed how the fast-growing chickens, developed using genetic selection, were buckling under their own went and would spend their final days lame and in pain. 

M&S beat out competition from rival retailer Waitrose and other High Street luminaries such as Greggs, Nando’s, KFC and Pizza Express – who have all signed the ‘better chicken commitment’ that promises better welfare for the birds.

Chicken remains Britain’s most popular bird, with more than 2.7million of them eaten daily. 

Marks & Spencer signed the ‘Better Chicken Commitment’ – an industry-wide pledge to better protect the welfare of birds – in 2017.

While most UK chickens are bred with the expectation of gaining almost 100 grams in weight each day for just over a month, slower-growing and less profitable breeds tend to be slaughtered at 56 days.

The Times reports that the growth rates of UK chickens have nearly quadrupled over the last half century from 25g per day. 

After the news broke, a host of industry leaders praised the supermarket’s newest announcement and called on other retailers to follow the ‘landmark’ move. 

Chris Sherwood, RSPCA chief executive, explained that the move by M&S was a ‘landmark achievement for animal welfare’. 

‘By simply switching to using only slower growing breeds of chicken, retailers can make an enormous difference to the lives and welfare of millions of chickens reared in this country every year for their meat.’

Dr Tracey Jones, Director of Food Business at Compassion in World Farming said: ‘We applaud M&S for being the first retailer to sign up to the Better Chicken Commitment, the first to start transitioning supply, and the first to roll out product on shelf with their ‘Oakham Gold’ fresh chicken.

Regards Mark

Marks & Spencer is set to be the first UK supermarket to stop selling unnaturally-fast grown fresh chicken after a probe unveiled the shocking conditions such birds live in
Marks & Spencer is set to be the first UK supermarket to stop selling unnaturally-fast grown fresh chicken after a probe unveiled the shocking conditions such birds live in
Environmental, Farm Animals, General News, Vegan Recipes

UK: First Ever Vegan BBQ Week ! – 2-11/7/21

Vegan BBQ Week logo

Get ready to fire up the barbecue, because it’s the UK’s first-ever Vegan BBQ Week!

Running from 2 to 11 July, it’s the perfect time to host a long-awaited gathering of friends in the garden or just rustle up a small weekday feast outdoors. Whatever your plans, we’ve got the ultimate vegan BBQ guide for you.

For the ultimate vegan BBQ guide, click here:

UK’s First Vegan BBQ Week: Everything You Need to Know | PETA UK

f you’re joining in the excitement with a delicious summer feast, share your pics with us by posting on social media and using the hashtag #VeganBBQWeek.

The best bit about an all-vegan BBQ is that you get all the flavour without harming animals or burning up the planet. If you’re more of an indoor cook, why not order a copy of our free vegan starter kit for delicious recipes you can prepare in the kitchen and top tips on vegan living?

Order your free vegan starter kit here:

Order Your Free Vegan Starter Kit | People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (peta.org.uk)

Thanks for helping to make the world a better place!

Sincerely,

Carys B
PETA

Grilling Without Killing
Rudy’s Vegan Butcher

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Hunting

India: Covid escalates elephant killings in eastern India to ‘crisis proportions.

Covid escalates elephant killings in eastern India to ‘crisis proportions’

Corruption and apathy lead to mounting death toll of wild animals, say conservationists

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/elephant-deaths-covid-india-poaching-b1876632.html

The killing of elephants in eastern India has reached crisis proportions, magnified by the Covid lockdown, conservationists say.

In the past two years, 160 of the endangered wild animals have been wiped out in the state of Odisha, at least 40 of them in the past five months alone.

Many are deliberately electrocuted or poisoned by people who have taken forest land for farming, according to the Voice for Asian Elephants Society (VfAES).

Covid escalates elephant killings in eastern India to ‘crisis proportions’ | The Independent

The felling of forests for mining and other human activity also shrinks their natural habitats.

And poachers wanting tusks for ivory have been emboldened by an absence of forest patrols, which have been cut back during the coronavirus pandemic.

The VfAES accused authorities of using Covid “as a shield to avoid their responsibilities” in carrying out patrols and cracking down on corruption.

Sangita Iyer, a biologist and the organisation’s founder, said: “There is a silent catastrophe unfolding across India.

