Posted on January 26, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Take action for Tashi Wangchuk
Write to your embassy about imprisoned language advocate
The Tibetan language advocate Tashi Wangchuk could face trial at any time following the conclusion of a second investigation into his case this month. If found guilty he faces up to 15 years in jail.
Tashi Wangchuk has been in detention since January 2016 and has been charged with “inciting separatism”. China has provided no evidence that he has committed any crime.
He has had little access to family and his lawyers have only been able to visit him twice. There is a high risk of him facing a trial that is neither fair nor transparent.
We continue to push for Tashi Wangchuk’s release, but it is also vital that if he does go to trial, international observers are there. Call on your embassy in China to urgently raise Tashi Wangchuk’s case with the authorities, and to send observers to any trial that he faces.
Join us tomorrow to support Tashi Wangchuk
This Friday 27 January marks one year since Tashi Wangchuk was arrested. Free Tibet will join with other UK-based Tibet organisations at the Chinese embassy in London to call for his release
The demonstration will take place between 6pm and 8pm, outside the Chinese Embassy, at 49-51 Portland Place, LondonW1B 1JL. Free Tibet will be there, along with Students for a Free Tibet, Tibetan Community UK and Tibet Society.
Tashi Wangchuk has spent a year in detention and now faces up to 15 years in prison.
His arrest in 2016 followed his peaceful campaign to encourage China’s authorities to ensure that the Tibetan language is taught throughout Tibet. He has not committed any crime and China’s constitution guarantees Tibetans the right to use and develop their own languages.
After the completion of a second investigation into his case, the way is now clear for him to stand trial on charges of “attempting to split the Chinese state”. Tibetans detained for such state security crimes are often tried in secret under conditions that do not meet international standards of fairness or transparency. China must be put under international pressure to ensure that Tashi Wangchuk receives a fair trial, and that if there is no evidence against him, that he is immediately released from detention.
Please fill in your details below and the email will be sent directly to the United Kingdom’s Embassy in China. You can also amend the title and text of the email, to write a message in your own words.
You can find out more about Tashi Wangchuk’s casehere.
SAV Comment – Lets have so glimmer of faith in the new band of experts which has been formed under the EU ‘Platform For Animal Welfare’ as we describe in the following post. This is the first real and very important test to actually see if the EU IS LISTENING to its citizens; or once again, even with the new reports and facts and figures, are we going to be ignored ? – We are watching very closely.
Today (25th January), Members of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee have voted in favour of a report that may pave the way for the protection and improvement of the welfare of Europe’s 320 million* farmed rabbits.
A key opportunity to improve rabbit welfare
Currently, over 99% of rabbits farmed for meat in the EU spend their lives confined in tiny, barren cages, unable to express their natural behaviours. This vote is the closest we have come to securing new legislation for Europe’s farmed animals in over a decade.
Unfortunately, the amendment that includes legislation did not pass at this stage. However, we will continue to push for species-specific legislation in the Plenary session in a few weeks.
We have been working hard for many years to improve the welfare of rabbits farmed for meat across the EU. In 2012 and 2014, we exposed their terrible plight through undercover investigations and achieved mass media coverage of both investigations, helping to raise awareness of this cruel trade.
Last May we presented our 600,000 signature-strong petition to Europe’s Agriculture Ministers, calling for an end to the farming of rabbits in cages and recently asked children throughout the EU to send in rabbit drawings of how they believe rabbits should be kept. We delivered these drawings to MEPs, ahead of today, urging them to vote in favour the report. We are pleased that many MEPs have listened and taken action on a number of the amendments that will improve farmed rabbits’ welfare.
Emma Slawinski, our Director of Campaigns, says: “Today we have overcome the first hurdle on the path to ensuring higher welfare conditions for rabbits.
“It is encouraging that the majority of MEPs voted in favour of the report presented by MEP Stefan Eck (GUE), recognising the need to move away from the obsolete cage system for rabbits – bringing rabbit farming into the 21st century.”
Ending the cage age for Europe’s rabbits
Following today’s Committee vote, the report – which is backed by many scientists – will be voted on in the Plenary session of the European Parliament in a few weeks.
