England – From friend Mark Glover at ‘Respect for Animals’; fighting the international fur trade.
Israel plans to BAN the fur trade
Israel says it intends to ban the buying and selling of animal furs, apart from in specially approved cases, making it the first country to do so.
Announcing plans for new regulations, environmental protection minister Gila Gamliel said the use of skin and fur for the fashion industry was “immoral”.
Several cities – in the US, and São Paulo in Brazil – have banned the sale of animal fur. The state of California passed legislation to ban fur last autumn.
At present, anyone in Israel wishing to buy or sell fur must apply for a permit, but under the new rules this will only be allowed in cases of “scientific research, education or for instruction and for religious purposes or tradition”.
“The fur industry causes the killing of hundreds of millions of animals around the world, and involves indescribable cruelty and suffering,” said Ms Gamliel.
“Utilising the skin and fur of wildlife for the fashion industry is immoral.”
Anyone found breaking the law in Israel will face a fine of up to £17,000 or a year in prison.
The announcement was praised by Blue and White MK Miki Haimovich, a known advocate for animal rights who also chairs the Knesset’s Interior and Environmental Affairs Committee.
“Wearing fur should completely disappear from the world, as in this age there is no justification for killing animals just for the sake of wearing their fur for fashion or for heating. There are excellent substitutes that do not cause suffering and murder,” Haimovich said in a statement.
Animal Outlook investigator reveals her identity and exposes the truth behind the closed doors of the dairy industry.
After a two-year career working undercover inside several factory farms, Animal Outlook investigator Erin Wing now reveals her identity, stepping out of the shadows to shine a light on the stomach-churning horrors she witnessed at her most recent — and last — investigation at Dick Van Dam Dairy, a factory farm in Southern California.
While there, Erin documented some of the most egregious cruelties she has seen in her career, along with barbaric (yet standard) dairy industry practices. She was also able to rescue a calf who now lives at a sanctuary (more on the calf rescue below).
What Erin witnessed was one of many dairy farms in its death throes with innocent cows caught in the middle of a battle between a world progressing and an industry fighting tooth and nail to keep us entrenched in the past.
This shocking footage underscores the urgency to end this inherently cruel industry once and for all. It’s time for consumers to ditch dairy, and for companies like Dean Foods to pivot to vegan products.
Animal Outlook’s undercover footage revealed:
• Cows so sick or injured they are unable to walk subjected to extremely cruel treatment by workers who sprayed them in the face with high powered water hoses; kicked, jabbed and shocked them; and closed metal gates on them.
• Workers routinely lifting these so-called “downer” cows with a tractor and dragging them with a metal device called a “hip clamp.” They lifted one suffering cow this way and dangled her almost 20 feet in the air to move her over a wall, and then dragged her backward over a cement slab.
• Sick cows left to suffer without medication, veterinary care or euthanasia. They languished for days until they died on their own, with no access to food or water while they were unable to stand.
Workers and a manager hitting cows with wooden canes and metal pipes in daily acts of extreme aggression and violence, sometimes as a form of retaliation against the animals.
• Workers and managers punching and kicking cows, and twisting their tails.
• Squalid and filthy conditions – cows forced to walk through thick feces and newborn calves unable to escape thousands of flies covering their fragile bodies.
• Shocking mortality rates of cows and calves, as well as high rates of injuries and illnesses – likely resulting from the putrid conditions and lack of care and treatment. One calf was born dead, and was pulled roughly from his or her mother. The mother cow didn’t have the benefit of pain management during this incredibly painful and rough incident.
• Cows repeatedly shocked with an electric prod as they were taken away to slaughter.
• Workers cruelly using automated gates to try to force cows to move in tightly packed spaces.
Turning hidden cameras into instruments of truth, undercover investigators are on the front lines of justice for animals — and consumers. Erin’s courage resulted in hidden camera footage that is changing the way the world sees what — and who — they’re eating. And the against-all-odds rescue of two young calves.
