Posted on February 6, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
‘The Cove’ Star Is Kicked out of Japan
Japanese authorities deport dolphin activist Ric O’Barry after detaining him for 19 days at Tokyo’s airport.
Taylor Hill is an associate editor at TakePart covering environment and wildlife.
Bio
Dolphin trainer turned animal-rights activist Ric O’Barry has spent the past 13 years working to expose Japan’s dolphin hunts, and now the country has sent him packing.
Japanese officials on Friday put the star of the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary The Cove on a plane at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport bound for the United States. Immigration officials barred O’Barry, 76, from entering the country on his arrival in Tokyo on Jan. 18 and held him in a detention facility for 19 days.
His son, Lincoln O’Barry, said the deportation is a desperate attempt by the Japanese government to hide the ongoing dolphin drive and slaughter in Taiji. Each year, thousands of dolphins are herded by fishing boats into a cove at Taiji, where they are killed for their meat or captured for sale to aquariums and marine parks.
“They’ve failed miserably, and all they’re really doing is bringing more attention to the issue,” Lincoln O’Barry said. He said the official reason his father was deported, according to Japanese immigration, was that he supposedly lied about his itinerary on a trip to the country this past summer and wasn’t in the country as a “tourist.”
“They know all about my father, so every time he comes into the country he gets interrogated for about one to five hours, about where he is going, how long, and why,” he said. “They don’t do that with any other Americans coming into the country.”
Takashi Takano, a lawyer for O’Barry’s conservation group the Dolphin Project, said in a statement: “Tourism is not just ‘sightseeing,’ but also includes such activities as visits to places of disasters or holocaust. Mr. O’Barry’s visits to the cove in Taiji and his reports on dolphin hunting should be considered a legitimate tourist activity. To those who believe Japan is an open and democratic country, it must be shocking to realize this kind of experience can happen here and now.”
Americans do not need a visa to enter Japan for visits of under 90 days, according to the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.
Louie Psihoyos, director of The Cove and executive director of the Ocean Preservation Society, said O’Barry’s arrest would only strengthen the resolve of groups like his.
“He was deported because the Taiji dolphin slaughter is a huge international embarrassment to Japan, and Ric is the most vocal protester,” Psihoyos said. “He didn’t violate any Japanese laws, but he brings worldwide attention to one of the most brutal animal atrocities in the world.”
The deportation means O’Barry must stay out of the country for five years, which the Dolphin Project is protesting.
A petition on the group’s website has garnered more than 25,000 signatures asking the Japanese government to overturn the deportation. Lincoln O’Barry said the team has filed a legal objection, with a lawsuit to follow.
“This is the beginning of something, not the end,” Ric O’Barry said in a statement. “The deportation is the green light to sue the government, something we have never had before.”
Past SAV posts associated with this – photos and videos included with some:
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 5, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
We should’ve gotten used to it by now that whenever something good happens, something bad is right around the corner and the bad overshadows the good way too often…
Just when we relaxed a little bit after finally filling up the gas tank, we suffered a huge heartbreak totally unexpectedly, with no warning and absolutely out of the blue. We didn’t see it coming, we couldn’t possibly have seen it coming and it doesn’t make the impact of the brutal blows any easier to accept and handle.
In only the matter of a couple of days, we lost three of our protégés, three beautiful, amazing furry creatures. Joca, Veca and Luce are no longer with us and what makes things even harder to bear, if they can conceivably get any harder, is that they were not “just cats”, but our friends, our companions, our four legged furry jewels that we’ve been taking care of, cuddling, comforting and fighting for since we first laid our eyes on them.
They were the ones we vowed to love with all our hearts until the last breath, theirs or ours…until the last breath and beyond.
However heart-wrenching it may be, I simply have to write about them one last time, as if this loving final farewell to each one of these forever gone beauties will somehow release them and set them free. So here’s to our angels, our precious meowing gems…
Luce was an 18 year old kitty girl whose owner sadly passed away last year and she evidently couldn’t reconcile herself to the loss of her beloved human. She’d been protesting and behaving badly at home for months before she arrived at the shelter last autumn, terrified and confused, as she had always been the only pet. However, it didn’t take her long to nicely adjust to her new surroundings and get used to our kitty crowd, but she never really bonded with any of us here. She was gentle, quiet and lovely, she seemed to enjoy petting, but not one single time did she ever approach us first. Almost unnoticeable, she neither sought nor wanted attention; she was always in her own world where there was room for only one person, her long gone owner of many years. She didn’t exactly look sad, but her pensive and distant expression was clearly showing that she was living back in the past when her life was filled with love and joy and she was spending her days by her late owner’s side. The present without her human soulmate was totally irrelevant to her and meant nothing. Yet she was here, sweet and nice, doing what most of the cats do, until she suddenly collapsed a few days ago without any warning and we found her lying motionless on the floor of the biggest cats’ room. The vet said she probably had a massive stroke and didn’t suffer one bit, her time had come and she went painlessly, just like that. Shocked and utterly sad, we choose to believe she is finally eternally happy and cuddling in her owner’s arms, never to be separated again.
