Posted on September 17, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
++ SUCCESS +++
The Chamber of Deputies in the Czech Parliament votes for a ban on dressage and a ban on the appearance of wild animals in circuses.
The house has just passed the end of wild animal abuse in circuses!
The ban has yet to be voted on in the House of Representatives and signed by the President, but the hardest part has already been done.
We congratulate the animal rights organization Svoboda zvířat on this success, which PETA is promoting as part of the Year of Change 2019/20. their project dealt explicitly with the ban on wild animals. ❤
PETA Germany
And I mean…Yes, such news brings joy to our everyday life.
In the meantime, 26 EU countries have already banned or at least restricted the keeping of wild animals in traveling circuses.
We in Germany are still begging for a wild animal-free circus. Without success!
You can’t say we didn’t care, no! On the contrary – for many, many years now, numerous animal welfare organizations, private individuals, and political parties in Germany have been campaigning for such a ban to be passed here in Germany too.
But despite the long struggle, the demos, petitions … Germany obviously finds cruelty to animals in the circus as a sign of civilization.
Posted on September 17, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Market access for Taiwanese duck eggs spells disaster for animal welfare
14 September 2020
Photo – ‘We Animals’, Taiwan.
In December 2018, Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration asked the European Commission to be allowed to export Taiwanese processed egg products, including duck egg products, to the EU. The application is still pending, but with the sector witnessing a move towards battery cages, Taiwanese NGOs are campaigning to raise awareness on what would be a serious step back, not only for animal welfare but also for public health.
The situation emphasises the urgent need for more stringent market access provisions in the EU, not only to prevent EU progress on animal welfare being undermined by imported products, but also to better promote higher animal welfare in third countries.
Under existing legislation, the EU does not impose any animal welfare criteria to imported eggs and egg products. While the EU has banned the use of battery cages for laying hens for more than a decade, this method of production can still be used by producers exporting to the European market, and by EU producers of other kinds of eggs.
The case of Taiwan’s duck eggs is interesting as this is an industry that used to rely almost entirely on cage-free systems. Unfortunately, the sector has not been spared by the trend of intensification and an increasing number of water-loving ducks in Taiwan – around 20% of the 2.16 million laying ducks – are now kept in tiny barren cages, away from the water which is so essential to maintain their health, regulate their body temperature, and keep their plumage in good conditions.
Investigations in Taiwan have revealed ducks with wounded feet caused by the dry conditions and rusty wire floors, and animals exhibiting abnormal stereotypic behaviors resulting from life in a cage. According to the Environmental and Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST), who launched a domestic campaign on this issue, the mortality rate of ducks kept in conventional cages is two to five times higher than that of ducks kept in cage-free systems equipped with water troughs and nesting boxes, illustrating the inadequacy of cage systems.
Such intensification has also an impact on public health. The recent COVID-19 pandemic, while having emerged from wildlife, has put the spotlight on zoonosis and on the risks related to intensive farming. Intensively farmed poultry are most notable for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the recurrence of which is due to interaction between animals with a compromised immune system and wild animals potentially carrying low pathogenic viruses.
Over the past decade, Taiwan has faced many occurrences of HPAI, and has previously been unable to timely report the outbreaks and to address them transparently. It is often argued by the poultry sector that avian influenza is mainly spread by wild birds. However, the viruses carried by wild birds are usually of low pathogenicity and it is only when these viruses reach overcrowded sheds that they can evolve into a more dangerous form of avian influenza (1).
Humans can be contaminated by zoonotic influenza, whether they originate from birds or pigs. The previous pandemic, the H1N1 outbreak in Mexico, killed between 151,00 and 575,000 people worldwide, 80% of which were under 65 year old. It is thus important to favour systems that will be more resilient to such diseases, and the European Commission should consider this aspect when assessing Taiwan’s bid to export duck egg products into the EU.
A record-breaking 1.5 million EU citizens have called for a ban on cages in the EU, demonstrating the strength of public opinion on this issue.
As the EU considers moves to strengthen domestic regulations, it should not repeat past mistakes by leaving the door open to low-welfare imports. Any ban on cages should thus become a requirement for those exporting to the EU, including Taiwanese duck egg producers.
With the review of animal welfare legislation foreseen in the EU Farm-to-Fork strategy, the external dimension of our rules cannot remain overlooked. As the European Commission concluded itself, imposing EU standards to imported goods (as with the slaughter regulation) is the EU’s best tool to promote higher welfare abroad.
(1) Nickbakhsh, S. et al., 2016, Modelling the impact of co-circulating low pathogenic avian influenza viruses on epidemics of highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry, Epidemics, 17:27-34
Posted on September 17, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Activists protest against intensive fish farming conditions in Italy
17 September 2020
Essere Animali
On board of a motorised boat, activists from our Italian member Essere Animali reached a fish farm in the province of La Spezia, Italy. Arriving near the cages in the sea where hundreds of thousands of fish are confined, they unrolled a banner to protest against the poor living conditions of these animals, destined for the large-scale distribution market.
