Posted on February 5, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
The following is a repeat of an article in the latest OIPA newsletter relating to the Coronavirus. For pictures, please click on the link given at the end.
THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK AND ANIMAL WELFARE IN CHINA
With the escalation of the coronavirus, China banned the transport and sale of wild animals, prohibiting trading to markets, supermarkets, restaurants and online platforms. It is believed that the source of the infection is the wild animal section of the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, which is known for selling live animals and slaughtering them on the spot. Here hygiene levels are extremely poor: wild and domesticated animals, along with their urine, feces, and bodily fluids, come in contact with sales clerks and customers, with the animals being butchered on the floor, blood splashing everywhere and flies feasting on the carcasses. To date, there are very few laws in China that protect animals from abuse and mistreatment but, hopefully, with the growing number of activists, especially among young people, along with increasing knowledge about health hazards, there will be more consideration regarding animal welfare in the near future.
The coronavirus infection has already spread across half a dozen nations, including Thailand, Japan, Australia, France, Canada and the United States, causing over 420 deaths and the lockdown of at least 13 Chinese cities.
Scientist have confirmed that the disease, as 70% of human pathogens, has been transmitted from an animal. It is believed that the source of the infection is the wild animal section of the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, in China, which is well known for selling unusual live animals and slaughtering them on the spot. Among these, wolf pups, scorpions, squirrels, porcupines, turtles, crocodiles, monkeys, dogs, cats and other live animals are sold for human consumption. These type of markets are common across China, Vietnam and other areas of south-eastern Asia, and are called “wet-markets” because of the large quantities of water that are used to slop the floors. Here, sanitations standards hardly exist and hygiene levels are extremely poor: wild and domesticated animals, along with their urine, faeces, and bodily fluids, come in contact with sales clerks and customers, with the animals being butchered on the floor, blood splashing everywhere and flies feasting on the carcasses. This is the ideal place for contamination to occur and for virus and bacteria to spread. It seems that the outbreak of both the avian flu and SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome) originated in these wet markets as a consequence of keeping live animals.
The consumption of wild animal meat is common and considered a luxury in China, especially among the older generations. Moreover, wild and exotic animals and their parts are still used in traditional medicine to cure ailments or as aphrodisiacs. It is part of the Chinese culture, although consumers do not seem to be aware of the public health treat, especially when it is impossible to know the provenience of the animals and, therefore, to be sure if they are free of disease.
After the SARS outbreak in 2003, which killed over 750 people, there was a temporary ban on the wild animal markets. Experts feel like the Chinese government should then have learned that diseases can easily spread from animals to humans in markets where wild, farmed and domestic animals are clumped together in unhygienic conditions, but the ban was withdrawn. With the escalation of the coronavirus, China again banned the transport and sale of wild animals, prohibiting trading to markets, supermarkets, restaurants and online platforms. Unfortunately, the ban will only be in force until the epidemic will be eliminated across the country, leading to think that wildlife trade will be allowed again, as it did after the SARS crisis.
This is a vicious circle: the permanent ban on the sale of wildlife, in China and in other countries, is necessary to reduce the risk of new viruses to emerge, potentially even more dangerous than the past ones.
To date, there are very few laws in China that protect animals from abuse and mistreatment, although there is growing awareness regarding the concepts of animal welfare in some contexts, such as in research and in zoos. Livestock farming has incredibly increased in recent years and China is now one of the world’s main producer of animal-sourced food, but there is no requirement for humane slaughter. Half of the global pig population and over 60% of farmed fish comes from this country. About 10,000 Asiatic black bears are kept it tiny cages for bile production and other animals, including endangered species, are exploited so their parts can be used for traditional medicine. China is also the biggest producer of fur, which has shocking farming and skinning practices.
Animal cruelty is not a punishable offence in China and it also threatens people’s health and the ecosystem. The political environment does not seem interested in protecting animals, but, hopefully, with the growing number of activists, especially among young people, along with increasing knowledge about health hazards, there will be more consideration regarding animal welfare in the near future.
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Posted on February 5, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Good news, friends!
Enjoying hiking in the beautiful areas Sauerland, Siegerland und Bergisches Land in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany.
Unfortunately tons of hunting towers destroy the nice view.
Therefore but only for the liberation of all forest animals, these have to disappear.
It’s always good to carry your bushcraft tools with you.
And…you all!! watch out for the traps for the forest animals too.
They still exist, they are illegal and medieval, they also have to disappear!
Thanks, ALF!!
My best regards to all, Venus
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Posted on February 5, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Germany 2020
These recordings are no exception they come from a typical German pig breeding. The video was shot by the ARIWA organization.