Veca was the next to leave us. At the age of 22, we knew she could fall asleep and not wake up at any possible moment, but she was holding on well, she was still the same old Veca, tiny and frail but strong willed, grumpy, untouchable and uncatchable. When she ate, no one else would come near, when she walked by, all of the cats would move out of her way. She was surprisingly agile and fast and lived her life to the fullest right up until her passing. She went quietly, in her sleep, and only now that she’s not here anymore we’ve come to realize what a big hole in our hearts such a tiny cat could and did leave…
Whoever said that “misfortune always come in threes” was right.
Joca was between 12 and 15 years old, in perfect health and great shape, a big affectionate kitty boy who was cuddly to boot. He was beautiful and he knew it, which made him absolutely irresistible and everybody, literally everybody loved him – cats, dogs and humans. Not even in our worst nightmares could we imagine that his life would be cut short. It happened in the morning, one of those gloomy and grey mornings when he was shining like a star with his mostly white fur in our otherwise dark yard. One moment he was alright, the next minute he was dragging his rear legs and we couldn’t believe our eyes. He suddenly became paralyzed and no one had any idea why. He was quickly rushed to the vet, but the X-rays showed nothing abnormal, his blood work was excellent and what had happened to him was still pretty much a mystery. He was given corticosteroids, antibiotics, vitamins, painkillers (though he didn’t seem to be in pain) and we were told to wait and bring him back tomorrow.
Around 3 a.m, when I checked on him, he was restless in his cage and evidently unable to understand why he couldn’t get up – by dawn he was already gone. The vet thinks he died of a thromboembolism; a blood clot that firstly blocked the aorta, cutting off the blood flow to both hind legs which left him paralyzed, and during the night it ultimately passed to his heart. Joca went quickly and without pain, but we are still wondering how much more sorrow can someone endure before it breaks them completely.
Godspeed and farewell, my little darlings…at least for now.
Spread your wings out wide and soar above the skies, fly free bathed in love, embraced by the light. One day we’ll meet again, somewhere where time ceases to exist.
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Filed under: Animals Requiring Adoption or Homes - Worldwide, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, SHELTER - Information, The "Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) ALLIANCE | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 5, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dear Mark,
He’s magnificent. This week the Center for Biological Diversity and our partners at Conservation CATalyst released video footage of El Jefe, the only known wild jaguar in the United States. It’s the first publicly released footage of this amazing cat — and it’s stunning.
But this cat is also under serious threat.
Ever since El Jefe was discovered in southern Arizona in 2011, the Center has been fighting to provide him and any other jaguars that might arrive with protected habitat vital for their survival. In 2014 we secured more than 750,000 acres of federally protected critical habitat for jaguar recovery in Arizona and New Mexico. But powerful mining interests want to construct a massive copper mine right in the middle of El Jefe’s home range, and we need your help to stop them.
You can support the Center’s work to protect El Jefe from development that will destroy his home with a gift to the Center’s work today.
Jaguars once roamed from Louisiana to California, but were wiped out in the United States in the past century. The last female was killed in Arizona in 1963, but since then male jaguars such as El Jefe have periodically dispersed north from Mexico to claim new territories in the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona, where jaguars lived for thousands of years. We hope that El Jefe — named after the Center organized a voting contest among Tucson schoolkids and others — will be a pathfinder for the return of jaguars across their historic range. But this will never happen if El Jefe is killed or driven back across the border by the massive Rosemont copper mine project, which seeks to build a huge open pit and bury thousands of acres of public land with toxic mine waste in the heart of his habitat. This project will cut off the most viable corridor for jaguars to return to America.
That’s why we need your help. We’re watching out for El Jefe and taking on the Rosemont mine — we have a plan to stop this disaster before it happens.
The Center is headquartered in Tucson, and we’re all thrilled that the only known wild jaguar in America is in our backyard. But we’ve got to protect his home and save space for other jaguars to come. You can help by making a contribution today to the Center’s crucial work.