“The situation in Odisha is dire. Apathy, complacency, dereliction of duty and a significant lack of accountability by certain forest officials are some of the core issues on the ground.”

Ms Iyer accused ministers of failing to investigate the problems behind the “senseless and preventable” deaths.

She said elephant tusks have been seized from the homes of corrupt officers who know where elephants can be found and tip off poachers.

“What chance do these animals have if the very people entrusted to care for them actually end up betraying these voiceless animals?” she said.

Records show at least 82 Odisha forest officials have been accused of corruption in five years, according to the Hindustan Times.

There are 40,000 Asian elephants in the world, officially classed as endangered, 60 per cent of them in India.

But activists say a burgeoning human population, causing “reckless” land use, such as mining and agriculture expansion, and railways and roads cutting through habitats is killing the creatures.

According to a report by Traffic, a wildlife trade monitoring charity, during the pandemic the poaching of large mammals in India has increased by 44 per cent, and that of other small mammals by 25 per cent.

It’s feared the official elephant death tally is an underestimate because villagers who normally find carcasses have been out less.

In 2012, the Odisha government announced that every unnatural death would be investigated, but Ms Iyer claimed ministers have not questioned or reprimanded any officials for failing to prevent deaths.

And she called on the government to launch a thorough investigation into the deaths.

In the longer term, underpasses and overpasses should be built for railway tracks and roads to prevent elephant deaths, she said, and drivers flouting the traffic laws should be suspended.

“The consequences of the disappearance of Asian elephants would be colossal to the forest ecosystems, not only in India, but around the world, as elephants play a vital role in climate mitigation. Their decimation simply cannot be underestimated,” she added.

Maria Mossman, founder of Action for Elephants UK, said: “This kind of mistreatment of elephants in a state that houses India’s fifth-largest population will tarnish Odisha’s reputation around the world.”

Odisha government has not responded to requests from The Independent for comment by the time of publication.

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, Fur and Fur Farming, General News

Poland: New outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 on Polish mink farms means 37,000 mink will be culled. Yes, 37,000 Animals !

Otwarte Klatki

New outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 on Polish mink farms means 37,000 mink will be culled

According to official information from the General Veterinary Inspectorate, a new SARS-CoV-2 mink farm outbreak has been detected in Poland. This is the second outbreak of coronavirus detected on mink farms in Poland.

The outbreak was detected in two farms which hold a total of 8,000 breeding females and 29,000 young mink, both located at the same address in the Biała-Podlaska district.

The presence of the virus was discovered from the results of laboratory tests carried out at the State Veterinary Institute in Puławy. The samples were collected on June 16, as part of ongoing disease control procedures put in place after the dramatic outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 across European mink farms in 2020.

The inspectorate reported that “all control procedures foreseen in the event of SARS-CoV-2 in mink” had been implemented on the farms where the infection was identified.

The local veterinary inspector confirmed that all mink on these farms, a total of around 37,000 animals, will be culled.

Earlier this year Eurogroup for Animals and the Fur Free Alliance released a scientific statement on public health risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 and intensive mink production, signed by numerous scientists from the fields of virology, infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, veterinary medicine and environmental health. 

Despite the mandatory SARS-CoV-2 screening of all European mink farms introduced by the European Commission, in addition to the introduction of more stringent disease prevention methods, this outbreak demonstrates that the risk of continued spread of the virus on fur farms is still extremely high.

We are calling on the European Commission to act immediately to suspend mink farming across the European Union to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, to protect human and animal health.

Disgusting – time for a total ban on fur farming.

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, General News

Netherlands: Dutch court rules in favour of chicken welfare.

Dutch court rules in favour of chicken welfare | Eurogroup for Animals

Andrew Skrowon

Dutch court rules in favour of chicken welfare

28 June 2021

Handling chickens by their legs, as prohibited in the Transport Regulation, will finally be enforced in the Netherlands. An example to follow for the rest of Europe.

Thanks to the case submitted by Wakker Dier on April 29, the Dutch Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal ruled that it is not allowed to handle chickens by their legs on farm and when loading and unloading the animals, as stated in the Transport Regulation. 

This cruel practice however, is the common one used across the EU, even if this type of handling was prohibited for the past 15 years. Alternative methods, such as the Swedish one introduced by Eyes on Animals, could provide for a more humane approach.