In more ways than one, dairy is dead on arrival. Cows must be pregnant in order to produce milk, so calves are mere byproducts to the industry. At Dick Van Dam, a slow and painful death was commonplace for calves. In one instance, a stillborn calf was pulled violently from his suffering mother. Many living calves were simply left in the hot California sun, covered in flies and slowly dying.
Meanwhile, consumers are slowly but surely realizing that the milk they drink does not come from happy cows, but relies on the broken bond between mother and child, and the violent exploitation of these individuals’ bodies. The dairy industry is dying, but not fast enough.
We also followed a truck carrying so-called “spent” cows from the factory farm to a stockyard. Later, we documented trucks going from that stockyard to American Beef Packers (ABP), the site of the former Westland/Hallmark Beef Packing plant that closed down after issuing a massive beef recall following the Humane Society of the United States’ 2008 undercover investigation, raising the question of whether this facility’s cows are ending up killed at this infamous site. ABP currently sells beef to the federal government for its National School Lunch Program.
Animal Outlook submitted investigative materials to county law enforcement agencies. Despite our overwhelming video evidence depicting dozens of apparent violations of California’s laws against animal cruelty and neglect, local law enforcement declined to recommend criminal charges. However, we are still actively pursuing justice for these animals through other means. And after reviewing the investigation, the Animal Legal Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against Dick Van Dam Dairy and the individuals caught on camera for violating state and local animal cruelty laws.
“We love our animals”
… Farmers always tell us this when another animal scandal is uncovered.
Then listen to this tiny baby goat cry out in pain as the farmer pushes a red-hot metal stick into her head.
It has nothing to do with love. In technical jargon, this is called “dehorning”.
It is done to prevent the horns from growing. Of course without anesthetics, of course without painkillers, in order to have no costs for an animal.
That is peasant love!
Their brothers and sisters crouch in the corner and witness the traumatizing process before their turn. This procedure is standard around the world.
Rock the Natur, Germany
And I mean…The reason that the farm animal lives at all is for any kind of satisfaction of human animals: if an animal is needed to eat, it is allowed to live. But if it is no longer needed, then it must not live. The slaughter comes then.
And no! humans have no right to decide that animals must be tortured and killed for their consumption.
That has always been the cornerstone of any fascist system.
So … do the carnivores claim that they don’t have to give a reason why animals are forcibly impregnated, imprisoned, deprived of their children, exploited, tortured, and killed when they are not productive? Seriously?
This is what you get from raising consumers and system servants instead of compassionate people.
At birth, every person has only positive qualities, such as love, honesty, justice, etc.
But the system does not benefit from it and breeds its members to be indifferent racists, speciesists, in a word: the system breeds us to be fascists against the “other” animals.
Mr. H. is a farmer official, local mayor, and pig farmer in the district of Rottweil, in southern Germany.
In his “animal welfare” breeding stables horrific conditions prevail: Hundreds of injured animals, many with the most severe mutilations, as well as countless sick animals – expressly not isolated.
Weak animals are eaten alive by their stressed conspecifics, carcasses are torn to pieces and the dead bodies of the pigs are piled up in the barn.
In the area of the breeding sows, animals were squeezed in cramped crates in a watery fecal broth.
In the barn, there were dying and very emaciated animals, such as piglets or a breeding sow covered in wounds, and seriously injured young pigs.
The farmer abused pigs he was captured by a hidden camera.
He carries them around on one foot, hits them, and throws the animals. The stable is filthy, full of flies and excrement.
The farmer’s lobbyist likes to appear in the media and especially to show up with prominent politicians like Agriculture Minister Hauk, Federal Agriculture Minister Klöckner, and also green politicians.
(In order to understand the extent of the animal suffering in this video, nobody needs the German language. The horror pictures, the shameful grievances speak for themselves)
And here the political site!
The scenes of pigs awakening from the stupor and brutally abused in that slaughterhouse were almost unbearable and led to the slaughterhouse being closed at the beginning of September and massive criticism of the Böblingen district.
