EU: Some Good News Regarding Long Distance Live Animal Transport – and Other Things !

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

We (in Europe) have had what appears to be some promising progress regarding live animal transport.

I am especially happy with this news as lstopping long distance transport for live animals has been my major campaign work for the last 23 years or so !

Mark – Founder SAV.

Photos: V. Cameron / Bill – KAALE (Uk).

Below – The ‘Joline’ operated by Dutchman J. Onderwater.

Below – Livestock transporters arrive at Ramsgate (England) for Livestock Shipment to Mainland Europe.

Above – Dutch haulier.  Below – Irish haulier.

Above – Hans Snel – Dutch haulier.

Above – The ‘Dodgy Roof regular’, but not acted on by the Authorities !

————————————————————

Link below – This is the Uk Government’s view on the Commission’s proposals on live transport – this was discussed at a recent Ag Council (where the Dutch were the only country objecting to the proposals).   For our non European friends; the Dutch are the largest animal transporters in Europe, as our work in the Uk for years has shown.  So it comes as no surprise to us that the Dutch would be a nation that objects to the new proposals – the only nation to object. 

 ukgovviewtransport

Interestingly the Uk, whilst supporting the Commission’s proposals on enforcement; have put in for better protection (ie journey times) for calves and horses.  Council agreement is due soon on this so we will have to wait to see what the final Presidency and Council conclusions are.

Calves are still exported from the Uk to mainland Europe, on a vessel (the ‘Joline’) operated by a Dutchman convicted and found guilty in a Uk court of no less than 6 animal welfare offences involving the transport of live farm animals.

Also, some great news from our friends at Compassion In World farming here in the Uk.  It reads:

Dear Mark,

The worst footage we have ever seen.

Last week, Compassion made the difficult decision to release some extremely disturbing footage of horrendous animal suffering at slaughterhouses and in transport. It reveals some of the worst animal cruelty that Compassion has ever seen.

Thousands of you responded to our urgent call for action and immediately put pressure on the OIE, who are responsible for international guidelines on transport and slaughter. Thank you to everyone who spoke out.

Our next step is to meet face-to-face with international policymakers who have the power to end such appalling practices. And, as a result of sharing the footage, we have now secured meetings with representatives of not just the OIE, but also the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, The World Bank and The European Commission.

By bringing these major bodies together we have a real chance to protect farm animals at the most vulnerable times of their life – such as during transport and at slaughter. Thank you again to everyone who helped us get to this position.

Recently it was reported that Creek Projects, a British company based in Cambridgeshire, had invested millions of pounds in a new foie gras facility in China where over 15 million geese were to be intensively farmed over a five-year period.

Following prompt action from Compassion and our friends at the Humane Society, we are delighted to report that operations at the foie gras factory farm have now been suspended. We will remain vigilant to ensure that this project does not rear its ugly head again – but in the meantime millions of animals are being saved from the horrifying force-feeding synonymous with foie gras production.

Ramsgate (Kent, England Exports) update. See photos Above – all from Ramsgate.

You can visit the website of the organisation which SAV founder Mark is also involved with – Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE); by visiting the KAALE website at  www.kaale.org.uk  – here you will find all the reports oof live farm animal shipments from the Kent port of ramsgate, Uk, to mainland Europe, as operated by convicted operator Mr. Onderwater of the Netherlands.

CIWF say:

Thank you to everyone who came along to the rally in Ramsgate on 20 May to mark the first anniversary of live animal exports through the town’s port. It was a very sad yet motivating day. Inspiring speeches were made by our own Director of Public Affairs, Dil Peeling, the RSPCA, and Thanet District Councillors – and it was wonderful to see so many people joining together to speak out against these cruel journeys.

And we have some good news in the EU campaign for an 8-hour limit on journey times for animals, which could effectively outlaw most live exports. Following the European Parliament’s endorsement of an 8-hour journey limit, EU Commissioner John Dalli agreed that Regulation 1/2005 is not sufficient to guarantee an acceptable level of welfare for animals during transport.

He announced that the Commission will propose a review of EU legislation that will include – among other things – a reduction of transport times. Now, the challenge is to make sure Commissioner Dalli sticks to his word and the review stays on track.

And finally, Positive news for pigs

Thank you so much to everyone who took our latest Project Pig action. You are helping to ensure that, when the EU sow stall ban comes into force on 1 January 2013, millions of pigs will no longer be forced to spend months on end in a cage.

As I write, 11 EU nations are still at risk of violating the ban, and we will not rest in our efforts to persuade farmers and politicians to implement this vital legislation. But the good news is that, with your support, Project Pig is making real progress.

When figures were first released, just seven nations expected to comply with the ban on time. Now, the EU Commission believes sixteen are set to be ready.

CIWF = http://www.ciwf.org.uk/

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering) | Leave a comment »

USA: Agriculture Gag Laws Are Violating Press Freedom In The US.

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Source:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/06/agriculture-gag-laws-press-freedom

Uk Major daily press article – Wednesday 6 June 2012

Agriculture gag laws are violating press freedom in the US

Measures to penalise investigative reporters who expose conditions in industrial agriculture are a threat to democracy.

