https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2014/09/03/serbia-free-nani-deer-info-and-sample-letter-to-send/
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia, SUPPORTERS | Leave a comment »
Photo – AVAAZ Petition.
Dear friends,
I can sincerely say this is the most important petition we’ve ever done.
Sorry for the language, but one top scientist just warned that we are all “f*cked” if global warming releases gigantic amounts of methane gas from the arctic tundra. The UN knows this, and is bringing world leaders to New York for an emergency summit.
Hundreds of thousands of us will take to the streets for the People’s Climate March just before the summit. Let’s make sure that on that day we deliver the largest Avaaz petition ever, for the only solution: mobilize the world to shift to 100% clean energy. Add your voice, and forward this widely:
Whether it’s the ‘arctic methane bomb’, the rapid acidification of our oceans, or apocalyptic flooding, climate change is the biggest threat humanity is facing, and we need the biggest petition ever to meet it. The number of us who sign will be read out to all leaders at the summit, published in hundreds of media articles, and be delivered by our marches worldwide.
100% clean energy is a realistic goal. Already, 20% of the world’s electricity comes from clean energy, and solar power is cheaper than coal in many countries! We just need to put our foot on the accelerator.
We’re gearing up for the largest climate mobilization in history on September 21. Already hundreds of events are organized and hundreds of thousands of people signed up. But the events are designed to deliver a petition. Let’s make it the largest petition ever.
We’re all different, and beautifully diverse. But whoever and wherever we are, climate change threatens everything we love, and brings all of us together. Let’s come together now.
With hope,
Danny, Lisa, Judy, Ricken, Alex, Iain, and the rest of the Avaaz team
PS – Every signature really does count!
Climate scientist drops the F-bomb (Salon)
http://www.salon.com/2014/08/06/climate_scientist_drops_the_f_bomb_after_startling_arctic_discovery/
EU to beat 2020 climate targets, split over 2030 ones (Reuters)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/14/eu-carbon-idUKL6N0O06BG20140514
The most influential climate change paper today remains unknown to most people (Inside Climate News)
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140213/climate-change-science-carbon-budget-nature-global-warming-2-degrees-bill-mckibben-fossil-fuels-keystone-xl-oil?page=show
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, GLOBAL PETITIONS - Anything Animal, Anywhere ! | Leave a comment »
The Annual Slaughter Begins in Taiji, but the Japanese Are Shunning Dolphin Meat
The marine mammals are severely contaminated with toxic mercury harmful to humans.
September 02, 2014 By David Kirby
David Kirby has been a professional journalist for 25 years. His third book, Death at Seaworld, was published in 2012.
The annual dolphin hunt at the cove in Taiji, Japan, began on Monday. For the next six months, hundreds of dolphins will be rounded up and killed, their meat sold in stores and restaurants in Japan and other countries. But butchered dolphins are becoming scarcer on the Japanese market, which is good not only for the dolphins but for public health.
Why? Taiji dolphin products are riddled with mercury.
Seven published studies have found dangerously high concentrations of mercury, a neurotoxin that damages human brain development and the nervous system, in all nine dolphin species. The main source of marine mercury pollution: coal-burning power plants and other heavy industries.
The Environmental Investigative Agency, a London-based nonprofit, purchased nine dolphin products and found that eight of them exceeded Japanese health standards, with average mercury concentrations more than 10 times the limit. One dolphin liver contained mercury concentrations nearly 5,000 times greater than the Japanese government’s limit for daily exposures.
“The consumption of cetacean products contaminated with high levels of persistent organic pollutants and mercury poses a grave health risk to humans,” warned the 2013 EIA report,Toxic Catch. “Ingestion of these toxins have been linked to a range of immunological, cardiovascular and reproductive effects.”
Hair samples taken from residents of Taiji showed that, on average, mercury concentrations among whale eaters were nearly 10 times higher than among non–whale eaters.
Opponents to the hunt are driving that message into Japanese homes.