After the publication of the documents from the above-mentioned period, it was publicly proven that Minister Peter Hauk had stopped the measures ordered by the responsible veterinary office to remedy these abuses.
Minister Peter Hauk has thus been guilty of criminally relevant aid. “He accepted animal cruelty in order to protect the slaughterhouse boss and party member Dengler,” said Mülln.
This view is also shared by the German Legal Society for Animal Welfare Law and announced in a press release on October 5th, 2020 that it had filed a criminal complaint against the Minister of Agriculture, Peter Hauk.
SOKO Animal Welfare is now also taking legal action against Minister Hauk in the Gärtringen case. “Anyone who promotes animal torment, accepts it by failing to do so, or bends right, receives criminal charges – this also applies to ministers,” confirms the SOKO investigator.
And I mean..a stable out of control! from here, of course, not made in China!
The keeping of pigs under the worst cruel conditions is legal in Germany because our society regards it as absolutely necessary because the dead bodies of these tortured animals should end up on our plates.
In an interview, the affected farmer and animal abusers described the conditions in his barn as basically okay.
When asked how it came about that the animals look like this, he replied: “Because they fought, cannibalism.”!!
And all of this in a country that describes itself as exemplary democratic and animal welfare-oriented.
With one of the best animal welfare laws in Europe, which says … “Nobody may inflict pain, suffering or harm on an animal without a reasonable reason.”
And for this reason, the suffering of animals in factory farming remains enormous and endless.
The animal abusers of the meat industry do not even need a “reasonable” reason for this, a minister finds that for everyone.
As long as the agriculture minister is elected by the meat industry in Germany, nothing will change
WAV Comment: This is the kind of thing they consider important; live transport and intensive farming system legislation can go to hell. Typical useless EU.
Here below are some animal abuse issues we have covered in just the last week or so. Yes all EU issues that need addressing real fast.
But the MEP’s don’t take action about any of this do they ? – they sit on their self opinionated fat backsides deciding paltry issues like if a veggie burger can be called a veggie burger. How sad is this; but oh so very EU. Why do people still want to be in this pathetic ‘club’ ? – get out and be nations again.
European Parliament to vote on terminology for plant-based meat and dairy substitutes
8 October 2020
Today, Eurogroup for Animals and 12 other NGOs sent a letter to the Members of the European Parliament urging them to vote against a ban on the use of ‘meatish’ and ‘dairyish’ names for plant-based products on 20 October. This ban would contradict the ambitions of the Green Deal, which promotes the uptake of more sustainable food and would further also interfere with consumers’ demand for plant-based products.
In the second plenary session in October, the European Parliament will vote on the regulation establishing a Common Organisation of the Markets (CMOs) in agricultural products (2018/0218 COD). This regulation is one of the three regulations composing the Common Agricultural Policy.
As it presently stands, this text proposed by the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) includes two alarming amendments:
Amendment 165would effectively ban widely accepted and commonly used terms, such as ‘veggie burger,’ or ‘plant-based steak’.
Amendment 171 would further restrict the naming of dairy alternatives by prohibiting terms, such as ‘yoghurt-style’, ‘alternative to cheese,’ or ‘butter substitute’ to describe plant-based dairy alternatives.
In an open letter to the Members of the European Parliament, Eurogroup for Animals expressed its concern over these amendments, and urged Members to oppose these two amendments. In the letter, Eurogroup for Animals explains why the measures contained in these two amendments contradicting the EU’s objective, as laid out in the European Green Deal measures to create a more sustainable and healthy food system. Encouraging the broader uptake of plant-based diets is instrumental in achieving the European Commission’s climate neutrality objectives, and prevent a decline in global biodiversity.
Countless studies have evidenced that industrial animal agriculture is a major contributor to climate change, environmental degradation, public health risks, biodiversity loss, and poor animal welfare. In the Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission explicitly acknowledges the need to shift dietary habits. The Commission further points to the necessity to increase the intake of plant-based foods and reduce red and processed meat consumption levels to reduce the risk of life-threatening diseases and decrease the environmental footprint of the food system. In 2018, the Commission’s Plant Protein Report already noted that the market for meat and dairy alternatives was particularly promising in the EU, with annual growth rates of 14% and 11%, respectively.