Big companies have pushed legislators to pass laws limiting the freedom to report on conditions at livestock facilities including slaughterhouses. Photograph: Christian Charisius/Reuters

Multiple states have passed what are known as “ag gag laws”, designed to penalise investigative reporters who explore conditions on industrial agriculture operations. Many of these laws focus specifically on livestock, in the wake of numerous exposés on the abuses of livestock in industrial agriculture. These laws are a significant threat to the freedom of the press, and it’s rather remarkable that they are being allowed to stand. More than that, they threaten the health and safety of consumers, in addition to making it difficult and sometimes impossible for consumers to make educated choices about the sources of their food.

The US should be in an uproar about ag gag laws, and it’s not. That’s a telling reflection of attitudes about agriculture, and illustrates the lack of interest among many people in the US about journalism and how it functions, and the purpose of investigative journalism in particular. Attempts to raise awareness about the issue are often met with indifference; they are not as interesting and seductive as celebrity scandals, evidently, even though they are far more scandalous, and impact people’s lives more immediately and directly.

It should come as no surprise to learn that the source of the pressure behind ag gag laws is, of course, industrial agriculture. Big companies have pushed legislators heavily to pass laws limiting the freedom to report on conditions at livestock facilities, including ranches, feedlots, and slaughterhouses. With the benefit of lobbyists, they can exert pressure directly in the halls of the legislature, as well as doing so indirectly by contributing to the electoral process and deciding who gets elected. In states like Iowa, you have to be agriculture-friendly to get elected, and if you want a chance at beating the competition, you’d better be willing to toe the line on industrial agriculture so you’ll get the needed support.

Several techniques are used in ag gag laws in an attempt to restrict the ability to report on livestock operations. One option has been quite direct, with an attempt to ban the distribution of photos and videos taken on farms without consent of the owner. These attempts have been smacked down on the grounds that they violate first amendment rights. Taking a new angle, lobbyists have pushed for legislation that makes lying on job applications related to agricultural work a criminal offense. A journalist taking an undercover job, in other words, could be convicted of a crime.

Many people are not aware of the entirely legal animal abuse in industrial agriculture, which is one thing journalists can expose; treatment that appears horrific, wrong, and abusive is actually quite legal in many states. In other cases, journalists can expose abuses that actually are illegal, spurring both public outrage and investigation. These kinds of exposés are important, because people should know about the source of their food, and they should be aware of the high price they pay for cheap meat.

It’s not just about animal welfare. Industrial agriculture also trashes the environment, something that should be of grave concern even to people who aren’t concerned about the health and wellbeing of animals raised for food. Industrial farms contribute to air, water, and soil pollution, consume vast volumes of water, and destroy soil biology and animal habitat, because the goal is to produce as much food as possible as quickly as possible. In this setting, environmental health is not a significant concern; but investigative journalism could force action on the subject, pressuring legislators to clamp down on environmental protection and force industrial agriculture to clean up its act.

Furthermore, worker abuses are also a significant concern in industrial agriculture. Slaughterhouses are some of the most dangerous working environments in the US, and they are staffed predominantly by immigrants, documented and undocumented, making the minimum wage or close to it. The work is hard and fast, which means that people are prone to injury, and in a high-speed production line, there is limited time to address workplace injuries. Severe disabilities are not uncommon, and in the case of undocumented workers, there are few resources when it comes to dealing with disability and seeking compensation when such injuries are clearly the result of dangerous working conditions.

This is why investigative journalism is important: because it brings these kinds of abuses to light and confronts consumers with information about the facts behind their food. Journalists in a wide range of industries and environments spend months or years on research, often from the inside, to prepare stories intended to spark comment, discussion, and change. Ag gag laws are only one example of an attempt to limit the ability to report freely on pressing social issues, and they should be a subject of anger and horror in the population at large. Lobbyists are attempting to limit access to information, and they are doing so by limiting the abilities of journalists to do their jobs.

The anger about exposés is well-founded; consumers are usually horrified when they see images and video from livestock facilities, as well they should be. Dead and dying animals packed close together in unhealthy, dangerous conditions, some with open sores and other obvious health problems. Animals treated casually and abusively by staff members who need to work fast, and cannot afford compassion or gentleness. Horrific conditions in slaughterhouses, where terrified animals are rushed through the production line and subjected to utterly inhumane and dangerous conditions. Workers who are tired, working through overtime, obviously ill, and at high risk of injury.

That the reaction to exposés is to silence journalists, rather than addressing the poor conditions, is an inevitable consequence of capitalism. It is more cost effective to shut off the stories, rather to fix the problem, and legislators are evidently happy to go along with this plan, passing ag gag laws to ensure silence about the continued abuse of farm animals. Consumers, in turn, tolerate this because they have no idea about the nature of the news they can’t see.

Previous SAV Ag Gag posts:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/usa-ag-gag-laws-now-starting-to-be-passed-a-dangerous-thing-for-animals-and-for-the-american-public/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/usa-mercy-for-animals-hidden-camera-footage-leads-to-arrest-and-criminal-charges-in-california-this-is-what-ag-gag-in-other-states-is-attempting-to-prevent-who-is-the-real-criminal/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/austraila-usa-live-export-latest-news-and-ag-gag-from-the-usa/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/spain-no-ag-gag-in-europe-and-so-the-manager-of-el-escobar-pig-farm-is-arrested/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/usa-it-is-turkeys-pecking-each-other-and-themselves-and-if-you-dont-believe-me-then-you-are-a-terrorist/

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »

Serbia: 06/12: The Stara Planina Campaign Moves On Again With Further EU Commission Involvement.

