Category: General News

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News, Uncategorized

EU: End the Cage. It Started As A Dream; But Now the Dream Has Become Official Reality.

WAV Comment:  The only thing that is missing from this headline below is ‘… and a lot of bloody hard work by the people, for the people’

A major, major win for animals in the future.

People Power | ACLU of Indiana

‘Cruel’ Cages In Europe’s Animal Agriculture System To Be Banned

It took a 1.4 million strong petition and 170 NGOs to press politicians over three years, in what’s being described as the biggest push for animal welfare in European history

The European Commission has announced it will introduce legislation to ban the use of cages in the animal agriculture system by 2027.

Thanks to the calls of more than 1.4 million people, animals will no longer be confined to ‘cruel’ cages in the 27 member states within Europe.

Animal cages banned

The landmark decision comes after a collection of individuals pressed MEPs to increase welfare standards in collaboration with charity, Compassion in World Farming. This involved over 170 NGOs joining forces to make a stand. 

They formed a proposal and took it to the EU Commission, which is the executive governing body responsible for legislation.The End the Cage Age European Citizens Initiative has spent three years working on a proposal to prohibit the cages. 

It applies to chickens, pigs, cows, ducks, geese, among other farmed animals. Additionally, it will apply to all imported animal products too. Moreover, it’s thought to be the biggest push for animal welfare in European history: affecting over 300 million farmed animals.

The organization said: “Farmed animals have never had so many people standing up for them. From caged hens who long to stretch their wings to sows who want to mother their piglets unconfined, and rabbits who deserve the space to hop – each one of them now has a better chance in life, thanks to you.”

European Commission

The commission announced the news on Wednesday, June 30. From the end of this year, it will begin the legislative process.The Initiative confirmed it will ‘monitor’ this process to make sure the EC ‘sticks to its word’, however.

Moreover, the group said it will press each individual member state to embed the ban into each national law.

‘Cages are a desolate reflection on our society’, it added.

Animal agriculture in Europe

The European Parliament voted in favor of the ban earlier this month. 558 MEPs backed it whilst just 37 voted against, and 85 abstaining.

Whilst it banned battery cages for hens in 2012, the controversial practice of ‘furnishing’ cages were still legal.

Further victories for the EU this year included the landmark rejection of Amendment 171, also known as the dairy ban.

The ban sought to reject descriptive words for plant-based dairy products that were too similar to those used for dairy products: such as ‘vegan cheese’ or ‘yogurt-style’.

You can find out more about End The Cage Age here

‘Cruel’ Cages In Europe’s Farming System To Be Banned By 2027 (plantbasednews.org)

Now Confirmed by the EU;

Regards Mark

 

 

 

Farm Animals, General News, Uncategorized

Vietnam: Cam, the Little Bile Bear Is Rescued From His Hell On A Bile Farm – Now Lifetime Sanctuary and Care Await Him.

WAV Comment:

The following arrived with us this morning from ‘World Animal Protection’ New York branch.

World Animal Protection offices | World Animal Protection

World Animal Protection | We move the world to protect animals

Because of your support, World Animal Protection recently rescued Cam, an illegally captive bear from a life of awful abuse and misery on a bear bile farm in Vietnam. 

When Cam was found, he was being kept in a narrow, steel cage that didn’t allow him to turn around and was fed a poor diet that didn’t meet his nutritional needs. 

Thankfully, Cam was found by staff and government officials who were visiting different bear farms to ensure all the bears in these facilities were tagged. His release was negotiated with local authorities and a plan executed to bring him to his forever home. He is now settling into his new surroundings and can live a life free of cruelty and suffering. 

Rescues like this are possible because World Animal Protection has been working with other partnering NGO’s and the Vietnamese government, to end the cruel practice of bear bile farming and protect the small population of bears that remain in the wild.

Sincerely,

Liz Quick-Corral
Interim Executive Director/Director of Development

Farm Animals, General News

EU Commission: finally a positive reaction

The EU Commission wants to gradually end the caging of farm animals such as laying hens and pigs.
In response to a European citizens’ initiative, the authority announced a corresponding legislative proposal by 2023 on Wednesday.

An ordinary pig farm: legalized torture of living beings …

This means that citizens’ requests could become a reality nine years after the initiative was launched.