This possible ban is also inconsistent with consumers’ purchasing habits and perceptions. For many years already, European consumers have been accustomed to seeing and buying plant-based products displaying terms such as ‘veggie burger’ or ‘plant-based steak’. Prohibiting the use of such well-recognised terms not only is unnecessary, but it would also lead to preventing them from making informed purchasing choices.
Indeed, a recent survey by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) demonstrates that EU consumers are overwhelmingly favour of the use of meat-related terms for plant-based foods. The report shows that more than 68% of consumers support ‘meaty’ names for plant-based food products, as long as the products are clearly labelled as plant-based or vegetarian. Furthermore, petitions against the proposed restrictions have already garnered thousands of signatures.
It is now in the hands of the Members of the European Parliament to vote against such a ban and to improve information to consumers. For example, by requiring the use of qualifiers for non-meat products, such as “plant-based” or “vegetarian”, while reserving the terms with no qualifiers for meat products. This would mean that “sausages” would be made from meat, and “plant-based sausages” would be made of plant-based ingredients. If high quality consumers information is the goal, the use of qualifiers along with meat and dairy denominations is the way to go.
WAV Comment: I (Mark) have worked with Sir Roger in the past re live animal transport in ‘our’ home county of Kent. He is the MP (Member of Parliament) for North Thanet (Kent). The other constituency of South Thanet, which includes Ramsgate port; through which all live animal exports currently take place by convicted criminal (in a UK court of law – animal welfare offences) Dutchman Onderwater –
At the end of the day all animal issues are really about governments getting votes; nothing else. I have been campaigning long enough against live exports; hunting, badger culling etc to have experience of that attitude. For example; take New York in the USA; I did a very recent post re Covid, in New York and wet markets. As it was Yom Kippur; the general concerns about Covid and animal wet markets – the proven source of the virus – in New York, were thrown out of the window in favour of obtaining votes – please read more about this in the article: https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/09/22/usa-the-priority-reducing-covid-or-getting-votes-seems-getting-votes-win/
Here in England where I live; ‘protected’ Badgers – Under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, in England and Wales (the law is different in Scotland) it is an offence to: Wilfully kill, injure or take a badger (or attempt to do so). … Dig for a badger. Intentionally or recklessly damage or destroy a badger sett, or obstruct access to – that it unless you are the government, then you can kill whatever badgers you wish ! – are being culled in vast numbers to present an ‘action face’ by the government to dairy farmers.
As a rule; those same farmers are also land owners; and thus are more Conservative in their votes than Labour Party supporters. So the Conservative government has to be seen taking action for them, and this is done currently through the badger cull. Badger killing = farmers votes = government power.
The Badgers, as a result of this action, are the ones who really pay the price with their lives.
Votes are the No. 1 issue; real issues such as animal welfare, come a very poor second.
So back to Roger Gale MP and the article below. Under current Covid regulations (the rule of 6 persons maximum) introduced by the Conservative government; little children are prevented from visiting their grandparents in other households. People are expected to comply with this ruling in order to reduce Covid transmission. But; and it is a big but; if you are a hunter and you wish to go out on the moors killing wildlife; then you ARE allowed to go out in bigger parties of more than 6; you get a special ‘exemption’ which allows this.
How do I and Roger (Gale) read this ? – one rule for ‘normal’ people who cannot visit family in large numbers; but (government) ‘exemptions for larger groups’ if they want to go out together and blast away in a blood frenzy; killing as much wildlife as they can. Oh yes; these people are often landowners who usually vote Conservative (like the badger killers); so as I have said; votes are the priority over protecting animal welfare; despite what the government says.
Please read the article below as it will probably make more sense than my blurb !