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

June 2012.

The last few weeks have been busy for everyone involved with the ‘Save Stara Planina’ campaign.

Serbian environmentalists / AR campaigners have now obtained further evidence which shows that some of the construction work undertaken at Stara Planina was in breach of existing legislation.

There is also concerns about the way in which existing environmental legislation, in the form of ‘Article 35’ of serbian law, is being changed to reflect allowances to environmental conditions which environmentalists (and us) consider is due to pressure from the construction industry.

Please click on the following link to obtain a full overview of our concerns:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/serbia-stara-planina-update-june-2012/ 

And so in addition to this it has been necessary to make further contact with the EU Commission (both for the Environment and also for EU Enlargement) to express ourr concerns over what is happening.

Mark; SAV founder has written on 10/06/12 to the EU; providing up to date information, and also links to past SAV work which we have undertaken with serbian enviironmentalists.

A copy of Mark’s most recent letter (10 June) to the EU can be read by clicking on the following link:

 SAV Version EU Commission Letter

SAV have provided serbian campaigners with full EU Commission contact details, and they will also be making written contact with the EU in the coming week.

We need to expose what excatly is happening to the EU, especially as Serbia is a potential future EU member state – hence us providing data to the Enlargement Commission – the section which associates with future new EU membership.

We have asked the EU Commission to investigate the situation further and report back to us.

We will provide further updates to events as and when we have a response from the EU Commission.

 

 

 

 

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »

Ukraine: EURO 2012 – The Animal Killings Continue – All In the Name of ‘Football’.

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01jk4vr/Panorama_Euro_2012_Stadiums_of_Hate/

The EU has been ignored.  The EU shows absolutely no interest in the animal abuse of actual EU countries like Greece and Romania, they are only concerned with farm animals and they dont do a very good job of that either.

Please send a letter to the Ukrainian embassies worldwide via the following. 

Use the flags in the following link to find the details of your ‘local’ Ukranian embassy:   http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-of/ukraine#

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Sir / Madam,

The requests of the EU to stop stray dog killings has been ignored by the Ukraine authorities, and the slaughtering is still going on at the moment.

I found last week a Russian forum where they are asking for Russians to go into the Ukraine to finish the job off of “cleaning the streets” and being paid. 

This is a new undercover video of the situation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT05XhOX5TQ

‘The People’ (Uk) newspaper did a follow up on this massacre last month in April:

http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2012/04/29/ukraine-caught-out-again-over-euro-2012-dog-slaughter-102039-23840991/

and also the ‘Sun’ newspaper (Uk) did another report last month (May) :

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4296093/Pamela-Anderson-to-Euro-2012-football-chief-Michel-Platini-stop-the-dogs-slaughter.html

Today I received the following message from a Ukraine animal activist, she has translated it into English after each paragraph as well, and you can see is desperate that nobody is listening:

“Вчера мне позвонила мама и рассказала шокирующую просто новость. Постараюсь не писать эмоционально, факты – вчера у нас в Виннице на Пирогова УБИЛИ 5 собак. 5 сучек, стерилизованных, живущих там уже долго, их все любили, все кормили, жили они на автостоянке, никогда никого не укусили, и вот вчера им дали куриное мясо, после которого все пять собак умерли в страшных мучениях, захлебываясь пеной…….

My mother called me yesterday and told shoсking news. I’ll try to tell you about it without emotions – only facts. Some people killed 5 dogs in Vinnitsa. 5 dogs who were sterile and not aggressive – they lived on a parking and everybody loved them and feeded. So yesterday someone gave them poisoned meat and these five dogs died in terrifying torment.

Я прошу всех, кто прочитает мой пост, скопировать его себе. Комментировать, отправить его куда-то в сообщества по защите животных, так как я В ШОКЕ. Я даже не знаю, что еще писать. Мне страшно, мне мерзко и смешно.. Страшно, потому что теперь и я хожу по городу и боюсь увидеть умирающую в судорогах собаку. Мерзко – потому что я от всей души, как только можно, желаю такой же мучительной смерти тем, кто убил этих собак. А смешно – потому что Украина лезет в Европу. Чистит улицы, убивая собак, сжигая их в передвижных крематориях, травя, а Европа в это же время в ужасе – пишет петиции, собирает подписи против зверств, происходящих на Украине. Наша страна, как всегда, старается угодить всем, кто приедет развлечься на Евро-2012 и уедет, а на собственных граждан, на детей и всех, кто видит эти кошмары, как всегда, плевать. И, если и укусила бы собака какого-то туриста, его-то вылечат – у них медстраховки есть у всех, бесплатно вылечат. А нам что делать? Наблюдая такое в наших городах?

I ask everybody who are reading my post to copy it, comment it, send it to animal protection organizations. I am shocked. I don’t even have an idea what to write, ‘cause I’m scared and… I find it funny. I’m scared because walking in my city I’m afraid of seeing a dog who is dying. I feel myself nastily because I wish people who killed dogs the same painful death. And I find it funny because Ukraine tries to be European country. Our streets are clean, there are now more dogs on the streets, because all of them were poisoned or burnt in mobile crematoriums. At the same time European people write petitions against the atrocities happening in Ukraine. Our authorities, as usual, try to please everybody who came to Euro-2012. But our authorities don’t care about Ukrainian citizens who observe this cruelty.