“When [we] do interviews in Japan we try to use the word ‘mercury’ in every sentence,” said Louie Psihoyos, director of The Cove, the 2009 Oscar-winning documentary about the Taiji hunt. “That strategy of staying on point about mercury has been working.”
Whether or not it’s due to mercury, one thing is sure: Consumption of dolphin meat is on the decline as the supply out of Taiji dwindles.
Ric O’Barry, the star of The Cove and the director of Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project, said that when his group began their campaign against the Taiji slaughter in 2003, about 2,300 dolphins were killed annually. In 2012, that number fell to about 900. Fewer dead dolphins means less mercury contamination among the public.
“My personal feeling is that consumption is slowly reducing, particularly of dolphin and toothed-whale products,” said Clare Perry, a senior campaigner with EIA. “Young people, and in fact many older people, recognize dolphins as wild animals that should be left alone in the oceans. This is my experience from talking to many people over many years in Japan.”
A main factor behind the decline is believed to be growing awareness of high mercury levels in dolphin meat.
Mercury “has been the dolphin hunter’s Achilles’ heel,” said Psihoyos. “All dolphin meat, every bit of it, is poison.”
The neurotoxin is also harmful to the dolphins.
Mercury and other toxins “have been linked to increased rates of cancer, increased first calf mortality, immune suppression and a higher susceptibility to infectious disease, [and] are postulated to be a primary factor causing population declines,” according to Toxic Catch.
Mercury is not the only worry. Following the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan, “it is possible that cetaceans are bio accumulating very high levels of radioactive elements, presenting a severe risk to consumers, as well as a novel threat to cetaceans,” the report said.
With rising awareness of mercury and fewer animals killed, dolphin products in Japan are more difficult to find.
“It’s now much harder to get dolphin meat if you don’t live in the dolphin-hunting area,” said Perry. “We have stopped most of the major supermarkets, plus Amazon, Google, and more recently Rakuten, Japan’s largest Internet retailer, selling whale and dolphin products in Japan.”
As the annual killing begins at Taiji, O’Barry will be there along with Izumi Ishii, a former dolphin hunter who now opposes the hunt.
They plan to visit the town council office to try to persuade local officials that dolphin-watching cruises and other eco-tourism opportunities would be more profitable than the dolphin slaughter.
O’Barry’s team buys and tests dolphin meat so consumers can “make an informed decision as to whether or not they want to buy the tainted product,” he said.
He believes that education about mercury will further reduce demand—and stop the killing.
“There’s no better way to educate the Japanese consumer than to make The Cove available on the Internet in Japan for free,” he said. “There are 27 million people in Japan who have never seen it. They don’t have the information that we take for granted.”
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Past SAV Posts on this issue:
https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2009/01/23/the-cove-movie-dolphin-slaughter-and-more-in-japan/
https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2010/11/08/japan-latest-dolphin-news-from-ric-obarry/
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Posted on: http://love-is-an-animal.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/serbia-fawn-nani-needs-your-urgent-help.html
Please help the orphan baby dear Nani, who was saved by Mrs.Dragana Mitic. This little fawn was living in a wonderful environment, surrounded with Mrs. Mitic love and care, until was taken away by the police and handed to the hunting association ”Hajduk Veljko”.
Now Mrs. Mitic is waiting for a final decision from the Minister of Agriculture if she can keep rescued fawn on her little farm. As tamed wild animals, other options for Nani are: life in a hunting ground or in a zoo.
Join EPAR – OIPA Serbia, Serbian Animal Voice and Mrs. Dragana Mitic appeal!
PETITION: SAVE NANI, THE FAWN AND RETURN HER TO HER FAMILY
PLEASE FLOOD SERBIAN AUTHORITIES WITH YOUR EMAILS!