Regards Mark
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Tory MP denounces ‘absurd’ government rule exempting hunters and shooters from coronavirus rule of six
Exclusive: ‘It is apparently in order to assemble in large groups to hunt and to shoot mostly hand-reared birds,’ says party grandee
A veteran Conservative MP has slated Boris Johnson’s exemption of hunting and shooting from the coronavirus “rule of six”.
Sir Roger Gale said: “I find it absurd that while restrictions are placed upon public gatherings including most sporting events, including horseracing, and that while gatherings of more than six people even within a family are prohibited, it is apparently in order to assemble in large groups to hunt and to go out to shoot mostly hand-reared ‘wild’ birds.
“Do hunters and shooters not catch or transmit Covid 19?”
The UK population has been told it is illegal for people to meet in groups of more than six, in an effort to limit the spread of the virus.
But the government has exemptedshooting and hunting from the restrictions, a move which has prompted uproar among many people.
The pheasant-shooting season began last week. Up to 20 million pheasants are shot a year of the roughly 50 million that are bred.
Hunters have regularly been seen in the countryside in groups of more than six since the rule was introduced last month, and in once case were filmed at an event mixing with police officers.
The government regulations forbid mixing in groups of more than six before or after sporting events.
Days after large gatherings were banned, about 130 people met for a stag hunt, almost all not wearing masks, in scenes that critics said “made a mockery of the social sacrifices” of others to limit the spread of coronavirus.
The government was accused of hypocrisy in creating exemptions for “friends” and other people deemed as being more inclined to vote Conservative while introducing fines for the rest of the population.
Sir Roger, a long-time animal-welfare supporter, voted against the internal market bill, which breaches international law, saying: “An Englishman’s word used to be his bond. Under Johnson that is not so.”
One animal lover wrote: “One cannot visit family members who may be physically or mentally ill or really struggling if it means there would be seven or more, and one cannot visit loved ones in hospital, but if one wants to go out in huge numbers and kill animals, it is allowed.”
A government spokesperson said: “We have exempted over 30 types of sport, exercise and physical activity such as football, rugby and other outdoor pursuits. Outdoor activity is safer from a transmission perspective, and it is often easier to social distance. Where such activities take place, safety measures must be taken including conducting a risk assessment and compliance with Covid-19 secure guidance.”
In Brandenburg,Germany’s heart of the African pig plague, all wild boars are to be killed in the vicinity of the “core zone”, in which the first wild boars infected with African swine fever (ASF) were found.
Brandenburg intends to allow wild boar hunting with the night- sights in the near future. The relevant technology is ready for collection at the authority. But first, the “fence”has to be ready.
The authorities in Brandenburg are currently working intensively on plans to get the core zone free from wild boars. As confirmed by the Ministry of Agriculture in Brandenburg, both night sights and special wild boar traps are used when shooting.
These are currently being transported and set up in the core zone.
The night sights are available from the forest authorities. The ministry emphasizes that hunting activities can only start once the security fence is in place.
A commission of EU Veterinarians has recommended designating a “white zone” within five kilometers of the already existing core zone.
In this “white zone”, which is bordered by solid “wild boar-proof” fences,all wild boars are to be killed.
The material for the outer fence around the white zone will be delivered on Thursday (October 1st, 2020). Construction should then start on Friday. It is currently unclear when the ring around the actual core zone can be closed.
Hunting on ALL wild boars
In the so-called “white zone”, maternal protection is also temporarily suspended (!!!)
That means that all wild boars are hunted. This also includes leading brooks. This is absolutely necessary for the epidemic protection measures, according to the Ministry.
For the control measures, the authorities want to ask not only state officials but also local hunters who are familiar with the core area for help.
It is said, but it has not yet been conclusively clarified that the police and the armed forces will also be requested.
The responsible state veterinarian makes the decision.
And I mean…A stupid minister and his constituents refuse to explain to us how the virus can get into hermetically sealed pigsties.
Certainly not by a herd of wild boars.
Max Planck and Einstein thought hunters were psychopaths.