After the court case, the Dutch Agriculture Ministry supported the Wakker Dier position and, as a result of their enforcement request, three catching teams in the Netherlands were checked and fined (each 1,500 euro) for not complying with the Regulation. 

The Dutch chicken sector is working hard on this issue: which catching method to use, how to instruct and train trapping teams, and what time frame they need to properly implement it.

This decision, while causing a commotion in the Dutch chicken sector, could have important downfalls in other countries too. Indeed, without a Court of Justice of the European Union’s (CJEU) ruling it is only relevant in the Netherlands but it could definitely start the same conversation in other EU countries. 

The Dutch government indicated that it will possibly bring this matter up at the upcoming Agrifish meeting (28 and 29 of June). 

The Transport Regulation is at the centre of the current revision of all animal welfare laws and we call on the Commission to maintain the ban on handling chickens by their legs and ensure proper enforcement.

With our No Animal Left Behind campaign we will make sure that chickens are properly protected and we hope that other Member States will take the Netherlands as an example to follow.

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Hunting

EU: Leading animal protection NGOs call for EU ban on hunting trophy imports.

Leading animal protection NGOs call for EU ban on hunting trophy imports

30 June 2021

Press Release

Marking the sixth anniversary of the killing of Cecil the lion by an American trophy hunter, animal and nature protection NGOs, members of the European Parliament, and conservation experts from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya are calling on the EU to ban the import of hunting trophies.

In a webinar, Humane Society International/Europe discussed a new analysis of trade data revealing that the European Union is the world’s second biggest hunting trophy importer after the United States, importing nearly 15,000 hunting trophies of 73 internationally protected species between 2014 and 2018. 

The issue of trophy hunting has become increasingly controversial over the past decade not simply for the animal cruelty, but also due to concerns about the biodiversity crisis. 

Momentum is growing to take action to curb hunting trophy imports. France banned the import of lion trophies in 2015 and the Netherlands banned trophy imports of over 200 species in 2016. In Germany two political parties (Greens and Left) have included a trophy import ban in their party manifestos.

The webinar, held in collaboration with the European Parliament’s interest group MEPs for Wildlife, Humane Society International/Europe, Born Free Foundation, Eurogroup for Animals and Pro Wildlife, explored how trophy hunting places unsustainable pressure on endangered and other imperiled species, and whether this practice really does make a significant contribution to wildlife conservation as claimed by its proponents. 

German MEP Manuela Ripa (Greens/EFA), who hosted the event, said:

“It is crucial that Members of the European Parliament address the issue of the killing of wild animals, endangered or otherwise, purely for the purpose of procuring trophies to hang on their walls. Especially in the wake of the EU Biodiversity Strategy it is important to consider the impact that European citizens travelling to far-flung destinations solely to shoot and bring home animal body parts may be having on wild animal populations elsewhere around the world. Instead of having tightly regulated trophy hunting, I pledge for tightly regulated photo hunting, which would have a bigger benefit for species, support ecosystems and the communities involved. I strongly urge the European Commission to address the issue of trophy hunting in its upcoming evaluation of the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking.” 

Dr Joanna Swabe, Humane Society International/Europe’s senior director of public affairs, noted:

“The shocking role of European citizens in global trophy hunting should not be underestimated. Humane Society International’s new EU Trophy Hunting by the Numbers report reveals that shockingly the EU imported nearly 15,000 hunting trophies from 73 species between 2014 and 2018, despite them being protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It is shameful that the EU is the world’s second largest importer of hunting trophies, bringing in almost 3,000 trophies every year, including African lions and elephants, black rhinos, leopards, zebras, cheetahs, lynx and polar bears. Germany, Spain and Denmark account for 52% of all imported trophies, and the trade data shows that trophy import numbers have actually steadily increased by almost 40% during the period studied despite opinion polls showing that the vast majority of EU citizens oppose the gratuitous practice of killing wild animals for pleasure, display and bragging rights.  The only way we should be shooting wild and endangered animals is with cameras, not guns or arrows.”

