Today we have heard that we have made history for mother pigs.
In June this year, SAFE partnered with our friends at the New Zealand Animal Law Association to challenge the use of cruel farrowing crates in the High Court. This was the first time in New Zealand history that such a challenge had taken place.
The High Court has ruled this morning that the minimum standards and regulations for the use of farrowing crates are unlawful.
Simply put – the High Court agrees that using farrowing crates to house mother pigs is a violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
As I write this, our hardworking legal team from the New Zealand Animal Law Association are working together with the team here at SAFE to go through the judgment in detail and plan the next steps. I will be in touch next week when we have more information to share.
The High Court has ruled that the use of farrowing crates is unlawful. This is a historic judgment for mother pigs.
From every generous donation, every petition signature, every contact with an MP, every letter to the editor and every share on social media – your support of mother pigs and your belief in justice has had a real, life-changing impact on the way we treat animals in New Zealand.
Debra Ashton Chief Executive Officer
SAFE for animals – New Zealand.
WAV Comment – Brilliant News – well done to all the team for getting justice for pigs.
This is mainly for UK supporters; but we guess international e mails are also accepted – which strengthens the case.
As our many UK supporters will know; Tesco, a major food store and supplier, have a saying that ‘Every Little Helps’.
How about that is changed to ‘Every E mail Helps’. Click on the link below and send a clear message about Amazon rain forest destruction to the new Tesco CEO Ken Murphy.
Tell him; we don’t want the beautiful Amazon forests destroyed for the production of cheap meat that is sold in your stores – simple as that !
Regards Mark
(sent to us by Liza in London – animal campaigner buddy)
Last month Tesco announced that they’re going to increase their sales of plant-based meat alternatives by 300%. [1]
But unless they also reduce the amount of industrial meat on their shelves, forests like the Amazon will continue to burn. For the first time in six years Tesco now has a new CEO, and we have a real opportunity to make sure he does the right thing.
Will you email Tesco’s new CEO, Ken Murphy and ask him to stop supporting deforestation?
Opportunities like this don’t come around very often and a new CEO could mean a fresh start. Ken Murphy has the chance to do something positive with his time in charge, but he needs to act fast.
As you’re reading this email South American forests like the Amazon continue to be destroyed to produce industrial meat, and the situation is getting worse. [2] As the UK’s biggest supermarket, Tesco is directly involved in this destruction by selling unsustainable amounts of meat, and by doing business with forest-destroying companies.
Earlier this year over 60,000 of you emailed Tesco’s former CEO, which helped lead to their announcement on plant-based meat alternatives. Now there’s a new CEO in charge, we need to keep up the pressure to make sure Tesco doesn’t stop there.
Please email Ken Murphy now and tell him personally about why we need to protect our forests.
With a new CEO in charge, this is a unique opportunity to make our voices heard. And the more of us who get in touch, the louder the message will be – Tesco should lead by example and stand up to deforestation.
I’ve drafted an email to new CEO Ken Murphy that you can send or edit. It asks him to cut ties with forest-destroying meat companies and halve the amount of meat that Tesco sells.
Adding a line at the start of the email to express why you care about deforestation will have an even bigger impact on Ken Murphy. You can also edit the subject line.
The killing of pigs using CO2 is barbaric, as you can read and see in the video below. We are not friends of the EU; but we do welcome the new Parliament approval of funding to move away from the cruel and disgusting practice.
Information:
Pigs are stunned using a 70% to 90% carbon dioxide concentrate. … Once the animals have been stunned, they should be bled within 15 seconds to avoid the risk of them regaining consciousness.
The slaughter method in question involves lowering pigs into a gas chamber containing CO2, causing them to gasp for breath and hyperventilate, causing pain and panic amongst the terrified animals. This often goes on for 30-60 seconds or more.
UK – Now, at least half of Britain’s pigs are killed this way.
Instead of being discarded as some terrible anachronism, CO2 stunning has instead become industry standard. The convenient way of killing pigs. Yet, it’s not only major supermarkets and industry assurance schemes like Red Tractor that are allowing it: even some organic pigs can be killed this way.
