http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0j5kMxvLqw&feature=youtu.be

and for our non UK international friends, here is the brilliant Brian May – badger welfare campaigner and guitar hero, with ‘Queen’, top rockers in the past until the sad death of Freddie Mercury.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ir0oc6VAHY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUMdkyRTg-8

Click below for the BBC link:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26369306

‘ineffective and failed humaneness test’

Although this could very easily said about the Cameron Conservative politicians and National Farmers Union (NFU) which supported the mass kill on the advice of a so called ‘Chief Veterinarian’, we are actually talking about the words used by an independent scientific assessment of last year’s pilot badger culls in parts of Gloucestershire and Somerset has (England) which concluded that they were not effective.

As we in the animal welfare movement said right from the start, the cull would be detrimental to animals welfare, a complete waste of public money, and show our alleged ‘expert’ politicians and farmers leaders for what they really are – ineffective

Please click on the above BBC News report for a full detailed analysis of the cull as reported by Pallab Ghosh.

Below – ‘Correct from the Start’ Brian May

– the voice for the badger and the animal welfare groups. 

Badger cull in numbers:

50% or fewer badgers were killed than target figure

·         6.4% – 18% badgers took longer than five minutes to die

·         1,771 number of badgers culled*

·        £7.29m estimated cost of badger cull, according to animal welfare charity*

Source: Independent Expert Panel, Care for the Wild*

We hear and read of many ‘experts’ from Defra, the government Ministry, as well as the ‘experts’ from the NFU, and ‘expert’ Mr Nigel Gibbens, the Chief Veterinary Officer; but the fact is that they were all wrong and the badger welfare groups were right from the very start.

From the BBC; “Defra said that it did not know when the report would be submitted by the IEP or when it would be published, stating only that “no deadline had been set”. A spokesperson added: “We knew there’d be lessons to be learned from the first year of the pilot culls which is why we’re looking forward to receiving the panel’s recommendations for improving the way they are carried out, because we need to do all we can to tackle this devastating disease.”

Can we suggest that the biggest lesson to be learned is that despite you all being very over zealous and self opinionated with regard the cull; you actually know very little.  There are other ways of addressing Bovine TB, which includes vaccination; so possibly before you all set off for future culls in the dark of night which will end up with no positive results, can we suggest that you look first and foremost into animal vaccination as the future for controlling this disease.

Over the past months we at SAV have given lots of time and posts to this badger cull – the ‘be all and end all’ as far as the politicians and farmers were convinced.

Once again the animal welfare lobby got it right, the government, chief vets and the NFU got it wrong; very wrong, at the cost of many animals lives.  And what have they learned now ? – very little we suspect; they only regard the killing of badgers as a solution to the issue of bovine TB.

UK Press reports and links for the end of February 2014:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/28/badger-cull-humaneness-test-tb-cattle

–          “The revelations are the most damaging yet and will make it challenging for ministers to justify their aim of rolling out further culls across the country”.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/28/02/2014/143534/analysis-where-next-for-the-badger-cull.htm

 – “Before the negative news about the south-west pilots broke on Friday (28 February), NFU director general Andy Robertson said selective culling might be operationally easier and more acceptable to the public”.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/28/badger-culls-england-wales-timeline

http://www.sundaypost.com/news-views/uk/call-to-halt-inhumane-badger-cull-1.245294

http://peterblack.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/government-figures-show-badger-cull.html

– “The Independent reports that the UK Government’s highly controversial badger cull has suffered a further setback after it released figures which showed it had exaggerated the case for the cull”.