SAMPLE LETTER – send to:
To: kabinet.info@minpolj.gov.rs, predsednikvlade@gov.rs,
perica.grbic@minpolj.gov.rs, dejan.bugarski@minpolj.gov.rs,
radivoje.kaurin@minpolj.gov.rs,
dragana.bogdanovic@minpolj.gov.rs,
srbislav.filipovic@minpolj.gov.rs,
Cc: zivotinje.rs@gmail.com,serbiananimalwelfare@gmail.com, helpanimals@sbb.rs, epar@open.telekom.rs,drustvo.feniks@yahoo.com, humans.for.animals@gmail.com, organisation.mia@gmail.com,redakcija@alo.rs, online@alo.rs, redakcija@blic.rs, desk@danas.rs, redakcija@kurir-info.rs,redakcija@politika.rs, redakcija@novosti.rs, beogradski_program@rts.rs, rtstv@rts.rs,kontaktcentar@rts.rs, info@studiob.rs, info@happytv.rs, info@prva.rs,infourednici@b92.net, kontakt@b92.net, draganamitic64@gmail.com,info@eurogroupforanimals.org, m.griffiths@eurogroupforanimals.org, info@oipa.org,info@ifaw.org, office@four-paws.org.uk, esdaw@telia.com, Karen@animal-kind.org
Subject: INTERNATIONAL APPEAL TO SERBIAN AUTHORITIES: RETURN THE DEER NANI TO MRS. DRAGANA MITIC
Dear Sir, Madam
We have been informed about the case of the baby deer NANI by Serbian media, Serbian Animals Voice and EPAR – OIPA SRBIJA.
Since Nani’s mother was killed, a kind-hearted citizen Mrs. Dragana Mitic saved this baby deer and cared for it at her home. But the police of Cicevac village, on 1 August 2014, was confiscated the baby deer and handed to the hunting association ”Hajduk Veljko”, where it is being held in extremely inappropriate conditions at the pheasant farm.
Mrs. Mitic visited the baby deer and states it is being terrified and treated in a highly unsuitable manner. The treatment of this tiny creature violates Serbian animal welfare law, which include the humane handling of the animals.
This is international appeal to Serbian authorities to be humane and act in accordance with the Serbian Animal Welfare Act. As rescued and tamed wild animals, THE BABY DEAR CANNOT BE RETURNED TO THE HUNTING GROUND OR SEND IN A ZOO.
THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN THE FAWN TO MRS. DRAGANA MITIC, so she can protect and give shelter to this venerable baby who lost his mother.
Info:
http://www.rts.rs/page/stories/sr/story/57/Srbija+danas/1682057/Ko+je+u+pravu%3F.html
Kind regards
YOUR NAME AND COUNTRY
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »
To: predsednikvlade@gov.rs<predsednikvlade@gov.rs>;perica.grbic@minpolj.gov.rs<perica.grbic@minpolj.gov.rs>;
dejan.bugarski@minpolj.gov.rs<dejan.bugarski@minpolj.gov.rs>;s.celebicanin@minpolj.gov.rs<s.celebicanin@minpolj.gov.rs>;
radivoje.kaurin@minpolj.gov.rs<radivoje.kaurin@minpolj.gov.rs>;vetuprava@minpolj.gov.rs<vetuprava@minpolj.gov.rs>;office@minpolj.gov.rs<office@minpolj.gov.rs>;
dragana.bogdanovic@minpolj.gov.rs<dragana.bogdanovic@minpolj.gov.rs>;srbislav.filipovic@minpolj.gov.rs<srbislav.filipovic@minpolj.gov.rs>;sonja.grcic@minpolj.gov.rs<sonja.grcic@minpolj.gov.rs>;
kabinet.info@minpolj.gov.rs<kabinet.info@minpolj.gov.rs>;
Letter:
Dear Sir, Madam
We have been informed about the case of the baby deer NANI by Serbian media, Serbian Animals Voice and EPAR – OIPA SRBIJA.
Since Nani’s mother was killed, a kind-hearted citizen Mrs. Dragana Mitic saved this baby deer and cared for it at her home.