“Caged in the open sea – “FishToo need to be protected” reads the thirty square meter banner captured by the drone that the activists used for the shooting. The fish farm where the protest took place, is specialised in the breeding of sea bass and sea bream, and has about thirty cages located along the coast of the Ligurian province. The fish spend around 16 to 22 months for the fattening process in these cramped cages in the sea until they reach the commercial weight of 300 to 500g.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/fxwEqRVg3bg?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eurogroupforanimals.org “Crammed into cages, tanks, or ponds, these animals live in conditions that do not allow them to express their natural behaviour. Their life is of deprivation, spent in unhealthy environments with very high densities where they are often fed with antibiotics to contain the inevitable spread of viruses and bacteria”, says Brenda Ferretti, Outreach Manager of Essere Animali. “Furthermore, compared to terrestrial animals, fish raised for food spend much more time on the farm, and at the time of the killing, they are victims of atrocious suffering. But fish are also sentient beings, capable of feeling fear and pain, and therefore worthy of being defended and protected”.
Essere Animali underlines the urgent need for a change in the critical conditions which fish are enduring in the aquaculture industry, the food sector with the highest growth rate in recent decades. According to the new FAO report “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” (SOFIA), aquaculture production now represents 52% of fish destined for human consumption. This means that half of the fish that reaches consumers’ tables comes from fish farms, where the predominant production model is industrial and intensive.
“Although fish are the animals raised in the greatest number in the food industry, they are also the least protected by national and EU legislation. This, combined with harmful breeding practices, such as the absence of effective stunning procedures which could reduce their suffering at the time of slaughter, pushes up to stand up for the protection of these animals”, continues Brenda Ferretti.
In this problematic context, the role of large-scale distribution is decisive. In fact, according to the Italian Institute of Services for the Agricultural Food Market (ISMEA), about 80% of purchases of fresh fish and processed fish products in Italy take place in modern distribution outlets. With its purchasing power, large-scale distribution can encourage farming practices that are more respectful of the life of the fish raised in their fish supply chains, binding its suppliers to adhere to stricter production standards. As part of their campaign #AncheiPesci (“#FishToo”), Essere Animali is, therefore, collecting signatures for a petition calling for better welfare conditions for farmed fish.
“Crammed into cages, tanks, or ponds, these animals live in conditions that do not allow them to express their natural behaviour. Their life is of deprivation, spent in unhealthy environments with very high densities where they are often fed with antibiotics to contain the inevitable spread of viruses and bacteria”, says Brenda Ferretti, Outreach Manager of Essere Animali. “Furthermore, compared to terrestrial animals, fish raised for food spend much more time on the farm, and at the time of the killing, they are victims of atrocious suffering. But fish are also sentient beings, capable of feeling fear and pain, and therefore worthy of being defended and protected”.
Essere Animali underlines the urgent need for a change in the critical conditions which fish are enduring in the aquaculture industry, the food sector with the highest growth rate in recent decades. According to the new FAO report “The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” (SOFIA), aquaculture production now represents 52% of fish destined for human consumption. This means that half of the fish that reaches consumers’ tables comes from fish farms, where the predominant production model is industrial and intensive.
“Although fish are the animals raised in the greatest number in the food industry, they are also the least protected by national and EU legislation. This, combined with harmful breeding practices, such as the absence of effective stunning procedures which could reduce their suffering at the time of slaughter, pushes up to stand up for the protection of these animals”, continues Brenda Ferretti.
In this problematic context, the role of large-scale distribution is decisive. In fact, according to the Italian Institute of Services for the Agricultural Food Market (ISMEA), about 80% of purchases of fresh fish and processed fish products in Italy take place in modern distribution outlets. With its purchasing power, large-scale distribution can encourage farming practices that are more respectful of the life of the fish raised in their fish supply chains, binding its suppliers to adhere to stricter production standards. As part of their campaign #AncheiPesci (“#FishToo”), Essere Animali is, therefore, collecting signatures for a petition calling for better welfare conditions for farmed fish.
I have campaigned for, and spoken in defence of, all the worlds animals exported live for over 30 years. Part of my campaign ‘patch’ was at Dover in Kent, which is my personal home county.
Until recently; the Dover Member of Parliament (MP) was one named Charlie Eliphicke. Over many years of campaigning against live exports (from Dover); protestors were constantly informed that ‘Charlie’ was against the trade and fully supported them. Never once was he observed at the docks supporting the protests, or supporting written documentation (evidence) being presented to either the EU or ‘his’ Political Party, the Conservatives.
Yesterday, 15th September 2020, Charlie Elphicke was sentenced to 2 years in prison for ‘sexual assaults on women’. The Judge at the case, one Mrs Justice Whipple; told Elphicke he was a “sexual predator who used his success and respectability as a cover”.
It is not for me to stand here and put Charlie Elphicke down; I have better things to do; nor do I in the least support his alleged actions in any way – quite the opposite; but what (allegedly) happened is an issue that I don’t want to get involved with. The abuse of females is wrong – simple as that; whatever guise it takes.