Я ненавижу этих мразей. У меня нет слов, мне только что, пока писала всё, что выше, сказали, что и две собаки, которых я кормила раньше всегда возле своей работы, тоже исчезли. Я ждала их неделю, а сейчас написал друг и сказал их больше не ждать……

Я ПРОШУ. Всех, кто может как-то помочь, всех, кто может куда-то написать – в газету, в общество, неважно – прошу, помогите остановить это! Я не прошу не отстреливать бешеных собак, как в Киеве, которые бросаются на людей, я прошу, умоляю всех, кто меня слышит – помогите защитить тех, кто ни в чем не виноват, разве что в том, что когда-то его предка какой-то скот, вроде тех, которые умерщвляют здоровых котов только потому, что они им надоели, выбросил на улицу надоевшего питомца. Люди, мы же сами в этом виноваты, так за что вы УБИВАЕТЕ их сейчас?.. Для кого?. Почему не хвастаетесь перед Европой питомниками, а пытаетесь в нее пролезть, тогда как ВЕСЬ МИР  в ужасе от того, что У НАС  происходит?

I hate these cruds. While I was writing all this words above my friend told me that two dogs that I feeded near my office disappeared. I ask everyone who can help to stop it – please, write to a newspaper or animal protect organization. I don’t ask not to shoot aggressive dogs who are dangerous (like in Kiev) – I just want to protect those who are not nasty and guilty. All their problem is that once it’s parent was thrown out of home by a cruel person. We are guilty in it, so why we kill animals now? What for?.. Why don’t we display shelters for European public?

We try to be a part of Europe while all the world is terrified by the facts of cruelty happening in our country.

Мне стыдно, что я украинка, мне стыдно, что я одной национальности с этими извергами, с этими уродами, с этими скотами.. Мои собаки ждали меня каждый день…. и теперь, из-за того, что мы ждем гостей, больше никто не буде встречать меня, лизать руки, прыгать вокруг, тянуть за рукава и ластится…
I am ashamed that I’m Ukrainian. I don’t want to share my nationality with the beasts who kill animals. My dogs were waiting for me every day… and now because of Euro and tourists nobody will meet me, lick my hands, jump around and fawn…

Всем прочитавшим — помогите остановить этот кошмар. Собаки ни в чем не виноваты, их выкинули на улицы люди — те, которые сейчас так возмущаются большим количеством бездомных животных.

The dogs are not guilty.
They were thrown out be people who cut up rough by great amount of homeless animals now.

Помогите нашим мохнатым братьям. Так как сами мы, похоже, не справляемся, как бы не старались..

Help our brothers. Because we, Ukrainians, are not able to do it ourselves, although we try very hard”

I therefore request that you immediately stop the killing of all stray dogs in the Ukraine.

Your racist attitude has not done your nation any good so far; and the killing of stray dogs only deminishes your reputation further.

I am appalled by your approach to animals; you will never be welcome as a modern EU nation.

Name and nationality.

 

END of Sample Letter

———————————————————————————– 

Dear Ms Shalkivska,
 
Thank you for your prompt response to my email.  I apologise for the fact that my email to you was quite  short and not much detail, but then I was not expecting any reply from the Ukraine authorities, so have been concentrating on more detailed information going to the various international media.    I am very sorry to read that you are not aware of what is happening in the Ukraine with regard to the animals.  Evidently there has not been a lot of publicity in the U.S.A. or you are not kept informed of current events in your country. I imagine the main concern has been the documentaries and reports about the racism on-going in the Ukraine and Poland and so the animals, as usual, take a back seat.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01jk4vr/Panorama_Euro_2012_Stadiums_of_Hate/
 
Many reports, videos, photos and petitions have been distributed around the internet now for months ever since the purchase of the  “infamous furnace” to destroy the animals was known and still the Ukraine authorities have ignored all the protests made to them.  I will post just a few of the links below but there are too many to post all of them.
 
There are many organisations who are aware of the massacre of the animals, including PETA and PETA.Deutchland have even produced badges 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zZXN389vFx0. 
 
Germany, France, Hungary have responded very well with posters and organising protests.  We are all supporting the animal activists in the Ukraine, even the Russians are protesting and have shown news clips on Russia Today TV news.
 
There is no running away from the fact that this is going on so no proof is needed.
 
There was even a Russian forum where they were recently asking for Russians to go into the Ukraine to finish the job off of “cleaning the streets” and being paid.   You need to scroll down under countries, click on UKRAINE, and then the top topic  “Comrades!  Need Help with Euro-2012”  http://vredy.org/
 
 
This is a recent video
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT05XhOX5TQ
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhUzdso7How
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAKSsQw3O2Q&feature=relmfu
 
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Stop_the_killing_of_cats_and_dogs_in_Ukraine_for_the_EURO_2012/?fhFCEab&pv=5
 
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/campaign.faces?siteId=3&campaign=UkraineStrayAnimals
 
http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-killing-of-dogs-and-cats-for-the-european-football-championship
 
http://www.people.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2012/04/29/ukraine-caught-out-again-over-euro-2012-dog-slaughter-102039-23840991/
 
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4296093/Pamela-Anderson-to-Euro-2012-football-chief-Michel-Platini-stop-the-dogs-slaughter.html
 
http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/article.php/id-44952445:em-i-fodbold-har-kostet-9000-hunde-livet.html?forside&ss
 
http://www.occupyforanimals.org/ukraine-the-european-football-championship-and-the-mass-murders-of-stray-animals.html
 
http://stopkillingdogs.eu/ http://www.wahro.org/
 
http://www.piaberrend.org/ukraine-mass-killings-of-strays-are-intensified-in-order-to-show-the-world-a-clean-country-at-eu/
 
Please let me know if you would like any more information,
 
Yours sincerely,
Elaine C.
 