As it stands, consumers have no way of knowing whether meat comes from pigs gassed or stunned by any other method. There’s nothing on the label. There’s no obvious way of choosing one supermarket over another, in this case, as most if not all have gone down this route. You can’t even tell by choosing higher welfare labels like ‘outdoor bred’, ‘outdoor reared’ or ‘organic’. Consumers are left with the very real assumption that if you’re buying pork or bacon, then it may well be from an animal killed in a gas chamber.
High-concentration CO2 stunning of pigs: the European Parliament approves funding to move away from the cruel practice
12 November 2020
Press Release
Research project to find alternatives to high-concentration CO2 stunning or killing of pigs receives budget approval from the EP. Now the European Commission will invest 2 million euro in applied research in an effort to move away from the inhumane procedure.
For immediate release: Brussels 12/11/2020
On November 12, the European Parliament (EP) voted in favour of a preparatory action, initially tabled by MEP Fredrick Federley (RE, SE), aimed at finding alternatives to high-concentration CO2 stunning or killing of pigs. The EC will then invest in applied research to move away from this method, which, in spite of being inherently inhumane, is the most frequently used in all major EU pig slaughterhouses.
Already in 2019, Eurogroup for Animals published a position paper urging the European Commission to fund research into alternatives, with a view to phasing out this method by 1 January 2025. The use of high-concentration CO2 for the stunning or killing of pigs is allowed by EU Regulation 1099/2009 (the Slaughter Regulation). However, exposure to CO2 is highly aversive for the animals and causes acute pain and severe distress from first exposure to the gas to loss of consciousness.
This was recently confirmed by the latest EFSA opinion on the welfare of pigs at slaughter, which concluded that “There are no preventive or corrective measures to the pain, fear and respiratory distress caused by the exposure to high CO2 concentrations as this is inherent to the stunning method. The only way to prevent the hazard related to exposure to high CO2 concentrations is to use other gas mixtures like inert gasses or mixture of inert gases containing low CO2 concentrations”.
By voting in favour of this research project, the European Parliament sent a strong signal on the importance of EU-funded research into animal welfare friendly alternatives to CO2 stunning of pigs. For the first time, a substantial sum will be invested by the EC in an applied research project to find painless alternatives for pig stunning. The outcome of the study should lead to a prohibition of CO2 stunning of pigs through the updating of the legislation.
The European Commission is going to propose a revision of the current animal welfare acquis as part of the EU Farm to Fork strategy, and the rules on slaughter will be updated in the light of the latest scientific evidence. It is expected that the findings of this preparatory action will contribute to guiding this revision process.
Ducks sold by Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Tesco by were brutally hung from shackle lines and dragged by their heads, necks, and wings while still alive in a series of violent breaches of guidelines caught on camera.
Workers were filmed rough-handling ducks, ramming them with force into the shackles.
Staff at the Red Tractor-endorsed Gressingham Duck – which also supplies the Co-op, Asda and Morrisons – even used live ducks to hit torn-off birds’ feet from the shackles, investigators claim.
Several workers were seen yelling heatedly at one another, which experts say led to their aggressively manhandling the ducks – many of which are thought to be destined for freezing ahead of Christmas dinners.
The Co-op suspended Gressingham as a supplier after seeing the footage, and others said they were launching investigations.
Food standards chiefs are to investigate the allegations against the company, which is the UK’s largest duck producer, killing around eight million birds a year.
Undercover footage reveals ducks being grabbed roughly by workers from crates, hung upside down and sent along shackle lines into an electrical waterbath, according to the Animal Justice Project (AJP) group, which filmed inside the slaughterhouse.
Use of shackles is legal, but government farm animal welfare advisers called in 2009 for live shackling to be phased out, saying it “may cause considerable pain and distress”.
But rough handling, causing birds distress and pulling them by their body parts all break codes on animal welfare at slaughter – which is illegal.
The investigators claim they saw “a staggering” 15 breaches of EU, UK government and Red Tractor guidelines in just one day at the Suffolk-based abatare poultry processing plant” with “no clear evidence of abuse or neglect”.
Sales of duck and geese had been predicted to rise this Christmas with the “rule of six” meaning smaller family gatherings.
AJP claims ducks arrived at the slaughterhouse with huge sores and in filthy crates.