It is essential that MEPs vote in favour of the report – proving that they do listen to the calls of citizens, and not special interest groups that wish to maintain existing cruel standards for rabbits. We remain hopeful that they will vote for an amendment in favour of the introduction of legislation to improve welfare for rabbits.
Our CEO, Philip Lymbery says: “This is a major step forward for the rabbits of Europe and has brought farmed rabbits to the forefront of the public and political agenda.”
Posted on January 25, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Dear Mark — Founder ‘Serbian Animals Voice’,
On lion farms across South Africa, lions are bred to be killed and exploited.
The cubs are used in a tourist trade of “eco-petting” and “lion walks” to support these breeding centers. When the cubs outgrow their “cute and cuddly” stage, they’re killed — either in “canned” hunts for trophies or for their hides and bones.
South African officials want to provide a stamp of approval by issuing an export quota for 800 lion skeletons every year.
The crushed up bones of various big cats are in high demand in Asia, where they are used to make tonics such as “tiger wine.”Consumers mistakenly believe this cures pain and disease, or works as an aphrodisiac, but no scientific evidence supports these claims.
The lions caught up in this cruel industry never experience being lions. They’re confined behind fences, in tiny camps often in completely abnormal social groups, for their entire lives. They’re often malnourished and forced to live in small spaces littered with their own waste.
Not a single captive-bred lion has ever been successfully released into the wild. These poor animals are then shot and killed for profit. You only have a short amount of time to act.
Posted on January 24, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
24/1/17 – We have had the following though today from the EU – Health and Food Safety e-News update – 24/01/2017. SAV.
So here we go yet again – now we are going to witness the creation of an ‘expert’ group called the ‘Platform on Animal Welfare’ who will work together; and who have so far produced a series of very expensive reports to inform us that citizens of the EU are very concerned about the welfare of animals !
We could have left out all of the high gloss, very expensive reports and done the job to basically tell them that for £10 at most. But then they never listen to us (welfare groups) about anything; the huge call for a maximum journey time for animals in transport of 8 hours being just one example. Millions of EU citizens voiced their opinion and disgust, and it resulted in ………… nothing in the way of action by EU ‘experts’.
While we are here, lets bring up the issue of live EU animals being transported to Turkey for slaughter. Watch the videos to see how our ‘EU experts’ such as Mr Van Goethem are enforcing the 5 freedoms and EU Regulation 1/2005 protecting animals during transport as they head off for slaughter into Turkey:
As you can see in our many post which we have provided links to at the end, we are currently in a position where the EU is even currently unable to even start to enforce its own animal welfare regulations (such as Regulation 1/2005 for the so called ‘protection’ of animals in transport – what an EU JOKE !) on live animal transport – both within many parts of the EU member states, and certainly for live animals being exported to Turkey.
This is how good; or should we say ‘utterly useless’ major EU ‘official’ people are.
And so what do we hear now ? – the creation of an EU ‘expert’ group called the ‘Platform on Animal Welfare’ who will spend millions of Euros and many, many months to provide yet further reports on what we consider to be the bloody obvious to all – that most ‘ normal and sensible’ (non EU official) put animal welfare high on their list of priorities.
The very expensive, glossy, great looking reports produced so far inform us for example, we have the following statement:
Looking at country results, it appears that more than four out of five respondents in each of the Member States consider the welfare of farmed animals to be “important” but with varying degrees.
Almost every respondent (99%) in Sweden, Finland and Portugal consider animal welfare to be ‘important’, in comparison to respondents (86%) in Croatia, Hungary and Poland, the countries with the lowest proportions of respondents.
That’s really great information Mr EU; but the question is – so what action are you taking to benefit animal welfare protection ?
With over 11 years experience in the welfare of animals and their countless abuses within Serbia, we know that for example, the vast majority of Croatians do not consider animal welfare to be very important. But they want to join the EU and take billions of EU Euros for … what, corruption ?