 
 
—– Original Message —–
From: Tatiana Shalkivska
To:   Elaine C
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 9:09 PM
Subject: Re: Ukraine Animal Massacre

Dear Ms.Cole,

This is Tatiana Shalkivska, Press Officer at the Embassy of Ukraine to the U.S.

Yes, I am proud of my country.
And if something goes wrong in my country I and my compatriots should know
about it so that we could fix it.

In this regard, thank you for your message and the images.

The only thing is in Ukraine we do not use the plates shown on the vehicle in the first image.

My assumption is the picture was not taken in Ukraine.
Ms.Cole, I will appreciate if you could let us know where you got this picture from.
Also, why do you believe the first two pictures were taken in Ukraine? Any proofs?

Best regards,
Tatiana

 
On Wed, Jun 6, 2012 at 12:55 PM, Emb USA <embus@ukremb.com> wrote:
 
—– Original Message —–
From:  Elaine C
To: postmaster@ribbon.kiev.ua ; press@menr.gov.ua ; hotline@mfa.gov.ua ; elena@mincult.gov.ua ; press@mincult.gov.ua ; ministry@mon.gov.ua ; press@mon.gov.ua ; yar@menr.gov.ua ; post@dcssm.gov.ua ; press_msms@ukr.net ; themis@minjust.gov.ua ; cos@pol03.gts.lg.ua ; pcgz@gu.kiev.ua ; gc_usc@mfa.gov.ua ; gc_usn@mfa.gov.ua ; consulate@UkraineSF.com ; amboffice@ukremb.com ; emb_us@mfa.gov.ua ; emb_gb@mfa.gov.ua ; gc_sc@mfa.gov.ua ; edinburgh@consulateukr.co.uk
Cc: chefred@taz.de ; explosiv@rtl.de ; info@bild.t-online.de ; info@center.tv ; info@zdf.de ; mail@vox.de ; news@rtl.de ; nachtjournal@rtl.de ; post@express.de ; Punkt12@rtl.de ; Redaktion.extra@rtl.de ; redaktion@jungewelt.de ; redaktion@wdr.de ; userpost@taz.de ; zuschauerredaktion@rtl.de ; zured@daserste.de ; zuschauerservice.n24@n24.de ; redaktion@radiokoeln.de ; redaktion@koelner.de ; online@welt.de
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2012 12:44 PM
Subject: Ukraine Animal Massacre

Sirs,
 
I hope you are feeling very proud of your country.  The whole World is watching now and has seen on YouTube and Facebook, the terrible videos of the dogs being thrown into the furnace, being poisoned and clubbed to death.  “Cleaning” the streets of the Ukraine in the name of football!!
 
Now we see the official Government vehicle used in the killing of thousands of dogs in Vinnutsja watched by witnesses!

 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZESdvfLGKo
 
WARNING Hard Images !!!

It is 3 o’clock in the morning, Andrea comes back from a case where once again a dog has been poisoned. He is very tired because it is getting more and more difficult to find vets who will treat the strays even though they have …no costs. (notice: the dog’s mouth has been tied closed to protect itself not to be cruel because the dog is in agony!!)Part 2: you can hear and see how much this dog is suffering. Andrea reports that the dog has had an infusion and they hope he will survive. He provides the costs of course. Then everything changes, the vet says she cannot keep the dog there because it is a stray and has no papers and therefore has no right to be in a clinic!! At 2 o’clock in the morning. Andrea reports there was an argument between the volunteers and the vet – he is going to officially report the incident!!! Anyway the animal welfarists have to take the poor suffering dog with them. Unfortunately at this hour they can’t find a clinic which will take over this case, so they spend the night with the dog in the car, hoping that the clinic will take over the treatment in the morning and that the dog survives the ordeal. Andrea, who is pretty exhausted, finishes the video and says it would be a terrible blow if strays can no longer be treated because they have no papers and therefore no rights.
Please support WAHRO and the work of volunteers and don´t forget the local animal shelters.

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, VIDEOS | Leave a comment »

France: Stop The Bullfight (and Possible Horse Deaths) At Istres – 15-17 June.

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

A horse is disembowled as a result of bull contact in the bullring – another death.

 Contact e mail:  dgs@istres.fr
 
Courrier / Téléphone :
Mairie d’Istres, 5 rue Abel Aubrun, CS
13808 Istres cedex.

Téléphone : 04 42 55 50 00 – Télécopie : 04 42 55 50 53

Office de Tourisme,
30 allées Jean Jaurès 13800 Istres.
Tel 04 42 81 76 00
Fax : 04 42 55 38 96
Name + Country
 
 
A BAS LA CORRIDA !! HONTE A VOUS !!!
ISTRES va MASSACRER 24 taureaux les 15, 16 & 17 juin et le 5 août !

 

 

 

 

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering) | Leave a comment »

Ukraine: EURO 2012 Dog and Cat Killings – New Video Footage; And Please Support Campaigners With A Donation If You Are Able – Thank You.