 Links to see some of our previous SAV posts about the English badger cull:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2014/01/05/england-uk-badger-cull-cost-4100-per-badger-claim-campaigners/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/11/17/england-uk-20-minute-video-see-the-work-of-team-badger-and-wounded-badger-patrol/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2010/12/08/uk-dr-brian-may-queen-guitarist-tells-why-he-has-to-speak-for-the-animals/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2010/04/13/uk-london-brian-may-launches-save-me-anti-hunting-campaign/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2010/04/08/uk-england-queen-rock-legend-brian-may-fumes-over-queen-song-used-in-pro-hunt-video/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/12/06/england-uk-another-conservative-government-u-turn-cruel-badger-cull-meets-embarrassing-end-animal-advocates-right-all-along/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/10/17/england-badger-update-now-badgers-to-be-gassed-pro-hunt-paterson-and-cameron-go-from-farce-to-shambles-to-inept-but-conveniently-stay-as-multi-millionaires-we-are-all-in-thi/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/10/15/uk-england-badger-cull-snippets-the-government-increase-kill-time-to-meet-failed-animal-numbers/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/09/15/england-badger-cull-update-no-badgers-tested-for-bovine-tb-but-tests-are-to-see-if-badgers-can-be-shot/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/09/13/england-uk-the-badger-cull-is-it-as-effective-as-what-the-government-are-telling-the-public-not-that-much-is-being-said/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/08/29/uk-england-the-badger-cull-is-under-way-despite-massive-public-opposition/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2013/06/02/england-london-march-against-the-badger-cull-1st-june-2013/

Below – The ‘experts’ responsible for this complete and utter farce:

Above – Minister and ‘Expert’ Owen Paterson – with ‘Expert’ Prime Minister David Cameron.

Bring on the UK General Election of May 2015; and a much more viable government to replace the joke that exists in the UK at present.

Badger Welfare Groups – 1;  UK Government ‘Experts’ – 0.

Obvious to most sensible people in the UK from the very start !!

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http://www.ecorazzi.com/2014/02/25/tibetian-buddist-monks-detained-for-saving-yaks-from-slaughter/

Tibetan Buddist Monks Detained for Saving Yaks from Slaughter

byJoan ReddyFebruary 25, 2014

Three senior Tibetan Buddhist monks are being detained by Chinese authorities in Golog, which occupies the southeastern corner of Quinghai province in the People’s Republic of China, for purchasing and freeing three hundred yaks headed for the slaughterhouse.

Ringpu, 50, Yutruk, 51, and Salshap, 47, are all respected figures in the Golog Gangshar monastery, and “were taken away on Feb. 6 to the Pema [in Chinese, Banma] county center and detained for saving about 300 yaks by purchasing them from the slaughterhouse,” a Tibetan resident from Golog told RFA’s Tibetan Service. “All three monks have been with the same monastery since they were ten years old,” he said. “Ringpu was the head of the monastery and had the experience of working as discipline coordinator of the monastery for six years.”

Saving animals by purchasing them alive from slaughterhouses and freeing them is a common religious practice among Tibetan Buddhists. As part of their faith, Tibetan Buddhists practice “life liberation,” which means they do not believe that animals should suffer and that it is their duty to free and help whenever they can. This not only benefits the animals, but is also good for the karma of the individual requesting the rescue, or for others to whom the practice is dedicated.

Once the animals are rescued, they are looked after for the rest of their lives by a family or monastery where they provide milk, hair, and wool for their guardians. This practice is so much part of Tibetan Buddhist culture and spirituality that “animals can be seen everywhere with colourful yam hanging from their ears, marking them as “saved” for life.”

Tibetan Buddhism is a religion that is being forced out of its homeland ever since Tibet was conquered by the Chinese. In a 2007 report by New York based Human Rights Watch, it states that “No one has the Liberty to Refuse” Chinese authorities. It is illegal for Tibetans to hold organized protests opposing the Chinese-operated slaughterhouses being built in Tibetan areas.

Ever since the Chinese have conquered Tibet, the people have been abhorred by the number of animals killed in slaughterhouses. The Chinese have set up large-scale factories where numerous animals are killed every day. To make it even worse, the Tibetans are being forced to sell fixed amounts of animals to the Chinese butchers and some of their rescued animals are being stolen and sent to the slaughterhouses.