Dr Mark Jones, head of policy for the Born Free Foundation, added:

“Born Free is ethically opposed to the hunting or killing of any animal for sport or pleasure. We also challenge the claims made by proponents of trophy hunting that it delivers significant conservation and community benefits, or that it positively contributes to the sustainable use of wildlife. Studies have consistently shown that trophy hunting does not provide a significant source of income to rural people, and certainly pales in comparison to other wildlife-related activities such as ecotourism. The killing of animals by trophy hunters also causes immeasurable animal suffering, and negatively impacts wildlife conservation by removing individual animals that are key to their populations. The trophy hunting industry is wracked by corruption, with excessive quotas being set that are often exceeded. We urge European nations to take action to stop their citizens jetting off to exotic locations to kill and imperil wild animals elsewhere in the world.”

Reineke Hameleers, CEO at Eurogroup for Animals, said:

“The trophy hunting practice of primarily removing the largest and most physically impressive animal specimens, puts species conservation in jeopardy, disrupts social herd structures and weakens gene pools of species that are already threatened. In a time of global biodiversity crisis, it is urgent for the EU and Member States to acknowledge that it is irresponsible to allow rich elites to shoot endangered species for pure pleasure, and finally ban the import of hunting trophies. We need to move away from the unethical consumption of wildlife and look at how the EU can instead encourage and reward investment in wildlife so that concrete and significant benefits can be achieved by local communities through its non-consumptive and ecologically sustainable use. Wild animals should be worth more to these communities alive than dead.”

Daniela Freyer, co-founder of Pro Wildlife, added: 

“Germany has the dubious honour of being the top importing nation for hunting trophies in the European Union. It is sickening that a very small minority of my fellow German citizens still enjoy travelling to faraway places to kill animals for fun, pose with their dead bodies for tasteless selfies and hang their body parts on the walls back home. Trophy hunting is not only cruel and unnecessary, but it also poses a significant risk to wildlife conservation and biodiversity. The majority of EU citizens, including Germans, are opposed to the unethical practice of killing wild animals for trophies. It is time for Germany and other EU Member States to act and prohibit the import of hunting trophies.”

Notes

Trophy Hunting: Conservation Tool, or a Threat to Wildlife? was organised by MEPs for Wildlife in collaboration with Humane Society International/Europe, Pro Wildlife, Born Free Foundation and Eurogroup for Animals on 30th June 2021 with the participation of the following speakers and panelists: 

  • Dr Audrey Delsink, wildlife director, Humane Society International/Africa
  • Dr. Paula Kahumbu, wildlife conservationist and CEO, WildlifeDirect; Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year 
  • Lenin Tinashe Chisaira, environment lawyer and director, Advocates4Earth, Zimbabwe
  • Miet van Looy, International Relations Officer – CITES and EU Wildlife Trade Regulations,DG Environment, European Commission
  • Dr David Scallan – secretary general, European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE)

Opinion poll results demonstrate that the vast majority of EU citizens (over 80%) oppose trophy hunting and want to end trophy imports.

HSI/Europe’s Trophy Hunting by the Numbers report reveals that Germany, Spain, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, France, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are the top trophy importing EU Member States, with Namibia, South Africa, Canada, Russia, Argentina, Kyrgyzstan and the US representing the top exporting countries to the EU. Spain, Poland, Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic are the top importers of captive lion trophies. EU trophy import statistics for individual animals (2014-2018), include:

  • 3,119 Hartmann’s mountain zebras 
  • 1,751 Chacma baboons 
  • 1,415 American black bears
  • 1,056 brown bears
  • 952 African elephants
  • 889 African lions (of which 660 were captive-bred lions in South Africa) 
  • 839 African leopards
  • 794 hippopotamuses
  • 480 caracals
  • 415 red lechwes
  • 297 cheetahs – the EU is the largest importer of cheetah trophies in the world 
  • 65 polar bears
  • Six critically endangered black rhinos 

Regards Mark

General News, Uncategorized

Poland: Victory – Fish sellers who kept carp out of water convicted of mistreatment. Criminal Proceedings Lasted 10 Years !

Fish sellers who kept carp out of water convicted of mistreatment

2 July 2021

Green REV

On 29 June, a landmark animal protection case in Poland was settled in court, after criminal proceedings against fish sellers that lasted more than 10 years. The court found the defendants guilty of mistreatment after displaying and selling live carp outside of water.

The case started in December 2010, when a Polish chain store was selling live carp in the run-up to Christmas. Staff at the store displayed fish for sale outside of water in inappropriate conditions, and then packed the live animals into plastic bags without water for customers who purchased them. 