For El Jefe,
Kierán Suckling
Executive Director
Center for Biological Diversity
@KieranSuckling
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Posted on February 5, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Poachers Shoot and Kill Do-Gooder Pilot Who Was Trying to Save Elephants
As activists mourn the loss of one of their own, they remain committed to protecting Tanzania’s wildlife.
Samantha Cowan is an associate editor and helms TakePart’s weekend coverage.
Although poachers present a deadly threat to African elephants, they can be just as dangerous for the conservationists attempting to stop them.
British pilot Roger Gower was fatally shot while trying to track down poachers in the Maswa Game Reserve in Tanzania on Friday, The Associated Press reports. The 37-year-old worked as an accountant before earning his pilot’s license in 2004, according to the BBC. Coworker Pratik Patel described him as “a great guy, a great friend, a great pilot” who loved his job.
Working with Texas-based organization the Friedkin Conservation Fund, Gower was on a joint mission with Tanzanian authorities when a group of poachers fired on his helicopter from the ground with AK-47s. His copilot was injured but survived.
“This tragic event again highlights the appalling risk and cost of protecting Tanzania’s wildlife,” Dan Friedkin, chairman of the Friedkin Conservation Fund, said in a statement. “We are profoundly saddened by the loss of our dear friend.”
Tanzanian officials have arrested three suspects in Gower’s death. “The suspects are in the hands of police,” said Jumanne Maghembe, Tanzania’s natural resources and tourism minister, according to The Guardian. “They are cooperating, and soon more people making up the poaching gang will be netted and brought to justice.”
Park rangers also discovered the carcasses of three elephants that were killed by the same group of poachers, according to the AP.
Demand for ivory in foreign markets such as China has caused the African elephant population to drop dramatically, from 3 million to 5 million elephants populating the continent in the early 1900s to less than 500,000 today. Tanzania has lost more than half its elephant population in just five years, declining from 110,000 elephants in 2009 to fewer than 44,000 elephants in 2014, according to a government survey.
Conservationists fear that if poaching rates are not curbed, African elephants could become extinct within the next 20 years.
While elephants are vital to maintaining local ecosystems, killing off the species would also cause African economies to suffer. Both a decline in the likelihood of catching a glimpse of the remaining elephants and safety concerns prevent tourists from making the trip to Tanzania and other African countries. Tanzanian officials estimate that poaching will cost Africa 3.8 million jobs over the next 10 years if it continues at current rates.
As Gower’s family and friends mourn the loss of the conservationist, the Friedkin Conservation Fund continues its efforts to protecting Tanzania’s wildlife.
“We are committed to honoring Roger and his work,” Friedkin said. “We believe that Roger can best be honored by redoubling our commitment to protect elephants and our priceless wildlife heritage.”
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 4, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
The World’s Largest Hunting Club Is Auctioning the Chance to Kill Hundreds of Animals
More than 20,000 hunters are expected to attend Safari Club International’s convention in Las Vegas this week.
Taylor Hill is an associate editor at TakePart covering environment and wildlife.
Bio
The world’s largest trophy hunting organization, Safari Club International, is hosting its annual convention in Las Vegas this week, where more than 20,000 big game hunters are expected to bid on the chance to kill an animal.
It’s dubbed the “Ultimate Hunters’ Market,” and this year the club is auctioning off 300 hunts taking place in 32 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North and South America. Bidders can sign up for the chance to kill African elephants, Australian water buffalo, and Alaskan bears.
It doesn’t help the club’s image that Cecil the lion’s killer, Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer, is a member. The club suspended Palmer after questions about the legality of the hunt—in which Zimbabwe’s most famous lion was lured out of a protected area and killed—arose. The club appears to have reinstated Palmer after Zimbabwe authorities only brought charges against his guide, according to the Humane Society.
“These conventions bring to light that most trophy hunters are in fact American,” said Teresa Telecky, director of the wildlife department for Humane Society International, during a press conference Wednesday.
More than 1.2 million animal trophies were imported into the U.S. between 2005 and 2014. That’s an average of 126,000 trophies a year, according to data the Humane Society obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Thirty-two thousand of those trophies came from Africa’s “Big Five” hunts; the five animals targeted are the African lion, the elephant, the cape buffalo, the rhino, and the leopard. Telecky said hunting clubs award special prizes for members who kill all five.
“It’s like a hit list, and the club honors those award winners at these conventions,” she said.