When I read that the hunters will also shoot youngsters, this opinion is confirmed.
Killing parent animals on which freshlings depend is an act of sadism and has nothing to do with preventive hunting.
In wild boars, for example, only the alpha female (Leitbach) in a herd usually reproduces. This limits the uncontrolled reproduction by several females in the pack and ensures that no more wild boars live in the area than can be feed there. But for the moment and because of the intensive hunting of the wild boar, young wild boars that were born in spring were pregnant again in autumn!!
Wild boars are very useful for the forest, they dig up the ground and bury acorns, beechnuts, and other seeds that are used for natural regeneration.
Wild boars are gardeners of the forest.
The whole action is terrorist Zooicide.
Or to put it another way: if the ministry names such a planned massacre as swine fever management – then genocide is also humanitarian aid!
Revealed – rampant deforestation of Amazon driven by global greed for meat
“Because of the high volume of Brazilian beef shipped to China and Hong Kong, these markets are associated with the highest amount of deforestation in total – between 17,400 and 26,400 hectares per year– according to the analysis.
The EU also imports more than $600m worth of beef from Brazil each year. And that will increase if the EU and member states approve a new trade deal with Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay to gradually let 99,000 tonnes of low-tariff South American beef into Europe every year”.
Read the full investigation from ‘The Guardian’; London; at:
WAV Comment: I (Mark) have not eaten any dead animal meat for well over 33 years. I take a vegan diet as a) I consider plant based to be very healthy; non fattening etc; and b) primarily because of my personal concerns for animal welfare issues. In short, An animal does not die to put something on my plate.
We all have our opinions, which is great and to be encouraged; but I rather hate the fact (as below) that veggie or vegan food is often sold as ‘vegan meat’; ‘vegan steak’, ’vegan bacon’, ‘fishless fillets’ and ‘vegan sausages’ etc. As a vegan, I do not want to eat things that are supposed to represent in any way steak, bacon or fish. Because of my hatred for the way animals are abused to produce the same, I simply want a plant based meal that is just that; a plant based meal without the cruelty. I dont want nit dressed up as something it is not – they should be sold as non meat; not ‘tastes like’ steak, bacon and the rest.
Having a range of plant based products called plant based steak, sausage and fish fillets is typical marketing jargon; but you almost always find that vegans are vegans because they don’t want to be associated with animal abuse or meat in any way. So pretending then that plant based products taste like steak; bacon or fish are not really on my wavelength; so why do it ?. The only positive to me is that ‘real’ steak eaters may eventually try the plant based version and then move over to it; improving their health and doing a great deal for the environment and especially saving animal deaths.
But for me; veganism has principles; and they include avoiding animal abuses; the environment and better health. So lets keep vegan food free from the ‘tastes like bacon or steak’ labels; and sell it is simply for what it is – ie cruelty free food which benefits the environment. How about labelling them instead as ‘animal abuse free’, or ‘more environmentally friendly’ products. This approach may even attract yet more custom; those who want to do the right thing and avoid animal suffering whilst doing better for the mush persecuted environment.
Just my view;
Regards Mark
Value Supermarket Morrisons Launches Vegan Steak And Bacon
The new meat alternatives are part of an extensive range including plant-based burgers, sausages, fishless fillets and more
Morrisons has launched a major new line of vegan meat under its V-Taste branding.
The value supermarket’s new offering includes a range of options including vegan steak (£3) and vegan bacon (£2.50).
Among the other plant-based meat alternatives are fishless fillets (£2), burgers (£2.50), and two styles of sausages – chorizo and Cumberland (£2.50).
Morrisons vegan meat
In a statement sent to Plant Based News, a Morrisons spokesperson described the bacon as ‘thick cut rashers’, which they said are the ‘perfect pairing to a butty on a Sunday’.
The steak, they added, are ‘high in fiber and a source of protein’, and match well with any traditional steak sauces.
The fishless fillets are described as ‘flaky’, and are made from fava beans and rice, coated in a breading.
