News
The number of news found: 35.
08/31/2007 NEW YORK FIRST STATE TO BAN ELECTROCUTION OF ANIMALS FOR FUR!
The Humane Society of the United States praised New York state lawmakers and Governor Eliot Spitzer for enacting the first law in the country to ban the inhumane electrocution - including anal and genital electrocution - of animals raised to become fur coats and fur-trimmed garments. Governor Spitzer signed the bill into law on Tuesday, making it the first public policy in the U.S. to prohibit this inhumane practice. 'Animals killed to make fur coats and fur-trimmed apparel suffer in numerous ways, but one of the most inhumane and painful methods is the anal or genital electrocution of foxes, chinchillas and other animals,' said Michael Markarian, executive vice president of The Humane Society of the United States. 'We applaud state lawmakers for their foresighted leadership in protecting animals from this horrifying fur factory farm practice.' The bills were A. 2613a, sponsored by Assemblymember Deborah Glick (D-66), and S. 3529a, sponsored by Senator Frank Padavan (R-11). The legislation passed both the Assembly and Senate unanimously in June.
08/31/2007 FIGHTING FOR FELIX - CALLING YOU TO OXFORD!
This coming Saturday 1st September is a chance for everyone to join SPEAK in Oxford and raise our voices as one and call for the release of Felix. Felix's plight has touched a nerve with campaigners around the world adding their voice to the growing numbers of people demanding the release of this young primate held captive by Oxford University vivisectors. International initiatives have been undertaken, and many groups have staged their own unique form of protest. All are unanimous in their condemnation of the torture of innocent victims like Felix whose eyes gaze hauntingly at us through the bars of his small cage in which he is held at Oxford University. His gaze speaks volumes and needs no translation, and it is his gaze that has moved many into taking up the call to demand his liberty. His plight is the plight of all the millions of animals in vivisection laboratories around the world.
08/30/2007 HEDGEHOGS JOIN 'PROTECTION' LIST!
Hedgehogs and house sparrows have been included on an updated list of species and habitats which need protection. The new Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) has identified 1,149 species and 65 habitats in the UK as being in need of conservation and greater protection. When the action plan was launched in 1997, it listed 577 species - half the number included in the updated version. Wildlife experts said this was a result of wider research and not necessarily down to more habitat being destroyed. Other animals added to the list for the first time include the grass snake and the garden tiger moth; while otters, bottlenose dolphins and red squirrels are deemed to remain in need of habitat protection.
08/30/2007 100,000 DY-OLD CHICKS 'DUMPED' IN JAMAICA!
The damage incurred by small independent poultry farmers during the passage of Hurricane Dean has already impacted on the country's poultry sector. Chief executive officer of the Jamaica Livestock Association, Henry J. Rainford, told The Gleaner that more than 100,000 day-old chicks were dumped last week as farmers affected by the Category Four hurricane were unable to purchase the poultry from its hatchery.
08/29/2007 WHALE HARPOONED IN FRONT OF TOURISTS!
Eco-tourists on a whale-watching vessel, looking forward to observing the mighty creatures in their natural habitat, were instead greeted by the sight of a harpooned whale being dragged in by a Japanese whaling vessel. At about 10:44 a.m. on Friday, a whale was spotted spraying water from its blowhole near a whaling boat, about 3.5 kilometers away from the whale-watching vessel off the coast of Hokkaido's Shiretoko Peninsula. But when the vessel approached, the passengers on board found that the whalers had harpooned the Baird's beaked whale, and it was hauled in by the whaling boat about 20 minutes later. About 20 passengers on the whale-watching vessel looked on, voicing their pity as the whale was captured. A French woman who was on the vessel with her husband reportedly said the experience made her feel ill. There were two other whale-watching boats nearby, but one of them left after a child started crying.
08/29/2007 SOLOMON ISLANDS TO PROMOTE WILD DOLPHIN EXPORTS AS A LUCRATIVE BUSINESS!
The fisheries minister was cited as saying in this story that up to 100 live bottlenose dolphins can be exported from the Solomons Islands every year, and the government is encouraging residents to enter into the lucrative trade. Live dolphin exports can resume as soon as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, approves the move, Fisheries Minister Nollen Leni was cited as saying. The Solomons suspended live dolphin exports in 2003. Leni said that under CITES, bottlenose dolphins can be exported so long as they are looked after properly during the shipping process, that harvesting of the marine mammal is 'reasonable,' and that the shipment doesn't contravene local laws. The Solomons is not a signatory to CITES, which aims to ensure that international wildlife trade does not threaten any species.