Brussels now wants to first prepare an impact assessment by the end of 2022.
There should be a public consultation on this from the beginning of next year at the latest.
Brussels will “examine in particular whether the proposed legislation is realistic in 2027,” said the authority.

As EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said, the EU also wants to push for animal welfare standards to be anchored in trade agreements. This is also intended to prevent foreign producers from undermining these standards and thus unfairly competing with EU farmers after they have withdrawn from cage farming.

However, it is still unclear how long the possible transition phases will be.

Activists had collected nearly 1.4 million signatures with the “End the Cage Age” campaign by October last year.
In doing so, they received enough support within the framework of a European citizens’ initiative that the EU Commission had to deal with the matter.

Money for remodeling stables

The EU Commission announced that it would use the EU agricultural policy to help farmers abolish cage farming.

“The phasing out of cages will come at a cost for farmers,” said Kyriakides.
The Commission will not let them down, “but support them in all phases of the transition to better animal welfare and sustainable food systems”.


Funds from EU agricultural policy are to be used to support farmers in converting stables or purchasing new housing systems.

The consumer organization “Foodwatch” called the abolition of cages overdue and called for a faster process. “Every day on which we do not act is a day on which a million sows cannot look after their piglets and chickens and rabbits cannot move as they need”, explained Foodwatch representative Matthias Wolfschmidt.

The animal welfare organization “Four Paws” spoke of “a great victory for Europe’s livestock”.

However, as usual, the Commission can only submit proposals. The specific regulation must then be negotiated with the member states and the European Parliament.

A concrete draft is to be submitted in 2023 and then requires the approval of the EU Parliament and the EU Council

When it comes to cage management, there is likely to be strong resistance from some Member States, or at least calls for long transition periods.

https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/eu-kommission-will-kaefighaltung-von-nutztieren-von-2027-an-beenden-17415291.html

And I mean…According to the citizens’ initiative, far more than 8.2 million animals still live in cages in Germany. This corresponds to a share of 14 percent of livestock in Germany.
This means that Germany is pretty well within the EU average.

Only in Austria (3 percent), Luxembourg (3) and Sweden (8) is the proportion lower. It looks worst in Portugal (89), Spain (89) and Malta (99).
Across Europe, according to the initiative, more than 300 million animals are suffering in cages.

Image: SOKO Tierschutz

Copa-Cogeca welcomed the aid and accompanying measures proposed by Brussels for farmers.

The association emphasized that the ban proposed by the Commission could only be accepted if the proposal was based on clear economic principles.

In addition, an impact assessment must be available before the exit date is set. In other words, one can assume that farmers can in principle live with an end to cage management.

But they will be compensated dearly for the exit and will insist that the EU apply the same strict standards to imports.

We cannot speak of a victory before the end of cage husbandry comes as soon as possible, and also the end of the import of caged animal products.

We still have to watch closely what happens now so that the agricultural lobby does not overturn the project. Because they would have enough time for that, 6 years!

If you really want animals to be released from their cages, you have to stop eating their bodies and their products.

My best regards to all, Venus

Farm Animals, General News, Vegan Recipes

Here’s Why Millions of People Don’t Eat Lamb Anymore.

lamb – Google Search

Cute to the Max: This Lamb is Melting Hearts - Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary .org

WAV Comment:

Approximately 250,000 bulls are killed in bullfights throughout the world each year.

More than nine billion farm animals were slaughtered in the United States last year.

Approximately 25 million farm animals are slaughtered each DAY in the United States.



Get a grip on the US meat business by clicking on:

Click to access lstk1220.pdf

Here’s Why Millions of People Don’t Eat Lamb Anymore

We all know the children’s song “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” but did you ever seriously think about just how messed up eating lamb is? Let us fill you in.

The USDA reported that around 2.2 million lambs were killed for meat in 2015. Like cows, pigs, and chickens, lambs are raised in filthy factory farms, subjected to cruel mutilations, and horrifically slaughtered.

Lambs are usually “tail docked just a few weeks after birth. Farmers claim this is to reduce buildup of fecal matter around the animals’ backsides. But this cruel and painful mutilation is performed without anesthetics and often leads to infection, chronic pain, and rectal prolapse.