Do we have to have glossy reports from EU experts at huge cost to explain that to us Croatia is not so good at animal welfare as Sweden ? – maybe this is all that ‘expert groups’ can really do – spend lots of money to inform us of the obvious – stuff we already know – and then finally for the experts to not actually take any action to rectify what is being said, shown and petitioned throughout Europe by the welfare groups ? – What a complete and utter waste of time and money, but oh how so very typical EU officialdom – I think the term we have here in the UK to describe this is ‘jobsworth’ – people who in reality do nothing actually trying to justify their job and existence by producing useless and obvious information for the masses – information they already know !
It is also interesting, but no surprise at all to us, that from the report:
More than four in five respondents (82%) believe that the welfare of farmed animals should be better protected than it is now. More than two in five Europeans (44%) hold a stronger view, responding with “yes, certainly”, while more than a third (38%) of respondents believe that the welfare of animals should “probably” be better protected than it is now.
Who really cares if it is 70%, 80% or 82% ? – people want animals better protected. They want action from the EU experts who produce such crap. Again, something we have known for years, but something which the leaders of men at the EU do not appear to be able to pick up on without a glossy and very expensive ‘book of the bleeding obvious’ being placed in front of them. Even after this, will they act ?
One of the best statements comes at the start of the report publication – it declares:
Animal welfare legislation has evolved during this time, in accordance with citizens’ expectations and market demands. In 1998, an important step was taken called the Council Directive 98/58/EC, which provided general rules for the protection of farm animals kept for the production of food, wool, skin or fur or other farming purposes.
The rules were based upon the European Convention for the Protection of Animals kept for Farming Purposes and reflect the so-called ‘Five Freedoms’:
– Freedom from hunger and thirst;
– Freedom from discomfort;
– Freedom from pain, injury and disease;
– Freedom to express normal behaviour;
– Freedom from fear or distress.
(Don’t the videos from Turkey above show all this ? – we think NOT – SAV).
The Lisbon Treaty adopted in 2009, amending the ‘Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union’, acknowledged the recognition that animals are sentient beings.
The amount of data and video evidence obtained by EU animal welfare organisations over the last 5+ years regarding EU animals exported live to Turkey has clearly shown that the EU in its official expert capacity is utterly incapable of enforcing the 5 freedoms for any of the EU animals being exported there – the 5 freedoms they bleat on about in their documentation, which in reality means absolutely nothing. As is usual, the EU says one thing on paper, declaring that everything is hunky-dory, but the actual reality obtained by the welfare groups on the ground and in the trench shows that they are self declared incompetents (Mr Van Goethem) and cannot enforce anything even coming near to the 5 freedoms when the evidence is presented to them – they all adopt the ‘jobsworth’ stance as we have outlined earlier in this post. I have to look like the rules are being enforced; and even when presented with evidence to the contrary, I cannot act.
Probably the most important thing to come from this report is that there is no overall ‘conclusion’ – something which you do normally witness in reports. So whart exactly is the EU citizen supposed to conclude from all these acres of figures and declarations of the five freedoms ? – we don’t know because it does not really tell us how the experts are going to put all the figures they have obtained at great expense into meaningful practice.
Possibly the EU is embarrassed to inform us that over the years they have utterly failed to enforce the requirements of what is obvious to most that is outlined in the report anyway – we have to ask that with the statements made recently by Mr (I can do nothing) Van Goetthem; what changes for the future are we actually going to see on the ground; in Turkey, on the road in the EU ? – WHAT ? – what is the ‘expert’ group; the ‘platform’ actually going to do to ensure that member states of the EU actually take animal welfare seriously and actually do something to enforce it. And just as importantly, what action are they going to take when it is shown clearly that the rules and regulations are NOT BEING ENFORCED throughout some EU member states ?
Or are we going to continue to witness the ‘head in the sand’ approach of Mr EU Van Goethem and his ‘experts’ in holding their hands up and saying ‘actually we can do nothing’ despite all the evidence. Fortunately the UK is now pulling out of this utter farce of do nothings by using Brexit, and it will be able to work with excellent welfare groups to establish future trade deals with nations which for sure will be to the benefit of animal welfare.
As for the EU; does it have yet another new framework for its ‘expert’ team to work from, or after all this money being spent to inform us of the obvious, are we actually going to see the EU move ahead and do what it should have done decades ago – enforce the 5 freedoms and take aniaml welfare issues much more seriously, prosecuting for non compliance every time when necessary.