08/28/2007 ICELAND HALTS WHALE HUNT DUE TO LOW DEMAND!
After resuming commercial whaling just under a year ago, Iceland's fisheries minister said recently that his country will not issue new whale-hunting quotas until there's more demand for whale-derived products and until Iceland gets an export license to send whale meat to Japan. 'There is no reason to continue commercial whaling if there is no demand for the product,' fisheries minister Einar Guofinnsson said. 'If there is no profitability there is no foundation for resuming with the killing of whales.' This whaling season, Iceland's quota was 39 whales, but it harpooned just 14 due to low demand.
08/27/2007 FOOTBALL-PLAYING HORSE!
An excitable horse has managed to calm down - by playing football. Kariba, 16, was sold by his old owners after he regularly threw off riders, reports The Sun. But horse psychologist Emma Massingale calmed him down by getting him to kick a ball about. Emma, 25, who rehabilitates dangerous steeds at her training school in Bradworthy, Devon, said: 'I looked at footballers and thought 'my horse could do that'. We led him to a ball and he took to it immediately.' She says the thoroughbred Irish Draft Cross can now dribble, pass, shoot and head.
08/26/2007 MONKEY MISERY FOR KENYAN WOMEN VILLAGERS!
A troop of vervet monkeys is giving Kenyan villagers long days and sleepless nights, destroying crops and causing a food crisis. Earlier this month, local MP Paul Muite urged the Kenyan Wildlife Service to help contain their aggressive behavior. But Mr Muite caused laughter when he told parliament that the monkeys had taken to harassing and mocking women in a village. But this is exactly what the women in the village of Nachu, just south-west of Kikuyu, are complaining about. They estimate there are close to 300 monkeys invading the farms at dawn. They eat the village's maize, potatoes, beans and other crops. And because women are primarily responsible for the farms, they have borne the brunt of the problem, as they try to guard their crops. 'The monkeys grab their breasts, and gesture at us while pointing at their private parts.' says villager Lucy Njeri. They say the monkeys are more afraid of young men than women and children, and the bolder ones throw stones and chase the women from their farms.
08/25/2007 VICK ADMITS DOG KILLING CONSPIRACY!
NFL star Michael Vick has admitted that he and two of co-conspirators killed dogs that did not fight well in papers filed Friday with a federal court in Virginia. NFL star Michael Vick is set to appear in court Monday. A judge will have the final say on a plea deal. Vick said he would plead guilty to one count of 'Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture' in a plea agreement filed at U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, 'full restitution, a special assessment and 3 years of supervised release,' the plea deal said. Federal prosecutors agreed to ask for the low end of the sentencing guidelines. 'The defendant will plead guilty because the defendant is in fact guilty of the charged offense,' the plea agreement said.
08/25/2007 DARKER FRUITS COULD FIGHT CANCER!
The compounds which give certain fruit and vegetables their dark colour may contain powerful cancer fighting properties, US research suggests. Studies on rats and human cells found anthocyanins - which colour red, purple and blue fruits - notably slowed the growth of colon cancer cells. The more exotic the plant the better: purplecorn and bilberry were found to be much more potent than the radish. The research was presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society. In some experiments, the researchers from Ohio State University saw cancer growth not just slowed, but as many as 20% of the cells killed. For instance, anthocyanin pigments obtained from black carrots and radishes slowed the growth of cancer cells by between 50 to 80%. But compounds from chokeberries for instance killed up to a fifth of existing cells, without impacting upon healthy ones.
08/24/2007 SPAIN PULLS LIVE BULLFIGHTS OFF STATE TV!
State-run Spanish television has quietly yanked live coverage of bullfighting from its programming, ending a decades-old tradition of showcasing the national pastime out of concern that the deadly duel between matador and beast is too violent for children. Television Espanola's first broadcast in 1948 was a bullfight in Madrid. But for the first time in the network's history, none of its channels have shown live fights this season, only taped highlights on a late-night program for aficionados. In practical terms, the unpublicized decision by the Socialist government is largely symbolic. Of the hundreds of bullfights during the March-October season, state-run TV only tended to broadcast about a dozen. Pay TV channels and stations owned by regional governments are full of live bullfights.
08/24/2007 NEW LAW SET TO BLUDGEON FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ETHICAL CHOICE!