A representative of the organisation Noga w Łapę Foundation filed a criminal complaint in this case. However, such behavior was common throughout Poland. The police and prosecutor’s office therefore twice discontinued the proceedings, concluding that such conduct towards live fish is not a crime. 

In order for this complaint to reach the courts, the organisation needed to exercise its rights as a subsidiary prosecutor. Karolina Kuszlewicz, the lawyer who initiated the lawsuit, drafted the indictment herself and brought it to court where she read it in place of the prosecutor. However, the court denied all motions and the case was denied in two instances. In 2016, a final judgment of acquittal was passed, in which the judiciary gave a clear signal that keeping carp without water is not against the law in Poland.

The only way to move the case forward was to appeal to the Supreme Court, a difficult move considering this was the first case in history involving the humane protection of fish from suffering.

However, the court upheld the cassation in its entirety, pointing out that “in recent years there has been a radical reevaluation in the relationship of humans to animals. Any legal measures should therefore have their welfare in mind, including their right to exist.” The Supreme Court emphasised that it is grossly incorrect to assume that because carp can survive without water for a period of time, it means they are not suffering. The court overturned both acquittals and ordered a retrial, reaffirming that the general provisions of the Animal Welfare Act also apply to fish.

In 2017, the case was brought back to the court of first instance. In December 2020, after 3 years of legal battles trying to prove that carp suffer, a verdict was finally handed down convicting 3 men (2 salesmen and a store manager) of mistreating the animals. The court pointed out that the verdict, in addition to individual criminal responsibility, also has a general preventive value – it is meant to be a signal to all retail chains that they must not mistreat and mishandle fish. 

The defendants’ counsel appealed, arguing that the statute of limitations had expired and that the defendants’ actions were not illegal. After many months of waiting, the Regional Court in Warsaw heard the appeal on 29 June 2021, finding all defendants guilty of the crime of mistreating carp by causing suffering to them (the sellers) and knowingly allowing them to suffer (the store manager). The court particularly emphasised the responsibility of the manager, who, although she did not physically inflict suffering on the animals, allowed it by arranging for their sale in a certain way.

After 10 years, dozens of hearings, hundreds of hours spent on submitting letters, motions, and attempts to incorporate reliable, up-to-date scientific knowledge into the legal proceedings, Ms. Kuszlewicz finally managed to convince the justice system to take responsibility for the suffering of fish.

This significant case was covered by media in Poland, was cited in scientific articles, and most importantly, gave rise to a landmark Supreme Court ruling in favour of fish protection.

Karolina Kuszlewicz, the lawyer who brought this case to court, serves on the Expert Council of our member organisation Green REV Institute.

Regards Mark

Farm Animals, General News, Live Transport

EU: Council Conclusions on live transport by sea: unwelcome, unnecessary and unhelpful.

Council Conclusions on live transport by sea: unwelcome, unnecessary and unhelpful

28 June 2021

Press Release

Member States send all the wrong signals to the Commission, as EU citizens expect a ban on live exports and animals deserve better.

At the insistence of the Portuguese Presidency, Agriculture Ministers from across the EU today adopted formal Conclusions on animal welfare during sea transport to third countries, a formal expression of the opinion of all 27 Member States, but one that risks hindering progress.

Better rules for live sea transport won’t mitigate the serious risks associated with this outdated trade. Recent incidents as well as a recent new study by our member Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and Robin des Bois on EU- certified livestock carriers proved, once again, that live animal export is not a correct practice with regards to animals, humans and the environment.  

While the fitness check process is still ongoing, today’s Conclusions also demonstrated added impetus for a new Transport Regulation. The Council still “invites the Commission to submit a proposal for a revised regulation on animal welfare during transport, if possible, sooner than indicated in the Farm to Fork Strategy”, which is more than welcome.

At the same time though, the Council stresses the need to prioritise short term improvements and monitoring, in order to improve the implementation of the current Regulation.

While Eurogroup for Animals welcomes short-term improvements to relieve the immense suffering of animals, it believes that the revision of the Transport regulation should introduce a much shorter maximum journey duration for animals as well as a ban on live exports. Such an approach would fit with the objectives of the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy to significantly shorten supply chains. 