Time will tell, and we wait and watch with interest the expert actions of the newly formed Platform on Animal Welfare to witness exactly what they will do. Somehow, experience tells us that these are just ‘weasel words’ which amount to very little apart from keeping people inventing new group names, gathering data and putting it all into pointless reports so that they can keep their useless jobs. We hope we are wrong and that this information will enable animal welfare to benefit big time from the actions of the experts; but with the EU totally ignoring all our evidence on Serbia (currently gaining EU membership) over the past eleven years, to say that we have any hope in the experts doing anything would be a gross overstatement.
Well done UK; we are moving out and away from this utterly useless waste of space called the EU !
We shall see – Mark, SAV.
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The PR we had today from the EU:
Animal Welfare: the Commission adopts the creation of a Platform
Today, the Commission adopted the creation of an expert group on animal welfare to be called the Platform on Animal Welfare. Vytenis Andriukaitis, Commissioner in charge of Health and Food Safety, had outlined this Platform in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 14 November 2016: “The aim of the platform will be to encourage dialogue between different stakeholders on animal welfare issues (…); it should focus on a better application of EU legislation on animal welfare, the promotion of the very high animal welfare standards and the use of the Platform as a facilitator for the development and use of voluntary commitments by business operators”.
The Platform on Animal welfare will bring together all relevant actors in relation to animal welfare: business and professional organisations, organisations from civil society, independent experts from academic and research institutes, EU and European Economic Area Member States, the European Food Safety Authorities and relevant international intergovernmental organisations like the World Organisation for Animal Health.
In the coming weeks, the Commission will publish the call for application for the selection of the members of the Platform which will gather a maximum of 75 participants. The first meeting of the Platform will be held during the Maltese Presidency.
Background:
In 2015 the “Eurobarometer on attitudes of European towards animal welfare” showed that EU citizens consider animal welfare to be a very important issue and that the EU has a role to play in cooperation with the Member States and business operators.
The Commission held a first stakeholders’ dialogue on animal welfare on 23-24 February 2016 with all main stakeholders and Member States. There was a broad consensus that an enhanced stakeholder dialogue would bring added value at EU level. Based on this wide-ranged support by the Member States, the Commission continued with the operational procedure for the establishment of the Platform.
Posted on January 19, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
SAV Comment – when your grandchildren ask you why the primates are not around for them to see; and what did YOU actually do to prevent their decline and extinction; lets hope you have a decent answer !
Primate Extinction: ‘We could lose the lungs of the earth’
7 hours ago
Scientists are warning that almost two-thirds of primates, from gorillas to lemurs, are threatened with extinction and three-quarters are suffering declines in numbers.
Anna Nekaris, a professor in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes University, tells Today that losing species will have serious consequences for the rainforest and human medicine. She also says zoos are not the answer.
Primates ‘sliding towards extinction’, say scientists
18 January 2017 Last updated at 19:00 GMT
The world’s primates face “crisis” with 60% of species now threatened with extinction, according to research.
A global study, involving more than 30 scientists, assessed the conservation status of more than 500 individual species, including apes, monkeys, lemurs and lorises.
The findings are published in the journal Science Advances.
Victoria Gill visited the lemurs at Blackpool Zoo to explain the threat.
Posted on January 19, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
This is an urgent appeal to provide protection and help to the strays of Bor. Temperatures have currently reached minus 25 degrees and it may get worse. Stray animals desperately need help – people are ready to help them, and currently are, but they need extra donations for food. Give what you can thank you – SAV.
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Unfortunately the winter in Bor, Eastern Serbia, is cruel, icy, as in Siberia.
According to the weather forecast the worst is yet to come, and thus the greatest anguish and dread for stray dogs. It is estimated that in Bor there are around 1,000 stray dogs from which most of them are helpless: puppies, bitches with puppies, old or injured dogs, and all of them are unprotected during this ´´ice age´´.
Few good people volunteer and offered to set up dog houses with straw all over the city, the greater the number, the better.