Due to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA) international boycott of Australian wool over the mulesing and live export practices, Peter Costello has introduced a Bill into the House of Representatives proposing to enable the ACCC to represent the interests of individuals and companies boycotted due to cruel industry practices. This effectively uses tax dollars to protect animal industries from calls to boycott unethical animal production practitioners and has implications for battery hens, pigs in sow stalls, and many of the most ghastly of the industrial practices.
08/23/2007 AUSTRALIAN WOMAN KILLED BY AMOROUS CAMEL!
An Australian woman was killed by a pet camel given to her as a 60th birthday present after the animal apparently tried to have sex, police said Sunday. The woman, whose name was not released, was killed Saturday at her family's sheep and cattle ranch near Mitchell, 350 miles west of the Queensland state capital Brisbane, state police Detective Senior Constable Craig Gregory said. The 10-month-old male camel - weighing about 330 pounds - knocked the woman to the ground, lay on top of her, then exhibited what police suspect was mating behavior, Gregory said. Camel expert Chris Hill said he had no doubt the camel's behavior was sexual. Hill, who has offered camel rides to tourists for 20 years, said young camels are not aggressive, but can be dangerous if treated as pets without discipline. The fate of the camel was not known.
08/23/2007 $10,000 REWARD IN POULTRY BLAZE!
A fire over the weekend at a poultry plant in Ontario, Canada, has killed thousands of birds. A reward has been offered for anyone who may have any information. The fire at the poultry processing plant in Brockville killed approximately 40,000 hens. Burnbrae Farms is now offering a reward of $10,000 for anyone who has any information about how the blaze began. Over 50 firefighters responded to the fire, which destroyed one of the barns on at plant, with losses exceeding $1 million.
08/22/2007 BULGARIAN WOMAN INFECTED WITH RARE ANIMAL DISEASE!
A Bulgarian woman in a village near the Greek border has, according to this story, been infected with a rare animal disease through contact with sick sheep and goats. A national veterinary service statement was cited as saying 19 animals had been infected in the village of Valche pole where 65-year-old Rosa Ivanova fell ill with the rare disease late Sunday. Veterinarians were examining samples from the animals Monday to see where the infection came from. The disease, called brucellosis, is caused by contact with animals carrying the bacteria or through consumption of infected meat, milk or cheese. Brucellosis is rare in Bulgaria with only isolated cases for the past 50 years, veterinary service chief Zheko Baychev was cited as telling the 24 Hours newspaper Monday. The veterinary service statement was quoted as saying 'Most probably the infection spread from neighbouring Greece as flocks sometimes mingle during grazing in the border area between the two countries.' In 2005, two Bulgarian shepherds working in a border Greek farm died of the disease while other workers complained of the extremely bad veterinary hygiene conditions in the same farm and said they had seen many animals die from brucella-like conditions there.
08/21/2007 DEER HUNTING MAY PUT MEN'S HEARTS AT RISK!
Deer hunting could be a dangerous endeavor for men with heart disease or risk factors for it, research findings suggest. In a study of 25 middle-aged male deer hunters, researchers found that the activities inherent to hunting - like walking over rough terrain, shooting an animal and dragging its carcass - sent the men's heart rates up significantly. In some cases, this led to potentially dangerous heart-rhythm disturbances, or diminished oxygen supply to the heart. Of the 25 hunters, 17 had established coronary heart disease, while the rest had risk factors such as being overweight, smoking or having high blood pressure or cholesterol. The findings suggest that for men like these, hunting could boost the risk of heart attack or cardiac arrest. Susan Haapaniemi and colleagues at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oaks, Michigan, report the findings in the American Journal of Cardiology.
08/20/2007 MALAYSIA ABOUT TO LIFT MONKEY EXPORT BAN!
Thousands of wild monkeys could soon be trapped and shipped off to countries like China and Taiwan, ending a 23-year old ban on the trade in primates. The New Straits Times has learnt that the trade ban - put in place by the government due to dwindling numbers and global concern about animal cruelty - was lifted recently. The move is largely expected to affect macaques which were heavily traded in the years before the ban. A news report in March spoke about government plans to export the species for the exotic food market or as companion animals. A trade quota or limit would have to be set before export licences can be issued. In the 1970s, an average of 10,000 macaques were exported each year, said the Wildlife and National Parks Department manual on human-macaque conflict. The manual says they were exported to the US for biomedical research and to other countries as food or companion animals.
08/19/2007 ANOTHER GORILLA DIES AT CALGARY ZOO!