“Workers were caught on camera brutalising and rough-handling ducks, ramming them with force into shackles, which is likely to cause extra pain and injury to their delicate legs. Ducks were also filmed being grabbed and dragged by their heads or necks, one leg and wings across crates. Another breach of guidelines,” said spokeswoman Claire Palmer.
The birds are seen in the video sometimes still flapping as they are sent to an electrical waterbath – practices the group says are condemned by UK and European authorities. “Shackling and involuntary inversion appeared to cause the ducks significant distress,” said Ms Palmer.
Once on the shackles, video footage showed some birds were left hanging for two periods well over the legal time limit of two minutes: once for at least 14 minutes and once for almost 12 minutes, investigators say.
The European Food Safety Authority, as well as the Farm Animal Welfare Council, has urged that live shackling and waterbath stunning be replaced as soon as possible “to spare birds from severe welfare consequences”.
The Food Standards Agency said it would seize Gressingham’s CCTV to inspect it.
Guidelines say people must not drag animals by the head, ears, tail or handle them in a way that would cause pain or suffering; birds being shackled must be relaxed and not touch each other or be distressed, and poultry must not get a shock before touching a waterbath.
Alick Simmons, former UK government deputy chief vet and former Food Standards Agency veterinary director, said: “The video shows a cramped hanging-on bay and a slaughter line being run too quickly for the available space, resulting in the ducks being frequently handled inhumanely and without due care.
“Operatives argue with each other; they are distracted and hence take poor care.
“Shackled birds are allowed to touch each other meaning that birds further up the line will receive pre-stun non-lethal shocks.”
WAV comment – having argued the case for animals in transport for over 30 years whilst also calling for a ban on live exports; we have always declared that the EU is utterly useless at enforcing (its own) legislation when it comes to live animal transports. The video here; the first of 3; shows this.
EU = junk = animal abuse.
Welfarm to release three shocking videos to call for a long-overdue end to the export of live animals
12 November 2020
WELFARM
It only takes three videos for Welfarm, Animals International and Animal Welfare Foundation to show the French government the horrifying state of play of what exporters and livestock breeders do to animals they export to North Africa and the Middle East.
From European ports to Lebanese slaughterhouses to Moroccan cattle markets – four NGOs captured the dreadful fate of the thousands of French cows shipped across the Mediterranean every week. These investigations will be released by Welfarm over the next three weeks.
In a petition to the French government, Welfarm calls for the suspension of live animal exports to third countries. “The Ministry of Agriculture, exporters, breeders and the port of Sète are aware of these violations, yet they continue to export animals” states Adeline Colonat from Welfarm. And for good reason as cattle exports generated nearly 1.5 billion euros in 2018, of which 118 million went to third countries.
“France cannot even detect and solve problems in its own slaughterhouses, so how can we imagine that we can have the slightest influence on what happens on the other side of the Mediterranean? The truth is that France no longer has any control as soon as the animals leave our soil. The only way to avoid their suffering is not to send them there alive. ”
Eurogroup for Animals and its members urge the EU to stop live transport especially to Third Countries and to prepare a strategy to shift to a meat and carcasses and genetic material only trade.
Video 1: Death before boarding the boat
The first video of the investigation series is from July 2020 and sets the scene in Port of Cartagena, Spain, which calls itself a “pioneer in animal welfare”: A cattle with fractured legs is dragging itself along the foot of a ship. Born in the Puy-de-Dôme, exported to Spain for fattening, it is to be shipped to Libya.
A tractor will have to drag the paralysed and screaming animal into a lorry. Heading for the slaughterhouse. By law, it should have been euthanised on the spot, but in this case, it would be impossible to profit from his meat… Like this cattle, 425,000 French cattle are exported every year to Spain for fattening. How many then embark in Cartagena? “It’s impossible to say since they disappear from French statistics”, explains Adeline Colonat, head of the project team on transport in Welfarm, “but we are the leading supplier of cattle to Spain, which in turn is the leading exporting country in Europe.”