In this respect, we applaud the German, Dutch and Luxembourgish Ministers who presented a paper stating that these Conclusions can only be considered as short term measures, but want to see live exports ended through the forthcoming legislative revision.

As stated in the Conclusions, “animal welfare during transport is a priority at EU level and should be ensured at all levels and stages of the journey during the international long-distance transport of live animals including to third countries, while favouring, and supporting, as far as possible, the transport of genetic material and meat”.

We trust the European Commission will keep working on the revision of the Transport Regulation and towards phasing out live exports. The shift to meat and carcasses trade is the only way forward to protect animals, people and the environment. The Council Conclusions are simply unwelcome, unhelpful and unnecessary.

Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals.

ENDS

Regards Mark

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

Mexico: Dulce Ramírez, “I DEEPLY ADMIRE WOMEN WHO HAVE DONE INVESTIGATIONS”.
Dulce Ramírez. All photos by Jo-Anne McArthur.

WAV Comment – Full respect and love to our wonderful, Mexican campaigner frieds.

Dulce Ramírez,

“I DEEPLY ADMIRE WOMEN WHO HAVE DONE INVESTIGATIONS”

Dulce Ramírez – Unbound Project

The first time that I meet Dulce Ramírez, I compliment her on her name – Dulce means ‘sweet’ in Spanish. “I am the opposite,” she says resolutely.

Those who know her agree. A colleague described her as “Persistent and tenaciously persuasive.” She’s also undeniably brave and focused. All valuable qualities when you are leading an animal rights organization in Mexico, a country where culture and national identity are so firmly rooted in food. In Mexico, food is about family, history and culture – and it is dominated by meat and cheese.

For Ramírez, it all started 13 years ago when she found a kitten on the patio behind her house. By caring for this kitten, “I began to understand the emotional world of animals, their needs, and their intelligence,” she explains. “I began to search for information and question more and more the relationship of subjugation we impose on other animals.” The more she learnt, the more it became clear to her that she wanted to advocate for animals.

Fast forward to June 2011, when the Spanish government arrested 12 animal rights activists linked to Igualdad Animal (Animal Equality) in Spain, labeling them ‘eco-terrorists’. Hearing this news, Ramírez contacted the founder and president of Igualdad Animal, Sharon Núñez, to express solidarity with the activists. The following year, the Mexico chapter of Igualdad Animal was founded, with Ramírez at the helm.

“The first thing we did was to show how Mexican industrial farming works.”

In the six years since, Igualdad Animal Mexico has achieved big things. Their first campaign brought animal groups in the state of Jalisco together to successfully end the use of animals in circuses. The organization has developed educational programs, petitioned for legislative changes, and conducted corporate outreach, encouraging companies to adopt policies that benefit animals, such as offering more plant-based options.

For the last two years, the organization has focused on improving the lives of farmed animals. As is the case in most countries, Mexico has virtually no legal protections for farmed animals. But while in some other regions the conversation about farm animal welfare is already well-established in the public discourse, that isn’t the case in Mexico. Given the victories coming for farm animals worldwide and the number of farmed raised and killed in Mexico each year, Ramírez believes this makes Mexico a prime target for bold campaigns and big changes. “For that reason, the first thing we did was to show how Mexican industrial farming works.”

At the foundation of this is investigative work, which Ramírez says is without doubt the most powerful ingredient for creating change. It is these investigations that, by documenting the lives of animals in factory farms, bring focus and strategy to the animal rights movement, she says. Without this footage, animal groups would struggle to develop hard-hitting public campaigns and educational resources telling the true stories of animals in animal use industries.

“I deeply admire women who have done investigations.” 

Ramírez is one of only a few female investigators in the country. The work carries huge risks to personal safety, as well as the emotional toll of witnessing the intense suffering of animals.

“The challenge is always when, at the end of the day, you arrive home and the images come back into your head, you have the smell impregnated on your clothes and body, and it all takes you back.”

What inspires her to do this difficult work? “I deeply admire women who have done investigations, who take pictures of the most terrible situations and who transform it into struggle and activism to change the lives of the animals,” she says.

Igualdad Animal Mexico isn’t done setting precedents for the country.

New investigations are planned and the group’s corporate campaigns continue. Their current legislative push — ending the use of cages for laying hens — is in full swing. They also plan to launch LoveVeg, a public education platform focused on changing consumer habits, in Mexico.