The trophy killings don’t stop with Africa. The Humane Society’s report, Cecil 2: Trophy Hunting America’s Lion, details the toll hunters take on American mountain lions, also known as cougars, pumas, or panthers.
Trophy hunters killed 29,000 mountain lions in the United States between 2005 and 2014.
The top five deadliest states for the big cats are Idaho (4,833 killed), Montana (4,047), Colorado (3,414), Utah (3,200), and Arizona (2,893).
Bradley Bergstrom, professor of biology at Valdosta State University in Georgia, said state and federal wildlife agencies claim that recreational hunting of mountain lions, wolves, and other predators is necessary to manage the species and protect livestock and elk herds.
“But those arguments don’t square with recent science on the issue,” Bergstrom said. “Carnivores, especially wolves, are self-regulating. Of course they’re going to affect overpopulated deer and elk pops when they are reestablished in an area, but once they are established, they control their own population growth by their own density; their population is limited by inter-pack aggression.”
Josphat Ngonyo Kisui, executive director for the African Network for Animal Welfare, said another argument clubs make is that trophy hunting funds conservation efforts through permit fees.
“But instead of relying on those trophy hunting profits, countries need to realize the income potential from wildlife ecotourism,” Kisui said. “In South Africa, $9.2 billion—approximately 2.6 percent of the country’s GDP—was generated by wildlife watching, almost 14 times more than trophy hunting. The best way to save a species is to ensure that the animals stay alive.”
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, HUNTING - Primarily UK and Germany | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 3, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Check out the following response from Turtle Island Restoration Network in relation to our recent post re shark protection petition – our original link is shown here:
LATEST NEWS –
Dear Mark,
Together, we just won a big victory for sharks and rays!
On Monday, Costa Rica officially announced it would support the listing of all proposed shark and ray species at an important international conservation meeting being held in Costa Rica later this month.
I personally want to thank every one of you that signed our petition asking Costa Rica to take a strong position. Our almost 5,000 voices united together helped make a difference.
The announcement came after the Ministry of Environment sided with us and not with the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute who vehemently oppose shark protections.
2016 is going to be a pivotal year for the protection of sharks leading up to the CITES meeting in South Africa in the fall where critical decisions will be made.
Thank you for helping protect the sharks!
Peter Fugazzotto
Strategic Programs Director
Turtle Island Restoration Network
PS – Even though Costa Rica will be supporting the listings, a number of other countries will need to vote in favor at the meeting this month. Please make a donation today so we can advocate on behalf of sharks and rays in the upcoming days.
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere ! | Leave a comment »
Posted on February 3, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Vegan Recipe Club February Valentine Special!
The Viva! Vegan Recipe Club newsletter is back and we have some exciting new sections which will guarantee that there is something there for everyone. Alongside our usual recipes, we introduce our new Guest Chef Recipe and Viva!Health sections alongside regular news about our Viva! campaigning activities. We have a double whammy of culinary delights to tempt you with this month as we welcome both Valentine’s Day and Pancake Day! Wondering how to show your love on Valentine’s Day? Well, we don’t want to over-promise and under-deliver but if you follow our Goddess Chocolate Heart recipe, you will be sure to make your partner or friend feel special and end your evening on the sweetest of notes! Then of course, there is Pancake Day to follow so we want to share a lovely egg-free pancake recipe with a healthy filling, ideal for kids and adults alike. February also seems an opportune time to introduce the lovers section on our Viva! site. This is packed with all you need to know about giving your love life a boost as a veggie, from foods that make you feel good, to getting in shape and boosting your energy levels! Valentine Vegan Fact: veggie food is full of natural aphrodisiacs that will have your love life sizzling, including asparagus, almonds, avocados and bananas.
Guest Chef Recipe
CHEF – Rachana Sequoia
RECIPE – Raw Chocolate Goddess Love Hearts
Each month we are now going to showcase an inspiring and talented chef who inspires us with mouthwatering vegan recipes. To launch the section we introduce Rachana Sequoia.
Rachel has embraced a no meat diet since she was 12 years old.
Her mission is simple, to inspire people to make changes in the way we eat for our health, our happiness and our planet! These little nibbles of divine gorgeousness are so easy to make for yourself or your beloved on Valentines Day or any other day. The superfood raw cacao will boost your love vibes and put a huge smile on your faces, giving you a lovely burst of energy. Cacao is known as the food for the Love Generation of which, dear Viva! friends, you are fully fledged members! Serves: approx 20 Chocolate hearts | approx 50 minutes for a batch Ingredients: 100g cacao butter (melted) 10g coconut oil (melted) 70g cacao powder 30g lucuma powder 50g maple syrup or agave syrup A pinch sea/rock salt ½ tsp cacao nibs Dried raspberries A pinch of pink rose petals ½ teaspoon mucuna – bliss herb
Method:
Melt the chopped up cacao butter and the coconut oil in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water (also called a bain-marie). Add sweetener and all powdered ingredients.