Maria Boada (Animal Welfare Foundation), who captured these images alongside Animals International and Welfarm explains further: “In European ports as well as in Third Countries, the lack of controls, infrastructures and sanctions is disastrous for animals. The presence of a veterinarian is not even compulsory on board of ships leaving the EU. Thousands of animals are deprived of care for days or even weeks”
Today, 12/11/20, we at WAV have written to the Danish Ambassador in London; Ambassador Lars Thuesen, to express our concerns regarding the current situation (re Mink) in Denmark and generally its involvement in being a very big player in the fur industry.
We reproduce an un edited copy of our letter here for you to read. Despite wanting to loose it sometimes; we have remained polite but expressed our views and possible future actions quite openly. Hopefully, the letter makes it clear where we stand on the issue of fur farming and that we will continue to fight for a complete ban anywhere that it still continues.
Also enclosed in our letter to the ambassador were a few pictures of the current mink ‘burial’ situation and one picture of the whale slaughter in the Faroe islands – just to keep him aware that this still goes on in Danish territory; the nation which he represents.
When, and if we get a response to our letter, then we will naturally publish for you all to read.
Regards Mark and Venus.
The letter is as follows; un edited from the original:
Dear Ambassador Thuesen – Danish Ambassador to the United Kingdom, London;
I write to you as the co founder of ‘World Animals Voice’ which is located here in England and also in Germany – https://worldanimalsvoice.com/
From the start of the problems in Denmark, we have been following and reporting daily on the issue of mink farming and culling as a result of the Covid virus. You can see all of our posts via this link: https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=denmark+mink
The association with the fur industry, and the involvement of Denmark in the fur trade and on the issue of fur farming is a shame on your nation.
There was an international shock last week when Denmark decided to cull all its mink – over 17 million animals, because of the spread of coronavirus and ‘mutations’ which stem from fur farming. That national (Danish) mink cull has turned into a political outcry now that the Prime Minister has admitted the plan was rushed through and had no legal basis. Basic issues which national governments should be associated with and which do not present Denmark as a respected and world leading nation which we, as Europeans, know it is.
As Danish politicians continue to argue over the mass murder of millions of minks, huge grave trenches are appearing in the Danish countryside which are / will be filled with the sentient, slaughtered animals. As there are far too many animals to incinerate; which amounts to millions, we also question the issue of water contamination to the Danish citizens by the burial in the ground of so many mink carcasses.
Basically, the fur industry and fur farming has had its day. As the ambassador to the UK, you may (or may not) be aware that the UK was the second country (after Austria) in Europe to ban fur farming in 2000; something which we as an animal welfare organisation are very proud of. This achievement strengthens our commitment to take up the side in defence of being voices for suffering animals.
Denmark adopted legislation in 2007 to improve the welfare of fur-bearing animals that included a number of welfare improvements for foxes on fur farms. In 2009, Denmark passed a ban on fox farming, with a phase-out period that lasted until 2017 for a majority of farms, and a longer period until 2023 for farms where the main income originates from fox farming. Unfortunately; and to their shame; Denmark farms more than just fox animals for their fur – being ‘home’ to more than 1,000 fur farms.
The Danish fur industry had a reported turnover of almost $1bn (£750m) in 2018-19; with many furs being sold to the garment industry, but with also some being used in some false eyelash products, with China and Hong Kong in particular providing some of the biggest markets.
Danish animal rights groups such as ‘Animal Protection Denmark’ (APD) believe it is now time to follow the example of several other European countries and phase out the trade of animal fur and its farming completely. We as an organisation give APD our full support and will continue to name, shame and expose to the world all the suffering of the fur industry which takes place on Danish fur farms. As mentioned above; we have a large global audience who can continue to be informed of the wrongdoings of Denmark.
I suggest to you sir; that despite the ‘waffle and jargon’ put out by the Danish led fur industry and its farmers; you, as a nation (Denmark), are actually putting national financial gain way ahead of undertaking adequate animal welfare. With a fur trade turnover of almost $1bn (£750m) and the sudden / proposed culling of over 17 million sentient fur bearing mink animals, how can you as a representative of your nation’s government deny to me that finance comes way before animal welfare ?
With these figures of financial profit and the mass murder of animals, we can only decree that in this respect, Denmark is a very sick nation. With your undertakings in both fur farming and the mass killing of animals, be it farming or culling, you bring huge shame on yourselves; on the EU, and shame on the decent people of Denmark who are attempting to eradicate this ‘fur farming disease’ from your nation.