But the police of Cicevac village, on 1 August 2014, was confiscated the baby deer and handed to the hunting association ”Hajduk Veljko”, where it is being held in extremely inappropriate conditions at the pheasant farm.
Mrs. Mitic visited the baby deer and states it is being terrified and treated in a highly unsuitable manner.
The treatment of this tiny creature violates Serbian animal welfare law, which include the humane handling of the animals.
This is international appeal to Serbian authorities to be humane and act in accordance with the Serbian Animal Welfare Act.
As rescued and tamed wild animals, THE BABY DEAR CANNOT BE RETURNED TO THE HUNTING GROUND OR SEND IN A ZOO.
THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO IMMEDIATELY RETURN THE FAWN TO MRS. DRAGANA MITIC, so she can protect and give shelter to this venerable baby who lost his mother.
Sincerely with hope,
Your name and nationality.
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, SERBIA (Central Serbia: Capital - Belgrade) and (Serbia | Leave a comment »
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dODzURN9qkg&feature=share
We need the 8 hour maximum journey time in the EU to stop this. Please take action now as detailed below:
Read On for Instructions.
Above – The ‘standard’ of some Dutch animal export trailers being used in 2014 to carry British sheep to Mainland Europe. Photographed at Dover harbour, Kent, England.
Allegedly covered by and compliant with EU standards – Regulation 1/2005.
Dear all;
I would encourage any resident of the EU who is concerned about long distance farm animal transport to send a copy of the following pdf directly to Commissioner Borg as per the instructions below.
I am now working independently through my own site, SAV, regarding amongst other things, EU live farm animal legislation changes to work in support of a one off 8 hour maximum journey time.
By doing this, I have pulled out from all direct UK live export campaigning.
Legislation to greatly reduce journey times and / or amend Regulation 1/2005 (the current EU rules on live farm animal transport hours) can ONLY be changed directly by the EU Commission; and certainly NOT by the UK government or any other independent EU member state government alone.
So, I personally feel that there is only one option; get aim directly at the EU Commission and get the hours reduced THROUGHOUT the EU for ALL EU farm animals in transport.
We need to take the campaign directly to Brussels and the people (ie. Commissioner Borg) who can amend EU wide legislation to reduce all journey times down to a one off maximum of eight (8) hours; and thus get the best deal possible for animals undergoing international transportation. Any subsequent changes to Regulation 1/2005 will then affect ALL animals in transport within the whole of the EU, not just those going through Ramsgate and Dover in the UK – such as calves from Ireland to Cherbourg, France, and pigs from the Netherlands down to Spain, as just a couple of dozens of examples.
I hope the attached pdf link below currently explains the existing situation for the 8 hours campaign, and particularly, why we need more than ever now to push the EU Commission to act rather than our own rather limp UK government.
Attached above is a sample letter link (supplied as a pdf) which can be sent directly to the EU Commissioner (Borg) who holds the keys to amending the current legislation – Regulation 1/2005.
Click on the Commissioners spokesperson e mail address to get a new e mail widow.
This is: frederic.vincent@ec.europa.eu
Then also to this same e mail attach a copy of the SAV headed letter (link below) which is supplied as a pdf document. Simply attach the link to the letter.:
Finally, as part of the same e mail, give your own:
Then finally click again to send – that’s all that is required – a matter of seconds to complete it all.
Remember – the shipment of 6 sheep transporters from Ramsgate to (Calais) France on 29/8/14 took around 8.5 hours to complete its Channel crossing. This crossing IS under EU law counted as part of the overall journey time.
Thus, if we had a maximum one off journey time of 8 hours; the crossing of 29/8 would have gone over the maximum time allowed as a one off consignment. Add to this the time taken to initially get to Ramsgate by the transporters, and their continuation once arrived in Calais; and, under any 8 hours regulations, the trucks would never have reached Ramsgate in the first place; let alone cross the Channel ! – The shipment would never have taken place.
Thanks and regards; please send your letter link to Commissioner Borg right now !
Mark
SAV Founder.