That is why they need YOU good people to help them to realize the idea.
Please donate even a few euros, no amount is little!
Please give anything you can – even a small donation helps the animals.
Posted on January 18, 2017 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
I was informed by an animal protection organization that a shark aquarium is planned in Sinsheim. Sinsheim has 35,000 inhabitants and is located in the south of Germany.
An investor wants to build the biggest shark aquarium in Europe: “Shark City”.
Dives in the basins are planned, but also a so-called touch pool for touching the animals.
My first thought was: in which century do these cave-men live? But with thoughts we can not save animals, actions maybe more helpful!
I wrote and sent this letter to the mayor.
If someone wants to protest, can also send the same letter. The more the better.
Regards
Venus
Please copy the letter (preferably the German version) and send to the Mayor as soon as possible. Please ensure you state your nationality so that he is aware of the worldwide attention on this issue.
Thank you – SAV
(The English version)
Dear Lord Mayor, I have just learned that the city of Sinsheim plans a shark aquarium. The first thought was: in which century do these people live? Worldwide is growing the criticism of the keeping from wild animals in captivity.
In the last few years, seven dolphinariums have closed in Germany alone, zoos are scarcely gaining more visitors and survive only on the basis of state subventions. And your city intends to build a “Shark City”?
Sharks are highly developed and extremely intelligent animals. Keeping these animals in an aquarium is –polite formulated-ethically intolerable.
It is well-known, depending on the sensitivity of the shark species, that many animals die already during the catch or during the transport. And even those who are living in a “basins of Sinsheim” certainly do not have a high life expectancy. Wild caught animals often die within a year.
It is also known that there are no offspring in many species of sharks that live in captivity. The operators of “Shark City” will have to resort to wild catches, they have already admitted. Are you informed about this all?
A necessity for the construction of such a shameful large aquarium does not exist-except to save money on suffering of the animals. And not even that is certain. Such a business is not contemporary, nor a sign of a progressive city.
I ask you immediately to prevent the construction of “Shark City”.
Best regards
(Name, Nationality)
The-mail-adress to Mayor: oberbuergermeister@sinsheim.de
(The German version)
Sehr geehrter Herr Oberbürgermeister,
ich habe gerade erfahren, dass die Stadt Sinsheim ein Hai-Aquarium plant.
Der erste Gedanke war: in welchem Jahrhundert leben diese Leute?
Weltweit wächst die Kritik an der Haltung von Wildtieren in Gefangenschaft.
In den letzten Jahren haben allein in Deutschland sieben Delfinarien geschlossen, Zoos bekommen kaum Besucher mehr und überleben nur aufgrund staatlicher Zuschüsse.
Und Ihre Stadt beabsichtigt eine „Shark-City“ zu bauen?
Haie sind hochentwickelte und äußerst intelligente Tiere.
Diese Tiere in einem Aquarium zu halten ist -höflich formuliert- ethisch untragbar.
Es ist hinlänglich bekannt, dass je nach Empfindlichkeit der Hai-Art, viele Tiere bereits beim Fang oder während des Transports sterben .
Und auch die, die lebend in den Becken eines Sinsheim Beckens ankommen werden, haben mit Sicherheit keine hohe Lebenserwartung.
Wild gefangene Tiere sterben oft schon innerhalb eines Jahres.
Ebenfalls bekannt ist, dass es bei vielen Hai-Arten in Gefangenschaft keine Nachzuchten gibt.
Die Betreiber von „Shark City“ werden daher auf Wildfänge zurückgreifen müssen, das haben sie auch bereits eingestanden.
Sind Sie überhaupt darüber informiert?
Eine Notwendigkeit für den Neubau eines solchen beschämenden Großaquariums-außer Geld machen auf Kosten der Tiere- gibt es nicht.
Und nicht einmal das ist sicher.
So ein Geschäft ist nicht zeitgemäß, noch ein Zeichen einer fortschrittlich denkenden Stadt.
Ich bitte Sie umgehend, den Bau von „Shark-City” zu verhindern.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
(Name, Nationalität)
Die mail-adresse des Bürgermeisters: oberbuergermeister@sinsheim.de
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 