Animal protection groups say the fourth death of a western lowland gorilla in the last year at the Calgary Zoo is proof that it should not be keeping great apes in captivity. The zoo said that it was forced to destroy 22-year-old female Donge late last week because she was rapidly losing weight and growing sicker despite four surgeries earlier this summer. Two other females died earlier this year from unrelated illnesses and a newborn was lost last August after the dominant female in the group claimed the baby as her own and wouldn't let her go. Rob Laidlaw, executive director at Zoocheck Canada, said the numerous deaths in such a short period of time are a 'red flag' that something's wrong.
08/18/2007 DOCTORS WARNED OVER PREXIGE!
Health campaigners urged doctors to be wary of prescribing an arthritis drug after concerns over its safety and an order to ban it in Australia following reports of liver damage. UK and European drug regulators are reviewing the safety data on the painkiller, Prexige, after eight cases of serious liver damage in Australia, including two fatalities. There are concerns because Prexige is in the same class of drugs as Vioxx, the painkiller withdrawn worldwide in 2004 after being linked to heart attacks and strokes. Jane Tadman of the Arthritis Research Campaign said: 'Doctors should be wary of prescribing this drug. Any patient who is worried should see their doctor.' The UK medicines watchdog said it received 16 reports of adverse reactions in people on the drug since March 2006; one involved a liver reaction. But it stressed the daily dose prescribed to most of the patients in Australia was double the 100mg dose routinely prescribed in the UK. In the UK approximately 5,400 patients have received one or more prescriptions for Prexige, made by the drugs company Novartis, in the last year.
08/16/2007 THOUSANDS OF CHICKENS AND DUCKS KILLED AND WASHED AWAY!
In South Korea, thousands of ducks and chickens have died due to the heavy rains. About 65,000 ducks and chickens have drowned in the recent week due to heavy floods that have hit the area. Some 177 hectares of crops have also been completely destroyed. The worst damage was seen in the north western province of Gyeonggi, where dozens of houses and businesses were hit by flash flooding. Forecasters warned of continued torrential rain in the southern provinces of Gyeongnam and Jeolla in the days ahead.
08/15/2007 ARCTIC SEA ICE SET TO HIT NEW LOW!
Arctic sea ice is expected to retreat to a record low by the end of this summer, scientists have predicted. Measurements made by the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) showed the extent of sea ice on 8 August was almost 30% below the long-term average. Because the region's melting season runs until the middle of September, scientists believe this summer will end with the lowest ice cover on record. Researchers have forecast ice-free summers in the Arctic by 2040. Sea ice cover in the polar region was starting to respond to human induced climate change, resulting from a greater concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientists fear that this feedback mechanism will have major consequences for wildlife in the region, not least polar bears, which traverse ice-floes in search of food. On a global scale, the Earth would lose a major reflective surface and so absorb more solar energy, potentially accelerating climatic change across the world.
08/13/2007 SPAIN BURNS FIELDS TO KILL VOLES!
A plague of field voles in central Spain has led the authorities to resort to controlled burning of fields. The measure is only permitted by the European Union in exceptional cases. The fires were started on Wednesday in the Valladolid area of Castilla-Leon region, to prevent the rodents devastating beet and potato crops. Agricultural officials say they are not sure what caused the surge in vole numbers. Fields will also be burnt soon in Avila, Palencia and Segovia. The farm union COAG says about 400,000 hectares of land (988,000 acres) is affected by the infestation, Eeuters news agency reports. Castilla-Leon's Agriculture Minister, Silvia Clemente, said agronomists, veterinarians and biologists had been asked to explain the plague but nobody really knew, she told Spain's Cadena Ser radio.
08/12/2007 YANGTZE RIVER DOLPHIN DRIVEN TO EXTINCTION!
The Yangtze river dolphin, until recently one of the most endangered species on the planet, has been declared officially extinct following an intensive survey of its natural habitat. The freshwater marine mammal, which could grow to eight feet long and weigh up to a quarter of a tonne, is the first large vertebrate forced to extinction by human activity in 50 years, and only the fourth time an entire evolutionary line of mammals has vanished from the face of the Earth since the year 1500. Conservationists described the extinction as a 'shocking tragedy', caused not by active persecution but accidentally and carelessly through a combination of factors including unsustainable fishing and mass shipping. In the 1950s, the Yangtze river and neighbouring watercourses had a population of thousands of freshwater dolphins, also known as Baiji, but their numbers have declined dramatically since China industrialised and transformed the Yangtze into a crowded artery of mass shipping, fishing and power generation. A survey in 1999 estimated the population of river dolphins was close to just 13 animals. Around half of all river dolphins were killed as a result of indiscriminate and often illegal fishing practices.