For me, personally and more importantly, is the fact that CE was sentenced to 2 years for the ‘assault on women’. That to me this is disgusting enough, but with all that has happened here I consider the envelope should be pushed a little wider.
‘An assault on women’.
From of many searches today, I find that under ‘the system’, ‘A woman’ is identified as an adult femalehuman.
Fine; no problems there, but then what about all the other ‘women’; females of this planet ?
There are ‘women bovines’; and they are called Cows once they have had offspring. A heifer is a female that has not yet had any young. A cow is a mature female bovine that has had at least one calf.
There are women porcines’, Female pigs, called sows, give birth to offspring twice a year to a litter of around 12 young. The baby pigs are called piglets. Prior to having any young, the female pig is usually known as a ‘gilt’. At birth, piglets weigh around 2.5 lbs. Wild pigs can give birth to six for 14 piglets at a time.
For ‘women’ sheep, or ‘Ovines’, an adult female is referred to as a ewe. She gives birth to lambs.
For ‘women’ Hens, younger females are known as pullets, although in the egg-laying industry, a pullet becomes a hen when she begins to lay eggs.
The female / male list of animal types is endless. If you’d like to find out the correct male and female names for these animals and many more, then check the list below
‘Women’ animals are abused by respective industries that farm them continually. Most humans; those of the non animal advocate kind; accept this as part of the system. I ask the question; why can a male human abuse females and get sent to prison for 2 years; and yet tens of thousands / millions of ‘women’ animals suffer much greater abuses, and yet their perpetrators appear to get away with the abuses all the time because they are accepted by most in human society as being the ‘norm’.
Until society realises that ‘women’ animals are sentient beings; just like humans; and they love and cherish their offspring, if even allowed to for more than a few hours; then human society will make little progress. The abusers will remain as the abusers and the women animals that suffer as a result will continue to suffer for all mankind.
2 years for fondling a human woman.
Continual Insemination of a ‘woman cow’ – Using the flexibility of your wrist, twist and bend the cervix until you feel the second ring slide over the gun tip. Push the plunger slowly so that drops of semen fall directly into the uterine body. When the insemination gun is more than 1” through the cervix, all the semen will be deposited in only one horn. ACCEPTED.
Seems that some abuse is not accepted in the human world; you can go to jail; and yet daily animal abuse is accepted in the human world everywhere without question. Why ?
Learn more about more ‘female mums’ – the stray dogs and cats of Serbia – from our other site; ‘Serbian Animals Voice’ (SAV):
Posted on September 17, 2020 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
The Board of Appeal of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recently published two decisions on animal testing for cosmetics.
It stipulates that ingredients that are used exclusively for cosmetics may still be tested on animals under the REACH regulation. (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals)
In fact, animal testing for cosmetic ingredients has been banned since the EU Cosmetics Regulation came into force in 2013 – and thus the current decisions represent an absolute misinterpretation of the law, as they enable manufacturers and regulatory authorities to effectively ignore the ban.
What does all this mean for animals and what can we do about it?
The following will happen to the animals:
As a direct result of the decisions, over 5,500 rats, rabbits, and fish are used in new experiments.
Some of them are given a cosmetic ingredient repeatedly during pregnancy.
The animals themselves and their offspring are then killed and dissected.
In addition, the decisions open the door to further animal testing, as hundreds of new cosmetic products come onto the market every year, the ingredients of which may then have to be tested on animals within the framework of REACH – at the expense of tens of thousands of animals.
Nevertheless, ECHA, the EU Commission, and now also the ECHA Board of Appeal misinterpret the law and undermine the bans.
For the animals, this means further senseless suffering in animal experiments for cosmetics.
And I mean…Animal experiments are so popular because you can use them to prove or disprove whatever you want.
Depending on the client, completely different results can emerge from the same question.
Even after the EU Commission officially banned animal testing for cosmetics in 2013, the pharmaceutical mafia tried to continue its evil business with animal testing.
With the argument: many ingredients from cosmetics are omitted in the sector of chemical substances that, according to the law, have to be tested on animals.
It is well known-and terrifying- that ECHAis animal test friendly, although it has the legal mandate to allow animal experiments ONLY as a last resort.
They did not act in this way in any area, on the contrary: they often demanded more animal experiments from the industry, did not accept data, and hindered the work of animal rights activists.
In addition: what consumers may not know ( because it is deliberately kept a secret) is that even cosmetics companies that manufacture their products in Europe without animal testing, as soon as they want to sell in China or Korea, have to test the same products on animals.
This is what the law of these countries prescribes.
But we are not powerless.
We have a lot of information today, and thanks to the Internet, we can quickly access important information and thus make the right decisions.
A boycott of animal experiments is currently only possible in the cosmetics sector, and we have to take advantage of that.
Therefore: Only support these companies that work without animal testing and manufacture their products with vegan ingredients.
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 