Animals are treated like objects.
The pig mothers are always locked up.
In metal cages or in agonizing, barren concrete bays
They can never take care of their children
The newborn piglets are sorted into mutant mothers, mutilated and killed
In the animal industry, only the “product” counts, not the living, unique living being
Live vegan and campaign for an end to animal production.
Excerpts from this video are reported on February 3 in the television program SPIEGEL.TV , Germany, which is actually a very popular program.
And I mean...In the middle of Europe, in a country where the Animal Welfare Act is enshrined in the Basic Law such crimes are still legal !! Legal!
And our humorous animal welfare law says: “Nobody should cause pain, suffering or damage to an animal without a reasonable reason.”
The meat and milk mafia have invented and even legalized their reasonable reasons for decades: because it’s so cheap, because the politicians are behind our backs, and because we can make good money from animal suffering.
And last but not least because the consumer wants it that way: Cheap.
The EU’s silence about “end the cage age” is gradually becoming very suspect.
What do we actually expect from the EU?
The EU is the biggest agricultural lobby, we know it.
The farmers in Germany protest against the anesthetic during piglet castration, the farmers are jointly responsible for groundwater contamination, for insect death and antibiotic resistance.
Farmers find it completely ok to put pigs in cages for 4 months, in which they cannot turn around, mothers take away their children, kill excess piglets and if they have exploited cows enough, they let them kill the last money close.
They keep thousands of animals in stalls, densely crowded, with no activity or daylight.
The animals stand on slatted floors in their own shit, which then accumulates as manure, and poisons the environment.
The Agriculture Minister of Germany thinks it is OK if all of this is extended for 17 years.
And the EU also thinks it’s OK.
Only 1.5 EU citizens do not find it ok.
But luckily we live in a “democracy” where animals are tortured because an oligarchy defines the “reasonable” reasons for it.
My best regards to all, Venus
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Posted on February 5, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Hi Mark – Greenpeace activists have just shut down BP’s headquarters in central London, after delivering 500 solar panels to the new CEO.
They’re here to “welcome” in BP’s new CEO, and show him what he needs to do to tackle the climate emergency: switch BP to 100% renewable energy – or shut the company down! It’s the only way we can get out of this crisis.
Can you help drive this urgent message home to BP’s new CEO? BP really care about their public image, so the bigger we can make this on social media, the more pressure the new CEO will feel.
Around the world, the climate emergency is wreaking havoc on people’s lives. Burning fossil fuels like oil and gas has got us into this mess. And every day, BP are making the crisis worse.
BP already have more fossil fuels on their books than we can afford to burn if we’re to avoid total climate breakdown. But unbelievably, BP are planning to spend $71 billion digging up new oil and gas on top of that. [1]
If BP continue down this path, it will push the climate even closer to breaking point – and that means more frequent and even more severe climate fires and floods. BP must immediately stop digging for new oil and gas and go 100% renewable! Can you help get that message to BP’s new CEO?
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Posted on February 5, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Here is a link to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture:
At the top left you can read in either German or English – just select.
On the site it tells us that:
Animal welfare is enshrined as a State goal in the German Basic Law and regulated in the Animal Welfare Act. Under the latter, animal keepers are obliged, in order to promote the welfare of their animals, to comply with the applicable regulations.
Animal welfare is an important issue for the BMEL. The ministry works on developing the existing regulations to support animal welfare. Other examples of ways in which the BMEL promotes animal welfare include sup-porting research projects, investments in livestock husbandry systems that conform to animal welfare principles, and the development of alternatives to animal testing. The ministry also supports and promotes better animal welfare standards – including for animal transportation – at EU and international level.
Why then we ask are they attempting to downgrade the methods for keeping intensive pigs ?
You can decide this.
If you wish to write to the Ministry about their pig keeping proposals, or anything else, then write directly to them at:
poststelle@bmel.bund.de
Regards WAV – 5/2/20.
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Posted on February 4, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dear all;
Here is an update on the situation relating to the German pig issue.
Please see our recent past posts:
Over the last few days (early February) we have collaborated with our good friends at Compassion In World Farming (UK) – https://www.ciwf.org.uk/ and also established very promising links with contacts at CIWF Italia (Italy) – https://www.ciwf.it/ to further actions on this issue. CIWF UK are currently running the campaign to End the Cage Age right across Europe. Please read more and see video footage at – https://www.ciwf.org.uk/our-campaigns/end-the-cage-age/
And so on the (German) subject of extending the pig boxes for 17 years:
As Venus has rightly written in communications today:
It is a first-class crime that these metal prisons are still allowed in a country like Germany, which – at least in theory – has anchored ‘animal welfare’ as a state goal in the Basic Law.