08/11/2007 FRENCHMAN DIES AFTER BEING GORED BY A BULL!
The president of a French bullfighting club died overnight Tuesday from injuries sustained when he was gored by a bull that had escaped the ring at a weekend event. Bernard Coffin, 69, was gored in the leg by the young bull after finding himself trapped behind the gate of an enclosure at Saturday's bullfighting festival in Boujan-sur-Libron. Coffin was taken to hospital in nearby Beziers and operated on but died overnight following the operation, police said. An investigation has been launched into the accident.
08/10/2007 FRANCE BANS BULL-RUNNING OVER FOOT-AND-MOUTH FEARS!
France has, according to this story, banned traditional bull-running events on its Atlantic coast as a precaution following the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Britain. In the 'Course Landaise', a sport similiar to Spanish bullfighting but using cows instead of bulls, the animal is not killed - which authorities fear could create an infection risk when they are returned to their stables. Spanish-style corridas, in which the bull is put to death, are unaffected by the ban adopted last weekend, which covers any movement of cattle, pigs, sheep or goats which could lay them susceptible to contracting the disease.
08/09/2007 US NAVY BARRED FROM SONAR USE OVER HARM TO WHALES!
The United States Navy was on Monday barred from using an ear-splitting sonar in upcoming wargames off the California coast alleged to be harmful to whales and other marine life. In the latest twist to a long-running legal saga, federal judge Florence-Marie Cooper ruled there was a 'near certainty' that the Navy's active sonar was harmful to the environment. The judge issued a preliminary injunction against use of the sonar after rejecting a request by the Navy to dismiss the case against it lodged by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and other environmental groups. Environmentalists say the sonar - which works by flooding large areas of the ocean with loud bursts of sound - can injure or even kill whales, forcing them to beach themselves on land. Campaigners said although litigation brought over war games off the coast of Hawaii resulted in a settlement last year, the Navy had refused to take steps to mitigate the impact of the sonar during tests in Southern California waters.
08/08/2007 BURTON STOPS SELLING FUR!
Less than two months after peta2 put out a call for phone calls and e-mails from Street Teamers, MySpace and Facebook friends, and other concerned people around the world, Burton Snowboards has committed to going fur-free. With Burton replacing its fur trim items with fake fur, the extreme sports community is even stronger than ever in uniting against cruelty to animals. To PETA's knowledge, none of the major apparel companies in the snowboarding community uses real fur, including Ride, DC Shoes, and Volcom.
08/07/2007 FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE FOUND IN UK!
Britain raced to avert economic disaster Saturday by halting meat and dairy exports and the movement of livestock around the country after foot-and-mouth disease was found on a southern English farm. The strain of the highly infectious disease found was identical to one used at a nearby government-funded laboratory that is researching vaccines for the virus, Britain's environment agency said Saturday. Officials are still investigating other possible sources, the country's chief veterinarian said. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, or DEFRA, said Britain had banned the export of live cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, as well as carcasses, meat and milk. The United States and Japan immediately banned British pigs and pork products in response to the outbreak. British beef is already banned in both countries because of mad-cow disease. British authorities also imposed a nationwide ban on transporting cattle, sheep, goats and pigs in response to the outbreak. DEFRA said animals on a farm near Wanborough, about 30 miles southwest of London, had tested positive for the disease, which affects livestock but not humans. The strain of the disease was the same as one used at the Institute for Animal Health's Pirbright Laboratory, which is about four miles from the affected farm.
08/06/2007 DOOMED KANGAROOS WIN VIP REPRIEVE!
Kangaroos will be sent to live a life of luxury in air-conditioned accommodation after public outrage at plans to kill them backfired. Australia's military were caught on the hop after angry reaction at plans to shoot thousands of the Australian icons at military bases. Instead 3,200 eastern grey kangaroos will be trucked to a village more than an hour away from Canberra at the cost of £1,500 each, reports Metro. The Defence Department said in May the kangaroos were causing serious erosion due to over-grazing on two drought-ravaged military bases. A secret plan prepared for the defence department and obtained by the Canberra Times newspaper, said thousands of kangaroos would be sterilised on the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station and Majura military training area to control numbers. Hundreds of others would be sedated with valium and trucked in special air-conditioned vans to the rural village of Braidwood, east of Canberra. The kangaroos would be herded into a padded pen and sedated, then shot with a paintball gun to mark them as ready for transport. They would be released in a fenced area covered with shadecloth, the report by the Wildcare protection group for the Defence Department said.