Typically slaughtered around six to eight months of age, lambs live a mere fraction of their natural lifespan. Mother sheep are deeply caring and form strong bonds with their babies. In fact, they can recognize their lambs who have wandered too far away by their calls. Sadly, this bond is broken at factory farms where lambs are ripped away from their mothers just a few days after birth.

Lambs are not only sweet and gentle but also highly intelligent. They are capable of problem solving and considered to have IQs that rival those of cows. They also have great memories. Lambs can remember at least 50 individual sheep for years! Through highly developed communication skills, lambs use various vocalizations to communicate different emotions. They can even display emotion through facial expressions.

How can anyone claim to love these gentle animals while still eating them?

People who are opposed to animal cruelty often cling to the idea that eating meat is necessary. But the science is clear: We’re more than capable of living happy, healthy lives without eating meat or other animal products.

It’s time to put our ethics on the table and stop eating lambs and all other animals. We can live our values of kindness by switching to a vegan diet.

Click here to order your FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide.

Here’s Why Millions of People Don’t Eat Lamb Anymore – Mercy For Animals

Regards Mark

General News

a message from WAV-Team

Dear friends, followers and readers,

After the many years of existence of our blog (both new and old) it should be clear to most of the people that we are not only posting or translating articles that provide information and correct knowledge about the animals, but that we think it makes sense to take position on it.

We are convinced that the fight for animal rights is a political one and that is why we openly express our solidarity or support to groups such as ALF, whose activities are often criminalized in most countries.

Those who want to discredit the ALF’s tactics keep throwing up the word “terrorism”.
For example, the FBI, the US repression agency, describes the ALF as “the most dangerous terrorist threat after Al Qaeda”!

When we consider that not a single human or non-human animal has been injured since the ALF was founded in England in 1976, and the meat industry alone is responsible for the murder of millions of sentient individuals every day, then the question arises, who the real terrorists are.

On the contrary, ALF activists are compassionate people who risk their own freedom for those who cannot defend themselves.

The animal exploitation industry and the state go hand in hand.

The animal exploitation industry and the state make billions killing non-human animals.

The activists of the Animal Liberation Front are trying to stop the animal exploitation industry and that is why the cooperation partner “State” is fighting a growing social movement.

In view of the above, it is no wonder that members of ALF and similar groups are very careful with their private data, which we fully respect here.

Best regards to all,

Venus and Mark

General News, Uncategorized, Vegan Recipes

Spain: Flax & Kale Unveils 45 New ‘Revolutionary’ Plant-Based Products.

Flax & Kale is unveiling 45 new plant-based products, expanding the limited market in Spain
The brand anticipates ‘enormous potential’ in the future plant-based sector within Spain Credit: Supplied

Flax & Kale Unveils 45 New ‘Revolutionary’ Plant-Based Products

The range consists of 14 vegan meat products and 31 vegan cheese items developed by renowned chef Teresa Carl

Flax & Kale, the brand under a renowned restaurant specializing in health foods, has announced it is launching 45 new ‘revolutionary’ plant-based products.

Moreover, it claims to be ‘the only’ multi-category brand to create local plant-based products in Spain.

Flax & Kale

The range will be one of the biggest Spanish-produced plant-based product lines to date.

It consists of 14 vegan meat products and 31 dairy-free cheese items such as gouda, cheddar, and mozzarella in different forms.Vegan meat on offer will include a beef and chicken alternative available in hamburgers, croquettes, nuggets, meatballs, and mince.

Prices will range between €1.99 and €2.99 for the vegan cheese products, and €3.59 and €3.99 for the meat alternatives.

Celebrated international chef Teresa Carles formed the recipes. Moreover, they have been tested in the group’s restaurants for three years.

All are produced in a modern research and development facility in Lleida, Catalonia. 

‘Plant-based leaders’

The Flax & Kale brand is under the Teresa Carles Healthy Foods restaurant group.

CEO Jordi Barri told PBN: “Our ambition is to become a leader in the plant-based market in Spain over the next few years.

“With a very diverse range and truly competitive prices, which we can offer thanks to 100 percent local production and sizeable investment over recent years in the latest generation industrial production lines.

“This launch is just the first step in that direction, and there will be many more steps in the coming months.”It comes as the brand anticipates ‘enormous potential’ in the Spanish plant-based sector this year.

Additionally, restaurants are adding more vegan options to their menus across the country.

Veganism in Spain

According to figures published on Statista, vegans and vegetarians in Spain are limited. 