Crumble up the dried raspberries and rose petals and sprinkle a little in each of the moulds.
Spoon in just ¼ teaspoon of the liquid raw chocolate into each mould to cover over the raspberries/rose petals and keep them visible as pretty decoration.
Pop in fridge for 10 minutes to set. Then fill moulds to the top with the remaining chocolate mixture.
Set in the fridge for 30 minutes… then it’s over to you, sweetness, to spread the LOVE!
ALL KITTED OUT Saucepan Chocolate mould Measuring spoon Mixing bowl Ladle Thanks to Rachana Sequoia from Juiciful for the Goddess Lovehearts. To order your selection of gourmet vegan chocolates, find amazing vegan recipes and check out her workshops in raw vegan food get in touch www.juiciful.co.uk
Pancake Day Gorgeous pancakes without an egg in sight.
Here’s our fool proof recipe – with nice serving suggestions. Serves: approximately 8 medium pancakes | Time: 20 minutes for a batch This basic pancake batter is very versatile. If you want thicker pancakes – American or Scotch style – just reduce the liquid a little. Try using 120ml each of plant milk and water instead of 175ml. It is easier to make something too thick and thin it down rather than the other way round!
Ingredients:
175ml/6fl oz soya milk
175ml/6fl oz water
175g/6oz plain flour, sieved – we like to use half fine wholemeal and white but they work with all white or all wholemeal too! If you’ve only got self-raising flour, no problem – just halve the baking powder.
2 tbsp chickpea flour, sieved – also known as gram or besan flour. Don’t skip the sieving, it’s really hard to get the lumps out otherwise!
1 tsp baking powder, sieved
1 tbsp plain vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
Additional oil for frying – or low-cal spray if using non-stick pan
Note • Gluten-free flour and baking powder works in this recipe (rest of the ingredients are already g/f) • Chickpea (gram or besan) flour is widely available from bigger branches of most supermarkets; ethnic shops like Indian grocers; health food shops. It’s pretty cheap! ‘Elephant’ is one brand to look out for.
Serving Suggestions
Strawberries and cashew nut cream
Raspberry, chocolate and sprinkled almonds
Syrup: golden, agave, date or maple
Coconut palm sugar and lemon juice
Fresh fruit with syrup as above – e.g. banana, strawberries, blueberries…
Fresh fruit with chocolate sauce – click here for an easy vegan choc sauce recipe, or use a vegan chocolate spread such as Plamil Alternative To Milk or Essential Trading’s Dark Chocolate Spread
Vegan ice cream
ALL KITTED OUT Scales Measuring spoons Measuring jug Sieve Whisk or stick blender Mixing bowl Non-stick frying pan Ladle Thin spatula/fish slice, eg silicone Method:
Place all of the ingredients, except the oil for frying, in a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively whisk by hand until there are no lumps.
Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan until piping hot. Drain off any excess (or use low-cal spray, as above).
Pour enough of the batter mixture in to the frying pan to thinly cover the bottom. Fry on one side for about a minute. Loosen the edges with a spatula and flip. Fry the flip side for another minute or until done.
Remove from pan and keep warm in the oven on its lowest setting.
Add more oil/spray to the pan if and when necessary. Repeat steps 3 to 6 until all of the mixture is used up. Serve with your chosen accompaniments.
Viva! News
This is the first phase of our new directory which showcases places to eat and stay, shops, producers, events and discounts – and we have loads of exciting features still to come. We want the Viva! Vegan Directory to be user-led, so we need you to get involved to make this THE place to go for all things veggie & vegan. You can share the vegan love by adding a listing or review to My Vegan Town.
You can submit a listing for a veg-friendly place to eat, sleep or shop. You can even add a listing for ethical events, services and like-minded local groups. It’s super easy and completed in just six steps. Tell the world where to get the best vegan cheese or post a few snaps of that delish vegan burger served at your local café – we want it all! And if you’re a business, you can add your own listing!
We hope that My Vegan Town will be the perfect travelling companion for your animal-friendly adventures and we’d love to have your feedback at this stage. Click on the links to get there! Or if you can’t find your cherished veg-friendly thing, get in touch!
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
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