In the previous version of the Animal Welfare / Animal Husbandry Ordinance (1), Section 5 determines Section 24 (4)…is clear:
(Pig) Box stands must be designed so that:
– the pigs cannot injure themselves and
– Each pig can stand free, lie down and stretch its head and side members.
A total of three courts have already ruled that the sows must lie down in the crate and that the limbs must be able to stretch out on their side. Anytime and unhindered.
The legal regulation was so clear that the Magdeburg Administrative Court, the Higher Administrative Court of the State of Saxony-Anhalt and the Federal Administrative Court expressly approved this in the years 2014 to 2016.
Now the Federal Government, together with Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU), wants to delete this part of the regulation, which provides that the sows in the crates may at least stretch their limbs and their heads in a lying position. Only in this way (by deletion) she can legalize her decision to keep these cages for another 15/17 years.
The German Minister’s proposal is really dangerous for different reasons:
– It would legalise the suffering of millions of German sows in narrow stalls for the next 15-17 years and to do that it would set a precedent, i.e. worsen existing legislation by deleting the national legislation paragraph saying that sows should stretch their legs. A very dangerous precedent, which could then be repeated on other issues.
– It could undermine ECI asks as Germany will soon hold the presidency of the EU.
As an EU ‘civilised’ nation; should Germany be attempting at all costs to improve its animal welfare, rather than taking steps back; as this proposal would ? – How are nations in the Far East expected to improve their welfare when Germany adopts this kind of negative stance ?
That’s what it’s about here.
The Federal Council should have voted on this (practically unlawful) extension on December 2, 2019 (i.e. approval would allow the crates for another 17 years).
The decision was postponed to February 14 2020, because we (in the animal welfare movement) protested and blessed Klöckner with petitions and demos and war over the Internet.
The decision of February 14th will be binding. How sad that this is the same date (14/2) when you should show love and respect – Valentines Day.
Many groups and citizens from all over the EU, and also other nations, are trying to make their voices heard about this very important issue before, and on 14th February.
In view of the 27th of January 2020, (a session of the German Agri Committee) the 27th was a ‘non-public one’ and little has been revealed after it.
What we know so far:
-
The Agri Committee seems to have made many amendments to the draft sow bill but has still approved it (it could have rejected it)
-
IMPORTANT Positive – But it also seems that the Land Sachsen Anhalt managed to have an ‘amendment’ approved which basically says that sows should be able to stretch their legs during the phase-out period!
-
Phase out period for sow stalls should have been shortened from 17 to 10 years- for farrowing crates no change.
So, point 2. Above (the Amendment) could potentially mean the end of the Minister’s proposal. Since the whole construction of her new regulation was based on making current sow stalls legal. And this can be done only by deleting the paragraph mentioning leg-stretching. The submitted Proposal changes this and says that sows should be able to stretch their legs during the phase-out period
It is getting legal and becoming a strong fight by both pro animal welfare advocates; and also the government who wish change. With the Point 2 issue above we (in the welfare movement) are hopeful of a positive end result; but actions will continue to the end. For the pigs, regardless of the result; their confinement will not end. – the ‘Eternal Treblinka’ policy.
CIWF and its partners from the ECI and Eurogroup coalitions will participate in a protest on the 14th in front of the Bundesrat, an action being coordinated by friends at Four Paws – https://www.four-paws.org/campaigns-topics/topics/farm-animals . They are also exploring additional actions.
So; whoever you are and wherever you are, if you want to help get part justice for the caged pigs then search the web and try to take part in written or physical protests. There is one final chance on 14/2 and it needs to be in the favour of the pigs that are suffering enough now as it is, let alone with this changed legislation.
Please keep up the fight and be a voice until then at least – there is very little time left.
Regards Mark, Venus (WAV) – Annamaria, Philip and all the crew at CIWF (UK and Italy).
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Posted on February 3, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
According to the UN, around 15,000 children under the age of five die every day.
According to a report by Unicef, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank, 5.6 million children died last year.
These children who die of hunger are practically murdered.
From whom?
From those who finance the dirty business of factory farming, from the Carnivores.
Because the countries of Third World sell their grain harves (500,000 tons per year) to the West, they feed the cattle of the Rich World, while their own children die of hunger in their parents’ arms.
15,000 children die every day. It’s about daily mass murder.
But nobody cares. All follow the media propaganda of the coronavirus!
The WHO is now calling for an international emergency because of 364 people who died of coronavirus in China!!!
The humanity is infested with the conscience – virus, but we have not yet found a remedy.
What a hideous animal is the human being!
My best regards to all, Venus
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Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 