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

 

WARNING Hard Images !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZESdvfLGKo   
 
It is 3 o’clock in the morning, Andrea comes back from a case where once again a dog has been poisoned.

He is very tired because it is getting more and more difficult to find vets who will treat the strays even though they have …no costs. (notice: the dog’s mouth has been tied closed to protect itself not to be cruel because the dog is in agony!!)

Part 2: you can hear and see how much this dog is suffering. Andrea reports that the dog has had an infusion and they hope he will survive. He provides the costs of course.

Then everything changes, the vet says she cannot keep the dog there because it is a stray and has no papers and therefore has no right to be in a clinic!! At 2 o’clock in the morning. Andrea reports there was an argument between the volunteers and the vet – he is going to officially report the incident!!!

Anyway the animal welfarists have to take the poor suffering dog with them.

Unfortunately at this hour they can’t find a clinic which will take over this case, so they spend the night with the dog in the car, hoping that the clinic will take over the treatment in the morning and that the dog survives the ordeal.

Andrea, who is pretty exhausted, finishes the video and says it would be a terrible blow if strays can no longer be treated because they have no papers and therefore no rights.

Please support WAHRO and the work of volunteers and don´t forget the local animal shelters.

YOU can help too! Help Andrea and the volunteers Donate via Paypal:

http://tinyurl.com/Wahro-Paypal or via bank transfer:

Raiffeisenbank
Account Nr.: 103119, Bank Code: 34390
IBAN: AT57 3439 0000 0010 3119, SWIFT-BIC: RZOOAT2L390

Thank you very much

Thank you – Dankeschön Catena M. Stop Killing Dogs Translateteam

 —————————————————————————————————————

A Ukraine woman has been organising protests within the Ukraine, which
includes Germany, France and Hungary
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairplay-beginnt-vor-dem-Stadion-Boykott-EM-2012/138511769588402

  https://www.facebook.com/events/457591554256187/?ref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/events/113664798745077/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aufruf-zum-Boykott-gegen-den-Hundemord-zur-EM-2012-in-der-Ukraine/186593338092548

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), VIDEOS | Leave a comment »

Serbia: ** Save ‘Stara Planina’ Update ** – June 2012. Serbian Environmental Protection Legislation Has Been Changed Twice In The Last Few Years, Simply To Satisfy The Requirement of Investors, Or At The Personal Request Of Companies – Here Are The Real Facts !

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

As can be seen from all the previous SAV links provided at the end of this news, we have been helping Serbian campaigners / environmentalists to be active with the campaign to save Stara Planina from environmental destruction for quite a while now.  For them this campaign has been one of over four years.  Please look at the individual links to witness how a beautiful area full of flora and fauna is being systematically destroyed – lost forever – there are many, many photographs; please take your time to witness the environmental destruction that is happening – approved and with the full approval of the Serbian government.

31/05/12 – The following report arrived at SAV within the last few days from Serbian environmental campaigners.  We are reproducing the report in full, with no editorials apart from additional bolding and underling of text in areas which we consider are especially important.

We have given our information in the past (November 2011) regarding Stara Planina to both the EU Commission for the Environment – Commissioner Janez Potocnik, and also to the EU Commission for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy – Commissioner Stefan Fule.

Copies of both the response provided to us by the EU, and also that provided to the EU (Nicholas Hanley) by the Serbian Ministry of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning are provided below:

Below – the two page response to the EU by the Serbian Ministry of Environment, Mining

and Spatial Planning

 

Below – the two page response by the EU to SAV regarding the issue of Stara Planina:

We question the comments made by Assistant Minister Pokimica in his letter to the EU (first above), where it is declared:

“the Ministry of Environment, Mining and Spatial Planning pays special attention to this sensitive and very important issue for our country, in particular since it affects both, the status of biodiversity and ecosystems and sustainable economic development of the entire country.  Furthermore, the Government of Serbia reconfirmed the tremendous values of protected areas in recently adopted national strategy for Biodiversity Conservation and also in the new law of Nature protection which is harmonized with relevant EU legislation in this field”.

From the latest information provided to us from environmental campaigners (and reproduced below), it would appear that the policy of the Serbian government is to actually ensure that the Article 35 which has been used for environmental protection in the past, and which has now been modified twice in the last 3 years, has been amended specifically for the benefit of investors, at the personal request of companies which have already made illegal constructions previously on protected natural areas (Stara Planina, Kopaonik, Golija etc…), and in forbidden areas, breaching the laws on the Environment, Planning and Construction.

One could argue that this is hardly reconfirming the alleged government policy of “the tremendous values of protected areas”.

Please review the latest report from the Serbian environmentalists / campaigners and make your own views on the situation.

We have been to the EU about this issue before, and we will now be going back to the EU regarding this latest report from environmental campaigners in Serbia.  Further, we will be in contact with Green MEPs making them fully aware of this current situation from a government which declares it is “harmonized with relevant EU legislation in this field”.

Maybe the actual reality is that Serbian ministries wish to change the laws and get illegal constructions under way PRIOR to becoming an EU member state – a case of doing the damage now before we are prevented from being allowed to do it in the future !

There is a lot associated with this current situation, and we will be providing further information very soon in associated posts on this site.

SAV.

———————————————————–

Here is a copy of some of the data we have been provided with by Serbian environmentalists. 

This is an un-edited copy of the information provided.