Covid-19 originally came from a wild animal, worked its way through disgusting ‘wet markets’ in the Far East; was then transmitted to humans and, later, passed on to farmed mink, before jumping back to a number of humans.
Several different mutations have been discovered in the virus found in mink that do not arise in humans. But one called “Cluster 5” is of particular concern, as at least 12 people are known to have caught it in Denmark. More than 200 other people have contracted other mink-related strains of the virus. This sir, is all as a simple result of Denmark wishing to undertake massive fur farming. It could easily be said that you, as a nation, are now reaping what you sowed many years ago. The innocent farmed animals have now finally struck back; and you have no answers to this strike back; other than to do mass killings. Why don’t you do something with long term positive results and ban fur farming ?
Scientists from Slaten’s Serum Institute in Copenhagen recently raised the alert after detecting mutations in strains of coronavirus found in mink. “Mutation happens all the time, but once in a while these mutations happen in the spike protein,” said Prof. Anders Fomsgaard, SSI’s head of virus research.
That spike protein of the coronavirus is the target of some vaccines in development. “So we are a little nervous once we see mutations that change amino acids and the shape of this protein,” it was reported to the BBC.
Again; and I say clearly and openly; you are now reaping what you sowed all those years ago by undertaking fur farming, and your association and ‘very deep’ relationship with the fur business.
I close by telling you formally, here in writing, that we (WAV) as an organisation, will never stop exposing and reporting on the cruelties and suffering inflicted daily on millions of sentient animals in the Danish fur farming business.
You, Denmark, as a nation have a simple choice; you can stop and abolish all fur farming and associations with the fur business; or otherwise continue to reap the bad national publicity (such as now) as you are getting from us and other organisations worldwide by simply continuing to associate Denmark with its allies in the fur trade.
The choice is a simple one; and we hope that you undertake the former and utterly abolish the trade. If you do not; then you have a big fight in the future; and we are very happy to be part of that fight for those who have no voice; the fur bearing animals which you continue to cause suffering to each and every day.
Get back Denmark the respect that it truly deserves and do not associate yourselves with a barbaric and disgusting reputation of being one of the world’s major players in the fur farming and animal abuse business.
You have a choice – please make it the right one !
WAV Comment: A positive move by the British government to take action against illegal activities. We welcome and hope other nations will also follow with something like this.
British companies will be forced to reveal the sources of their raw materials, under new laws to end deforestation.
The Environment Bill will force businesses to comply with local deforestation rules
British companies will be forced to reveal the sources of their raw materials under new laws to clamp down on deforestation, the government has revealed.
Sourcing materials in a way which illegally degrades the environment abroad will be made illegal under the Environment Bill, ministers announced, in response to a government consultation.
Over 60,000 people responded, with 99 per cent in favour of legislating in favour of the issue.
Currently, the nature of our supply chains means that products such as soy, beef, palm oil and leather are difficult to trace back to their original source.
Now, key commodities such as these will have to be declared by companies, who will have to act quickly in order to ensure their suppliers are not taking part in illegal deforestation abroad or degrading other important natural ecosystems.
According to a new government report, 80 per cent of deforestation is linked to the expansion of agriculture, with land being cleared to make way for grazing animals and to grow crops. The UK imports over half of the food it consumes, and while in global terms the UK is a relatively small consumer of forest risk commodities such as cocoa, rubber, soya, and palm oil, we are leaving an ever-larger footprint on the world’s forests.
International Environment Minister, Lord Goldsmith, said: “In every conceivable way we depend on the natural world around us. Rainforests cool the planet, provide clean air and water, and are a haven for some of the most endangered species on Earth – and so protecting them must be a core priority.
“Our new due diligence law is one piece of a much bigger package of measures that we are putting in place to tackle deforestation. Our intent is not just to take world-leading domestic measures, but to build a global alliance of countries committed to working together to protect the world’s precious forests.
“Last month, nearly 80 countries signed the Leader’s Pledge for Nature, committing to reverse the destruction of nature by 2030. The UK played a key role in crafting the pledge, and as hosts of the next and all important UN Climate Conference, we have a chance to turn those powerful words into action.”