Photo – Val Cameron.
Filed under: CAMPAIGNS - Global Animal Welfare Issues, DOCUMENTS, GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional, LETTERS, PHOTOGRAPHS - **WARNING** (Animal Suffering) | Leave a comment »
August 28, 2014
Editor’s note: This post is a Care2 favourite.
It was originally published on August 9, 2012. Enjoy!
Written by Vivienne Wharton of Tara Case Dog Holiday Retreat in Murcia, Spain
It was with a heavy heart that I found myself going along one March day to the rescue in Bullas Murcia. We set off to save a group of dogs, hoarded together and fed once a week on dried bread and crisps. The owner wanted to use the dogs to breed puppies for next year’s hunters. Some hunters dispose of these dogs like unwanted garbage at the end of each season. For those of you that have never known a Galgo or a Podenco, these loving intelligent and gentle creatures do not deserve this. They have served their master and are then treated as though they are an unwanted and useless piece of machinery.
The Bullas rescue was planned by an organization called Pro-Setter. A legal battle ensued against the owner to get access to the dogs and access was allowed on a few prior arranged days, when only registered organizations could go in and rescue these dogs. I went along with the Little Pod Foundation, a great organization who had been very active in many rescues, including the one of the Beagles released from the Barcelona Laboratory. Along with them, we made plans to rescue eight Podencos. I was proud to be part of their team as it was a heart rending assignment, choosing which dogs to take and which to leave and I am glad I didn’t have to make the choice.
A lot of planning had to be made very quickly prior to the rescue, for the veterinary treatment, the travel, the tests and the inoculations and of course their foster care. It seemed impossible with so many other things happening and needy dogs everywhere, funds had to be acquired for all of this and at the moment most charities are struggling, with the worst season for abandonment situations in many years.
This dog is now safe, but we will not rest while others suffer this way.
When we arrived, we were shocked to see that the conditions these dogs were in was diabolical. There were many hoarded in one huge enclosure, some of them terrified, some of them barely able to stand; the stronger ones still wagged their tails and I swear I could see in their body language the relief when we arrived.
Many were chained to trees with string so tight it cut into their necks; they had sores where they were so thin and lying on the cold ground, standing in their own poo, sick and urine. Their poor legs were sore and some had mange.
They had been fed occasionally on potato crisps and stale bread by their owner, so we understand. Once the volunteers had access and were able to give them food, their poor little tummies could barely cope with it. It was lovely to see, though, that as many of the dogs were put on collars and leads and given love and strokes, their demeanor changed as the day progressed.
The worst part of this day was that I knew the huge freshly dug holes in the ground were filled with the bodies of the poor creatures who did not survive; I didn’t dare look but photographic evidence was taken and I believe very harrowing to see.
Above – A reunion with a few of the rescued dogs.
A voluntary vet was on hand who chipped the dogs as the charities decided which they would take, they were passported and vaccinated for rabies; that part of it truly impressed me, it was all voluntary and paid for by contributions and charities. What a fantastic bunch of people. We have many dogs locally that need help too and so it makes it all the more harder, but this is an epidemic and we all need to help wherever we can. At the end of the day, all dogs were rescued, but I am sad to report that the owner has another site where the same thing is taking place.
The only thing we must do now is to try to fight. In Spain, 50,000 hunting dogs are murdered and abandoned every year after the hunting season. These beautiful Galgos (Spanish greyhounds), Podencos and many other hunting breeds are horribly treated throughout their poor lives and there are no laws in Spain to protect them. This is going on all over Spain.
Unscrupulous owners are keeping dogs-en-masse in terrible conditions, allowing the dogs to starve or to suffer from disease and of course left in the open elements of a cold Spanish winter. Some are hung from trees, or burned alive or drowned.
Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/chained-in-the-middle-of-nowhere-120-dogs-rescued.html#ixzz3Bn1livTd
Filed under: GENERAL NEWS - International / National / Regional | Leave a comment »
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