This is according to surveys revealing almost 90 percent of the population ate both meat and dairy.However, these figures are from 2019 – and updated data shows an increase in stores offering vegan food.

The products are soon available online and in leading supermarkets and restaurants across Spain.

Specific dates surrounding the launch are yet to be released.

Regards Mark

RIP Amy (Winehouse) – taken far, far too early, as many of the best people are.

Wow, what a voice !

General News, Stray Animals, Uncategorized

TURKEY WILL NO LONGER CLASSIFY ANIMALS AS COMMODITIES – The Result Of Public Outcry – People Power !

WAV Comment – we very much welcome this excellent news from Turkey, and congratulate all those who have campaigned for improvements to animal welfare legislation, and the politicians who are making it reality.

Quote – The legislation aims to curb incidents of violence toward animals in the country, following public outcry regarding the treatment of stray animals by government ministries.

So really excellent news regarding the treatment of stray animals – EU take note and do something about strays in Europe !

As we said in a recent post, England: People Power For The Animals. – World Animals Voice  people power works; and this must never be forgotten.  Politcians work for you, they are elected by you; and they can be deselected by you.  You have the power to make change.

Regards Mark.

Pétition · Reject the proposal contained in the draft of the 'EU Animal Health Law' that defines stray domestic animals as "wild animals" · Change.org
Stray – Homeless but not wild – Help Me Please.

TURKEY WILL NO LONGER CLASSIFY ANIMALS AS COMMODITIES

TURKEY WILL NO LONGER CLASSIFY ANIMALS AS COMMODITIES | Exposing the Big Game (wordpress.com)

THE COUNTRY’S PROPOSED LEGISLATION IS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC OUTCRY REGARDING INCIDENTS THAT INVOLVED VIOLENCE TOWARD STRAY ANIMALS

HTTPS://VEGNEWS.COM/2021/6/TURKEY-WILL-NO-LONGER-CLASSIFY-ANIMALS-AS-COMMODITIES.

by NICOLE AXWORTHY

JUNE 28, 2021

Turkey’s highly anticipated animal-rights bill is expected to be presented to the Turkish Parliament and enacted into law in the coming weeks. The new legislation will redefine animals as living beings instead of “commodities,” as is the case under current laws. It also seeks jail time for anyone who kills, abuses, or tortures animals. 

The legislation aims to curb incidents of violence toward animals in the country, following public outcry regarding the treatment of stray animals by government ministries. In addition, in recent years, incidents of violence toward animals have made headlines, including an incident in which seven dogs and seven cats died after consuming chicken laced with poison. This month, a man was fined for killing and eating stray kittens. Under current laws, any act of torture or killing of a stray animal is punishable under “damage to commodities” and comes with a lenient fine. In the past, courts have also handed down light sentences in a few exceptionally brutal cases.

The law’s new definition will automatically put crimes like these on equal footing as violence toward humans and carry a jail sentence. The jail sentence sought for crimes against animals will be from six months up to four years, which will avoid criminals getting out on bail or converting the prison sentence to a fine. 

Sweeping animal-rights legislation

The proposed legislation follows Parliament’s creation of an Animal Rights Legislative Commission in May 2019. The Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Animal Rights Investigation Committee spent several months meeting with animal-rights activists, nonprofit organizations, academics, experts, and other people involved in animal welfare and rights for a more comprehensive approach to the matter. The committee has since made its recommendations in the new legislation.

The recommendations also included banning zoos, circus animals, horse-drawn carriages, dolphin parks, fur farms, and pet stores, while restricting hunting and animal experimentation. However, the law deals largely with animal companions such as cats and dogs and does not address the cruelty to farmed animals, including fish.

Improving companion animal laws

Countries around the world have different laws for animals who are considered companions. Last year, China’s Ministry of Agriculture announced it was removing dogs from the “livestock” category to instead consider them companion animals. However, this reclassification largely affects the global dog and cat meat trade, which animal-rights organizations have been working to ban for decades. According to the Humane Society International, approximately 10 million dogs are killed for food annually in China. Recognizing that dogs are companions instead of “livestock” is the first step toward eliminating the consumption and trade in dog meat.

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

England: People Power For The Animals.