The minister has committed to cleaning up Britain’s supply chains, and a larger package of measures is set to be announced, including through future trade policies, public procurement, and the development of a sustainable Food Service Sector Action Plan. Igniting change in the financial sector also features heavily in the government’s approach, including scaling up investment in sustainable land-use.
The government is also working with supermarkets, urging them to make zero deforestation pledges.
CEO of Tesco UK & ROI, Jason Tarry, said: “Due diligence has an important role to play in halting deforestation, fighting climate change and protecting communities. We welcome these new measures as an important first step towards creating a level playing field in the UK, aligned with Tesco’s goal of zero deforestation. We hope this encourages all businesses to do the right thing.”
WAV Comment: We are currently preparing a letter to the Danish embassy in London expressing our disgust at what is going on in Demark regading the mink murders. Along with many other (animal welfare) organisations; we will be asking the Danes to immediately introduce legislation to stop all fur farming in Denmark; and just for once to put animal welfare above financial importance – something they are not doing at present. Here in the UK, legislation is currently being produced to stop the import of fur products into the UK. We will remind the Danes that whilst we wish to remain friends with them; we (as a nation) do not want to be involved with supporting their disgusting fur farming businesses. It is 2020 and we strongly suggest to the Danes that they follow other EU nations (NL, Poland) at present by introducing a total fur production ban and moving to better, non cruel business.We as a group are in full friendship with, and give our full support to Animal Protection Denmark. Bring on the ban !
Coronavirus: Denmark shaken by cull of millions of mink
There was shock last week when Denmark decided to cull all its mink – up to 17 million animals – because of the spread of coronavirus. That national cull has turned into a political outcry, now that the prime minister has admitted the plan was rushed and had no legal basis.
Danish authorities worry that a mutated form of coronavirus found in mink could potentially hamper the effectiveness of a future vaccine.
As the politicians argue, mass graves have appeared in the Danish countryside filled with the slaughtered animals.
‘A hard blow’
Police and the armed forces have been deployed and farmers have been told to cull their healthy animals too -but the task will take weeks.
“We have 65,000 mink. In the coming week all will be put down,” says Martin From, pointing to rows of long huts housing thousands of mink on his farm in rural Funen. A Danish flag flies at half-mast in his garden.
Overnight he has seen his livelihood wiped out. “It seems very unjust,” he adds.
Mr From is a third-generation fur farmer, and after 60 years of the family business, the cull has devastated him. He is not alone. Farmers have appeared on Danish TV in tears.
Denmark’s mink cull has in fact been going on for several weeks, with 2.85 million already put down. By Tuesday, coronavirus had been reported on 237 farms in Jutland with further cases suspected on another 33.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration says the cull is complete on 116 farms and the work continues.
Why the cull was ordered
Denmark is not the first country to report outbreaks on fur farms but it is the world’s biggest producer. Spain, Sweden, Italy, and the US have all been affected, as has the Netherlands, where mink farming will be outlawed by spring next year.
Here in Denmark, more than one in five farms have reported infections.
Scientists from Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen first raised the alert after detecting mutations in strains of coronavirus found in mink. Then came the order for a mass cull last Wednesday and a four-week lockdown for people living in the northwest of the country.
“Mutation happens all the time, but once in a while these mutations happen in the spike protein,” says Prof Anders Fomsgaard, SSI’s head of virus research.
That spike protein of the coronavirus is the target of some vaccines in development. “So we are a little nervous once we see mutations that change amino acids and the shape of this protein,” he tells the BBC.
‘Cluster 5’
Covid-19 originally came from a wild animal, it was then transmitted to humans and, later, passed on to farmed mink, before jumping back to a small number of humans.
Several different mutations have been discovered in the virus in mink that do not arise in humans. But one called “Cluster 5” is of particular concern and 12 people are known to have caught it in Denmark. More than 200 other people have contracted other mink-related strains of the virus.
Prof Fomsgaard stresses that the worry about a vaccine is hypothetical so far. But tests have found that patient antibodies responded less well to Cluster 5 and further laboratory investigations are being carried out.
“We are working hard to find if this has any biological effects and vaccine issues. Therefore we have to look into it immediately before this potential problem grows.”