Leading the way, and with so many hearts and minds to change, Ramírez knows she is exactly where she needs to be.

Brilliant !

Regards Mark

Environmental, General News, Hunting, Vegan Recipes

England: New Post On Vegan Trainers; But Then Their Past Animal Abuses Got Me Running !

Kangaroo Joey High Res Stock Images | Shutterstock

I was going to do a post on the launch of a new Vegan sneaker range by one of the manufacturers listed below which is made from harvested pineapple leaves.  After all, are we not here to promote veganism and animal rights ?

Then I thought back to issues relating to these same sportswear manufacturers, and their past production processes, which have been in the AR ‘inbox’ for many years.  As a result of my own involvement in AR and past knowledge on this subject, I decided not to promote the product after all; as I am completely against all animal slaughter; but regardless of my personal views, I shall give you more information which you can then use to decide on the way forward. To buy or not to buy ?, that is the question.

The issue that concerns me is:

Nike and Adidas Among Brands Blasted For Selling Kangaroo Leather Shoes — Species Unite

Around 2 million kangaroos are hunted every year to help produce shoes made from kangaroo skin,

The world’s biggest sport brands including Nike, Puma, and Adidas, have been condemned for selling kangaroo leather shoes, as U.S. lawmakers introduce a bill to outlaw their sale.

Kangaroo skin is currently used by the companies to produce soccer shoes known as “cleats”.

The slaughter of 2 million kangaroos every year, and their Joeys !!

But campaigners warn that the kangaroo leather trade is helping to fuel the slaughter of around 2 million kangaroos every year.

Consumers are likely to be outraged to hear that kangaroos – including their joeys – are shot or bludgeoned to death, especially after the global community came together to show their support for Australia’s wildlife during last year’s devastating wildfires. 

“[We] worked with so many teams on the ground in Australia in 2020 rescuing and rehabilitating kangaroos injured by the devastating bushfires,” said SPCA International Executive Director Meredith Ayan. “Kangaroos do not deserve to go through that trauma, be nursed back to health and released to the wild only to be killed in a brutal commercial hunt.”

Nike, Puma, Adidas, Mizuno, and New Balance are among the companies said to be supporting – and profiting – from the cruel kangaroo slaughter which campaigners say is “the world’s largest commercial slaughter of terrestrial wildlife”. 

The hunt results in entire families of kangaroos being shot in the dead of night with night-vision rifle scopes. And according to Australia’s kangaroo killing guidelines, slaughtered female kangaroos should be checked for joeys in their pouches – who should be bludgeoned to death if found. 

Amid the outrage, U.S. lawmakers have now introduced a new bill that will outlaw the sale of kangaroo body parts in the U.S. 

February 2021 – The Kangaroo Protection Act, introduced last week by Representatives Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn, would ban kangaroo leather products, and encourage brands to construct ‘cleats’ from the many alternative fabrics available. 

“Commercial shooters kill roughly two million wild kangaroos a year to profit from the trade in their skins, despite the availability of alternative fabrics that are of similar or better quality. While California has banned the sale of kangaroo products, enforcement of this inhumane practice is lacking,” said Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif. “I’m proud to stand against kangaroo trafficking and have introduced the Kangaroo Protection Act to make it illegal to exploit kangaroos in the United States and impose penalties for violations.”

Nike and Adidas Among Brands Blasted For Selling Kangaroo Leather Shoes — Species Unite

So, decision made – I cannot promote a manufacturer, or any other manufacturer, which has such past animal abuse ghosts hidden in their coffin, regardless of their changes now.  Some of us are old enough to remember what these organisations did in the past as shown above – we remember, we don’t forget !

As I have said, if ‘top trainers’ are your thing, then you will probably be aware of what is now on the market anyway.

For me personally, it is simple, I remember what animal abuses have been undertaken in the past relating to these ‘top brand’ products; and I remember the millions of innocent, sentient animals that were slaughtered to make the top, past products. 

And as a result, I cannot support their ‘new, vegan products’, regardless of the better intentions of these manufacturers to get on the vegan gravy train now by going vegan. Animal abuse used to be undertaken by them same people in the name of fashion; and so for me, they have been no better in their sordid past than still those involved now in the fur trade. We are all individuals and it is our right to make our choice.

I leave it to you to read, learn and decide.

Regards Mark