“Local people in areas where theses incidents took place claim that they have been ordered to donate animals for slaughter on a per-household basis. In some cases, local protests have been led by religious figures and have led to animals and violence,” the report said. “Clearly slaughterhouses are offensive to Buddhist beliefs and these have provided some sanction for the protest, but to Tibetan herders it appears that the slaughterhouses also reflect the influx of Han Chinese entrepreneurs.”

A peaceful and compassionate people are being stripped of their culture and their spirituality so that capitalists, and the Chinese government can profit off the exploitation, and slaughter of the innocent.

SAV fully supports a Tibet free from the ravages of China.

Let the Tibetan people live their lives free of rule by China

FREE TIBET !!

 Free Tibet links:

http://www.freetibet.org/

http://www.freetibet.org/about/about-free-tibet

http://www.freetibet.org/shop

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http://www.beefcentral.com/p/news/article/4302

Dept of Ag releases live animal export reports

24 Feb 2014

The Department of Agriculture has released three compliance investigation reports that concern the welfare of Australian livestock exported to overseas markets.

The compliance reports examine allegations that animals were found in unauthorised locations as well as improper animal handling and slaughter, in Jordan and Malaysia.

The department has determined in some instances handling and slaughter was not consistent with World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) standards or animals left approved facilities inconsistent with Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) requirements.

The investigation of sheep exported to Jordan concluded that it is highly likely many of the sheep shown in photographs and videos were of Australian origin and more likely than not that they were exported under ESCAS arrangements.  There was only sufficient material to support a finding against one exporter.  The department recorded a non compliance against Livestock Shipping Services in relation to a finding of unauthorised movement of sheep in Jordan. The department did not record a finding against the other exporter to Jordan, Wellard Rural Exports Pty Ltd.

While investigations are underway, the department has acted to place additional conditions on consignments of affected exporters to Jordan for export applications that have been subsequently approved.

The department has also required exporters to remove feedlots and abattoirs from supply chains where they are not able to meet the ESCAS standard at this time.

Additional conditions the department has applied on consignments to Jordan include:

24 hour security be applied at feedlots and abattoirs in supply chains

Supply chain officers to regularly reconcile the number of animals in supply chains

Independent audit of each supply chain officers’ reconciliations

Additional identification to be applied to animals on arrival to and departure from feedlots (for example, a prominent and easily visible wool mark)

The exporter to make monthly declarations to the department about the number of animals in the supply chain

An increase in frequency of independent audits for an approved supply chain.

The investigation of cattle exported to Malaysia found some aspects of animal handling and slaughter did not meet OIE animal welfare recommendations. Two exporters were using the abattoir at the time. However, cattle shown in the footage could not be linked to any individual exporter.

While the investigation was underway, the department acted to place additional conditions on the exporters, Australian Rural Exports Pty Ltd and International Livestock Export Pty Ltd, including providing an animal welfare officer at the abattoir to oversee slaughter and an additional audit.

The investigation of sheep and goats exported to Malaysia found some aspects of animal handling did not meet OIE animal welfare recommendations.  Whether the animals had been exported at the time ESCAS applied in Malaysia could not be determined.

While the investigation was underway, the department acted to place additional conditions on the exporters, Capricorn Pastoral Pty Ltd and Lembiru, including that exporters provide monthly reconciliations of stock in supply chains.

Additional conditions are applied when the department considers that they are necessary to promote compliance with the approved ESCAS. The department assesses all relevant information, including the exporter’s compliance record, in deciding whether or not to approve consignments or place additional conditions on consignments.

Exporters have also implemented their own measures to improve animal handling and slaughter, including providing further training at ESCAS facilities in the importing countries.

The department has also released two reports into mortality incidents. One report is an Elders International Australia cattle consignment by sea to Japan and the second is an Independent Livestock Services sheep consignment by air to Malaysia.

The department applied additional conditions on the exporters’ subsequent consignments. Exporters have successfully exported animals under these additional conditions without reaching the reportable mortality threshold.

Since 2005, a report has been tabled in Parliament by the Minister on livestock mortalities that occur on voyages by sea.

The compliance investigation reports can be viewed on the Department of Agriculture website . 

Source: Department of Agriculture

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