————-

Dear Mark,

As we have promised, if we receive new proof of the breach of laws, during the construction of the mega ski centre in the Park of Nature “Stara Planina”, such an information, we shall immediately forward to the EU, relevant Commission, Mr. Nicholas Hanley, Mr. Janez Potochnik and Mr. Barosso.

Since our Ministry for the Environment, Mr. Nebojsa Pokimica, assistant to the Minister Dulić sent a report to the EU Comission, to Mr. Hanley that there was no breach of laws during the construction of the mega ski centre on Stara Planina, we acquired different information and in our view, consider it necessary to inform the truth to the EU Commission and Mr. Hanley. 

At the end of last year, we were in doubt and filed a complaint on the 21st of November, 2011, to the relevant government officials about the construction of the hotel on Jabučko Ravnište, construction of the gondola and ski lift with four seats to “Babin Zub” which are under construction and last winter in function. Relevant to this and for the construction of the partition on the Debesticka River on Stara Planina, and making the artificial accumulation for the needs of artificial snow, we filed a complaint (in Attachment).
 
On the 20th of December, 2011, we sent an urgent request to:  Inspection of the Environment, Construction Inspection, and Urban Inspection of the Ministry for the Environment, Minining and Spatial Planning. In Belgrade, as officially they must act since these are their fields of responsibility.

On the 27th of December, 2011, we sent our request for the information of Public Importance, ie. copies of our log/notes on the behaviour of the Inspections.

Only on the 10th of April 2012 have we received only a partial answer on the issue brought by the Construction Inspection for the removal of the objects of the four-seat lift and gondola, as they have been constructed without lawful construction agreement.

For the hotel on Jabučko Ravnište, we have received no reply and we suspect that it has been constructed also unlawfully.

We question the legality of this hotel, as no evaluation of its impact on the environment has been analysed (as officially required ba law in Serbia) and further more, there was no infrastructure, electricity, water etc. necessary by Serbian Law (at least on paper), necessary for the construction of such an object in a protected area as is the Park of Nature “Stara Planina”.

The construction of this hotel and mega ski centre was paid out of the budget of Serbia, Public Company “Ski Resorts Serbia”, which with the money of Serbian tax payers together with the violation of laws, built and destroyed the officially protected natural site. Only the hotel on Jabucko Ravniste was constructed with an amount of about 35.000.000 EUR!!!!

We requested by official means on the 27th of December, 2012, copies of reports-agenda on the activities of the Construction Inspectors, but as we have not yet obtained them, we spent a lot of time waiting for this information.

Now we send part of the information received from the Ministry, proving that our suspicion on the legality of this construction is really illegal.
 

Due to the fact that we have not received the information, we filed a complaint to the Office for Information of Public Importance and we must now wait. This Office is burdened by many files including those from citizens, and we wait when the Office will act and force the Ministry to forward us this information.
 
As a supplement, we send the translated text forwarded by an official person from the Ministry  of Environment, Mining and Spatial planning, Belgrade, responsible for handing out information of public concern, Radmila Padežanin, via email.
 
What we wish to point out to the EU Commission is the fact that the Law for the Protection of Nature from the year 2009, (Official Gazette RS No 36/2009) has been changed already twice, for the requirement of investors, on personal request or companies, which already made illegal constructions previously on protected natural areas (Stara Planina, Kopaonik, Golija etc…), forbidden areas, breaching the laws on the Environment, Planning and Construction etc. 

For the first time, the Law on Nature Protection has been changed, amendments to the Law (Official Gazette RS No 88/2010) the Article 35 has been changed concerned with the regime of protection in the already protected areas. With this, various activities have now been allowed in the II and III degree of protected areas, previously not allowed by laws in 2009, Gazette 36/2009. 

By these new by-laws, all illegal actions have been actually legalized and the investors have spare time to apply and legalaize their activities.

As a supplement we send the disputable Article 35 of the Law on Nature Protection (“Official Gazette RS” No 36/2009 and 88/2010) which by changes and amendments of the Law in 2010, severely degraded and reduced the protection in the already lawfully protected natural areas.

Formulations used to express all that is allowed but restricted, without specifying to whom and how, opens the door to corruption and invites to the further destruction of protected natural sites. 

By changing and amending the Law of Nature Protection, (“Official Gazette RS” No 88/2010), according to Article 35, in the areas designated as the II degree of protection, it is not forbidden ie. one may dam waterways, create hydro accumulations for various purposes, meloration, construction of hydroelectric plants, construction of tourist capacities-hotels, construction of ski lifts, construction of tourist, traffic, energy, communal and other infrastructure. construction of housing objects, fishponds, agricultural farms, farms for breeding domestic and wild animals, hunting, fishing, collecting mushrooms, other plant and animal species, explotation of rock, clay and other natural raw materials, the formation of forest and agricultural monocultures, application of chemicals and introduction of alochton species.

According to the same Article 35, in areas designated as degree III of protection, it is not forbidden to construct industrial and energy projects, asphalt bases, tourist capacities and ski resorts, infrastructure objects, warehouses  for industrial goods and building materials, holiday houses, exploitation and processing of raw minerals, forming areas for processing garbage, construction of habitation areas and the widening of construction areas, hunting, fishing, formation of agricultural and forestry monocultures, application of chemical compounds etc.
All this additionally legalizes the current state in protected natural areas, which in the meantime, various individuals and companies did and built illegally and for years destroyed these natural areas.