People Power | ACLU of Indiana

The UK government announced back in 2017 that it did not intend to transfer the hard won EU animal sentience regulation into (UK) national law as a result of leaving the EU (Brexit).

British animal welfare campaigners were outraged with this – so it was time to turn up the heat with the British government, who always talk loudly about animal welfare issues.  Why suddenly, on leaving the EU, would UK animals NOT still be covered by laws that gave them some protection as an EU member state ?

Battle lines were drawn between the campaigners and the government.  The campaigners won, and by the end of the year the UK government was forced into a major U turn.

Despite words from the government, legislation did not materialise.  In 2019, a coalition of more than 40 animal welfare organisations joined together, along with over 100,000+ signatures from British activists on a Parliamentary petition, asking Ministers to:

(Note – it has to be remembered that under UK law, if a petition exceeds 100K signatures, then the issue concerned (whatever it is about) has to be debated in the British Parliament, London).

Demands from the people included;

  • Impose a legal duty on governments to pay all due regard to the welfare needs of animals as ‘sentient beings’.
  • Recognise animal sentience when formulating and implementing policies.
  • Ensure clear, consistent processes for for all Ministers to deliver against their animal sentience duties.
  • Create an Animal Welfare Commission  to monitor the government performance against animal sentience law.

As stated, with over 100k signatures on the petition, the petition was debated in Parliament as it had to be.  The result being that Victoria Prentis MP (Defra) stated that the government would introduce the necessary legislation on animal sentience as soon as they could.

The people had won with their campaigning ! – efforts had resulted in victory.

But they still had to keep up the pressure for over a year longer to get the legislation.  In the Queens Speech on 11th May 2021, defining the schedule for government legislation in the next parliamentary session, the government finally announced legislation would exist under UK law to recognise animals as thinking, feeling (sentient) beings.

The ‘Animal Welfare Sentience Act’ was introduced to parliament 2 days later, and will:

  • Formally recognise animals as sentient beings under UK law.
  • Establish and ‘Animals Sentience Committee’, or ASC, to ensure that across all government departments, policy making and implementation considers animal sentience.
  • Requires Ministers to respond to reports from the ASC, to ensure that they remain politically accountable.

This new law ensures that all farm animals are treated with respect and kindness, and that their experiences and feelings DO matter.  This new law is a critical step towards the final goal of ending factory farming and replacing it with sustainable, compassionate alternatives, such as organic and free range farming.

The new legislation is currently working its way through parliament at this very time to become law.

What do we learn ?

Victory is never delivered on a plate. 

As with the sentience Bill; the Brits had to work and fight hard to get it; but they did, and they achieved result.  Brits are generally good animal welfare people; (II am one of them) – tell them that sentience does not matter and they will probably manhandle you out to the nearest airport, and put you on a one way ticket flight to a distant land.

But importantly, as we always ay in the UK, ‘politicians work FOR YOU’; they are not gods; as they can be put out to pasture whenever the electorate feels the need.  So activists everywhere; keep on with your fights, whatever issue it is for, and in the end you will achieve.  Personally, I have fought live exports in the UK for over 32 years; but only now, this year, 2021, have we seen the government listen to us and make first moves to get a ban on.  Never give up; unite and fight the fight; good (us) always overcomes evil (them) in the end.

I take inspiration from wonderful Jill at Animals Asia (video above), and the multitude of other excellent campaigners dotted all over the globe; unsung heroes who fight endlessly for better welfare and the rights of animals – you all have my greatest admiration and respect.  Look at the fur industry – it is on its knees and desperately hanging on in there attempting to survive much because the good, normal people have said ‘No’ to the disgusting abuses that are placed before them by the fur rabble humans.

It is a victory of the people, by the people, for the people but very much for the animals also.

Fight the fight and never give up – YOU WILL WIN.

Regards Mark.

Environmental, Farm Animals, General News

England: Farm Animals In Asia – Funding The Future. A Grant Scheme For Japan, Indonesia and South Korea.

Compassion In World Farming (CIWF) London, has launched a new programme designed to help build the grassroots movement for farm animal welfare in Japan, Indonesia and South Korea.

The programme offers grants to individuals and organisations already working within farm animal welfare advocacy, climate change or environmental protection; or looking to take their first steps into improving farm animal welfare in their region.

Check out more information at:

ciwf_farm-animals-in-asia-information-pack.pdf

Regards Mark