The infections have attracted widespread international attention, and prompted the UK to ban travellers from Denmark.
However there’s also concern that Denmark may have overreacted and scientists at home and abroad have tried to assess the risk.
While scientists told Denmark’s Berlingske Tidende newspaper that Cluster 5 had not been detected since September, the head of Denmark’s health authority, Soren Brostrom, said the risk was too great when the virus was spreading among the mink population.
‘Mistakes have been made’
The government admitted on Tuesday it lacked the legal framework for a nationwide order and only had jurisdiction to cull infected mink or herds within a safety radius.
“It is a mistake. It is a regrettable mistake,” said Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen as she apologised to parliament.
The government has tried to remedy that by rushing through emergency legislation, but opposition parties say they are unlikely to support the new bill and getting it through parliament could take time.
Liberal Party chairman Jakob Ellemann-Jensen called it “shocking” and criticised a lack of transparency. Compensation for farmers should have been in place first, he said. Even parties allied to the government have called for an investigation.
“Mistakes have been made,” said Mogens Jensen, Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries. “But that does not change the fact that there is a great risk of having mink breeding in Denmark under corona.”
Farmers were recently sent papers telling them to cull their herds by 16 November but some have refused to co-operate.
But Martin From says with coronavirus spreading between farms he cannot afford to wait. “We are just carrying on. it makes no difference.”
Is this the end of the mink business in Denmark?
Denmark is home to more than 1,000 farms, so the head of trade body Kopenhagen Fur has termed the nationwide cull a disaster.
“It is a de facto permanent closure and liquidation of the fur industry,” said its chairman, Tage Pedersen, who predicted 6,000 jobs could be affected.
The industry had a reported turnover of almost $1bn (£750m) in 2018-19. Furs are sold to the garment industry but also used in some false eyelash products. China and Hong Kong in particular provide the biggest market.
Coronavirus outbreaks have already spelled the end of the mink industry in the Netherlands. The UK and Austria banned fur production years ago, Germany has phased it out and Belgium, France and Norway plan to as well.
Across Europe there are some 4,350 mink farms, with Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Greece also part of the sector.
Industry group Fur Europe insists demand for natural fur is still strong. “The market has already reacted to next year’s reduced supply with higher pelt prices,” it told the BBC.
But Danish animal rights groups believe it is time to follow the example of other European countries and phase out the trade completely.
“It’s highly unacceptable to treat animals the way that mink are treated in the industry,” says Birgitte Iversen Damm of Animal Protection Denmark.
Tell the Danish Government to shut down fur farming:
Five mutations of the novel coronavirus have been found in minks on Danish fur farms and have spread to over 200 humans since June 2020, and the latest one may be resistant to a vaccine, prompting a proposal by Danish officials to cull all minks on fur farms. An outbreak of this strain could have “devastating consequences” worldwide.
Legislation to Create NIH Center for Advancing Non-Animal Research Introduced in US Congress
9 November 2020
A New York-based nonprofit group, CAARE, that led the drive to create legislation to promote “cutting-edge methods” of research superior to animal-based testing, today lauded the announcement that the “Humane Research and Testing Act of 2020” has been introduced in US Congress.
Landmark bipartisan legislation to promote and fund scientifically advanced, human-relevant, non-animal methods through the establishment of a dedicated center under the National Institute of Health (NIH) was introduced by Congressional members Alcee Hastings (D-FL) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL).
Barbara Stagno, president of Citizens for Alternatives to Animal Research & Experimentation, commends the effort, noting: “CAARE is grateful to Representatives Hastings and Buchanan for introducing this legislation that has great promise to change the current paradigm of routine use of animals in laboratories when there are available alternatives, and gives real impetus to reducing animals by establishing a center exclusively for that purpose.”
The “Humane Research and Testing Act of 2020” would create a “dedicated center under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide resources, funding and training to advance humane, cost-effective, and scientifically suitable non-animal methods,” Stagno added.
Because the exact number of animals used in U.S. research is unknown, ranging between 17 million and 100 million annually, the “Humane Research and Testing Act of 2020” is also designed to obtain that data, and requires the NIH to outline a plan for reducing those numbers.
World Animals Voice 