08/06/2007 ZOOS KILL HEALTHY TIGERS FOR SKIN TRADE!
ZOOS in the UK are killing healthy tigers and other endangered species and selling their skins to be stuffed and mounted as trophies for private collectors, an investigation has found. The skins are sold by the zoos to taxidermists who prepare them for clients in defiance of attempts by the government to stifle the trade in tiger products. Undercover reporters from The Sunday Times were offered the skins from two zoo tigers, which were both only a few years old when they died, for £6,000. 'There are too many of them and if they are not put down they will die of old age, get incinerated and thrown away,' Andre Brandwood, a Hertford-shire taxidermist, told them. He said zoos had recognised there was a market and were placing a 'shelf life' on animals to cash in by having them stuffed before they got old, suffered illness and then cost them money.
08/05/2007 BURR INTRODUCES CHIMP PROTECTION BILL!
In order to protect retired chimpanzees from being subjected to continued research, U.S. Senator Richard Burr has co-introduced the Chimp Haven is Home Act. Working along with Senators David Vitter and Mary Landrieu, Burr looks to improve the Chimpanzee Health Improvement, Maintenance, and Protection Act of 2000 which established Chimp Haven in Keithville, Louisiana for chimpanzees no longer needed for research. The legislation would stop the removal of retired chimpanzees from Chimp Haven for research purposes by the National Institutes of Health. Currently, chimpanzees are evaluated and placed in the sanctuary when their population surpasses current research needs. The original CHIMP Act of 2000 allows chimps to be removed from the sanctuary for further research if specific criteria are met. Burr's legislation would remove that provision. The next step for this legislation will be the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, of which Burr is a member.
08/04/2007 UC SAN FRANCISCO SUIT OVER LIVE ANIMAL EXPERIMENTS!
Six doctors have filed a lawsuit against UC San Francisco over the way the school handles its live animal experiments. Sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the suit alleges continuing violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act and asks for an independent monitor to be established to insure that the school follows the law. The doctors say the school is misusing state money and call cardiac experiments on dogs conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Olgin 'duplicative,' meaning he's studying something that's already been scientifically established and the tests are therefore unnecessary. Also criticized as inhumane are Alzheimer's disease experiments conducted by Dr. Stephen Lisberger, during which bolts are drilled into monkeys' brains without pain medication being administered. UCSF issued a statement saying it 'takes seriously the responsibility of working with animals and is committed to maintaining the highest standard of humane treatment in animal care and use.'
08/02/2007 CANADA MOVES TO CHALLENGE BELGIUM'S BAN OF SEAL PRODUCTS!
Canada will request consultations at the World Trade Organization to challenge Belgium's ban of Canadian seal products. Belgium banned the importation and marketing of seal products in April, 2007, to protest against what it sees as a cruel and unnecessary slaughter of seals, many of them just a few weeks old. Canadian Trade Minister David Emerson, pictured, said he believed the ban was a violation of Belgium's obligations under WTO rules. If consultations fail to resolve the dispute, Ottawa could request a WTO panel to settle the case. The government defends the commercial seal hunt, which this year aims to kill 270,000 harp seals, as an important source of income for many in Eastern Canada. Foreign Minister Peter Mackay said diplomatic pressure 'at the highest levels' to dissuade Belgium from the ban had failed. 'It is regrettable that we have had to come to this point, but Canada's government will fight bans of this kind on all fronts people's livelihoods are at stake,' he said. Trade in seal products is small. Hunters made $30-million in 2006 from pelts and there is a growing market for products such as seal oil. Animal welfare activists, backed by celebrities such as Paul McCartney and Brigitte Bardot, have long criticized the hunt, in which young seals are either clubbed to death or shot.
08/01/2007 SWISS TO SOON VOTE ON INTRODUCTION OF LAWYERS FOR ANIMALS!
The Swiss could soon be voting on whether lawyers should be allowed to defend animals in court. The Swiss agency for the protection of animals (PSA) submitted a petition Thursday to the federal government to introduce cantonal (state) lawyers for animals. It made the request after having collected 148,294 signatures, more than the 100,000 needed to prompt a referendum to introduce a new law. The aim is to further crack down on the mistreatment of animals. While anyone who mistreats an animal can hire a defense lawyer, there is nobody to represent martyred or dead creatures, the PSA said in a statement.
The number of news found: 35.