There is no protected natural site in Serbia that has not been destroyed in these ways, which were legalized by Law in 2010.

More than 90% of the protected areas in Serbia are now in the categories II and III.

It is a fact that in Serbia only 6% of the territory is protected as natural heritages; aiming at saving the biological and environmental diversity and general natural heritage and that these 6% under protection have already been divided under various regimes of protection, in which the I regime occupies only 0.50% of these 6% of protected areas !!

Under the current laws, in the II and III regime of protection, numerous activities are allowed, making it impossible to protect these regions, including those under regime I.

All this is in practice not mentioned and there is general chaos in all the protected areas, all this is now being currently legalized

Besides all this, our Government has in April 2012 brought a new Decree on the regimes in protected areas, although it already entered the pre-election campaign, and such actions are not acceptable.

This Decree additionally degrades the valuable natural heritages of the I degree of protection, confirming and explaining how the natural sites of I degree will be degraded and initiating further, with confusion allowing everyone to act at will with various permissions, spurring new corruption already in existence, not only in this case, but within Serbia as a whole.

Nature protection has been reduced to satisfying megalomaniac requirements of suspectful capital of the “ Business sector”.

The decree concerning the regime of protection published in the Official Gazette 31/2012 enabled that protected areas may be further destroyed in various ways, and that the energy lobby and similar lobbies, have open doors for the further destruction of the environment and protected areas (just to mention, Serbia is the top country in wasteful energy consumption).

The new Decree on the regime of protection, with which new problems are opened, as the Decree is in contradiction with Laws and Acts of proclaiming a protected area, opens the door to increased corruption etc.

The situation is precarious for many already existing protected areas in Serbia, since it is now allowed to perform activities in regimes II and III which have up to now been forbidden.

This will destroy the small areas and the protection of regime I. If all above listed activities are now allowed in areas designated as II and III, the question arises how much territory is really protected.

Also it is a question if protected natural sites under the circumstances really deserve to be considered as protected under the designated categories.

Although only 6% of the territory of Serbia is protected, there are endless attempts to build and destroy just in these regions.

A much higher percentage of Serbian territory deserves protection. Unfortunately, the Government is not interested in increasing the areas deserving protection.

All these activites show that our Government opened a new season and gives support for the destruction of the remaining protected natural areas. Applying such measures as proposed by current Laws is unacceptable and will result further degradation of the biodiversity for which the protected sites were established in the first place.

It should be mentioned that a number of professionals, including expert Serbian meteorologists, warn that in the future, Serbia will be faced with droughts, due to general warming, lack of water, reduced agriculture production etc.

For the Government, this warning is not enough and the next plan is to build a ski resort on Radan Mountain close to Kosovo. This mountain is in the warmer South, and only 1409m above sea level.

One should really pay attention to how donations are spent, what activities are undertaken with this money and is it used for the further destruction of the Serbian Environment, not to mention the possible corruption behind all this.

*** All these activities and Laws should be carefully analysed by the responsible bodies of the EU and corrections should be made by the Serbian Government before any further financial aids are allowed or talks of membership in the EU continue. ***

As a supplement, we send all articles of the Law on the Protection of the Environment and copy of the Official Gazette RS with the published amendments and regimes of protection.

——————————————————————-

Links to previous SAV posts relating to Stara Planina. 

Please look at the photographs within them to see how beautiful natural environments of both flora and fauna are being systematically destroyed:

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/serbia-eu-environment-and-eu-enlargement-commissions-stara-planina-serbia-update-december-2011-do-eu-commissioners-speak-the-truth-or-simply-weasel-words/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/serbia-and-the-eu-does-the-eu-dog-wag-the-environmental-tail-or-the-serbian-government-eu-accession-tail-actually-wag-the-eu-dog/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/eu-serbia-are-they-both-leading-us-up-the-environmental-garden-path/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/serbia-does-it-now-realise-that-law-implementation-is-a-serious-issue/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/serbia-stara-planina-update-the-governments-illegal-environmental-destruction-continues-full-news-and-pictures-in-this-post/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/serbia-campaign-for-the-protection-of-zvezdara-forest-in-belgrade/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/golema-reka-draft/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/08/24/240809-global-launch-of-campaign-to-save-stara-planina-animals-and-plants-international-supporters-your-individual-help-is-essential-please-copy-and-send-letter-given-in-post-below/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/serbia-save-stara-planina/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/08/20/stara-planina-200809-few-days-till-launch-of-next-campaign-phase/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/08/15/serbia-campaign-to-save-flora-and-fauna-at-stara-planina/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/serbia-more-major-environmental-destruction-planned-your-help-needed-to-raise-global-awareness/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/serbia-please-give-your-petition-support-to-save-serbian-beautiful-river-rzav-from-government-and-industry-abuse/

https://serbiananimalsvoice.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/serbia-beautiful-environmental-region-of-serbia-to-become-ski-centre-please-read-and-take-action/

Below – Pictures from Stara Planina prior to the Government of Serbia changing the environmental regulations for its own convenience – as the above photos show, we have now entered a time when:

“the Government of Serbia reconfirmed the tremendous values of protected areas in recently adopted national strategy for Biodiversity Conservation and also in the new law of Nature protection which is harmonized with relevant EU legislation in this field”.

Hmm  !!!

 

Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering), SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »

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