Posted on June 28, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
No matter where in the world you are, you can make a difference for live animals in transport. They ARE NOT freight. Support the crew at CIWF by signing your team / group/ whatever ? for the day of action in August.
Full contact details for Kate and a link to the new website are included below. Regards SAV.
Dear Friends, The worldwide Animals Are Not Freight day of action (August 29th) has been joined by 33 groups in 23 countries.
And it’s not too late for you to pledge your support, too. The website is almost ready to be made public, but I can share it with you now: http://notfreight.org/wp/
All we ask is that you commemorate the day in some way, such as: * Social media posting * A photo stunt for the media * A demonstration * A vigil for the animals who have died And we will put your event / action on the website, and your logo on the front page.
This is a day when groups around the world will come together to oppose long distance animal transport. Can you join us?
Kate Fowler
PS.
Groups in these countries have confirmed they are taking part: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, India, Iraq, Italy, Israel, Liberia, Nepal, Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK & USA.
Posted on June 28, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
It all started while I was working with abused children in grouphomes. There, I witnessed the severity of emotional pain and suffering and helped the young generation express their pain and heal through hip-hop music – by running a music therapy program for abused children.
Abused animals are much like abused children.
They hurt. They suffer. They cry. They show their teeth when they are forced in a corner and pushed beyond their limits. They feel, they laugh, they love. Just because they cannot express themselves in a way that the world can easily understand it does not mean they are dumb, unemotional and undeserving of normal life.
They deserve freedom, dignity and love as much as anyone else on this planet.
I speak for the animals but also for all those who care about them. There are many of us who love animals and take action to help them. We refuse to view animals as human property. We don’t eat animals, we feed them. We don’t abuse animals, we protect them. And we do our best to stop those who hurt them. We respect animals’ coexistence with us on this planet.
Posted on June 23, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
23/6/16 – well voting has now commenced in the UK regarding its future in or out of the EU.
Reporting restrictions have been enforced until the polls close at 10pm tonight. A result should be known by breakfast time (or soon after) on 24/6/16.
We have had several mails from Members of the European Parliament (MEP) who want us to remain in the EU and inform us how fantastic the EU is for animals welfare. There are some issues (cosmetics and seal fur for example) where EU wide legislation has made a difference.
But UK groups have fought, are fighting, and will continue to fight for animal welfare improvements ANYWHERE whether the UK is in or out of the EU – and that is a simple fact.
Many UK major groups have histories which go back to being formed 100 years ago or more – pre EU days; so we are not going to pack our bags and go home to watch the tv now. The campaigns continue regardless; in or out.
On a more personal / group level, we are really not witnessing anything positive for animals in transport, or for Serbian animals when it comes to the future and what the EU could do for them. Hopefully we have shown this a bit over the past 11 years on this site. For example, the situation for live EU animals being exported to Turkey is disgusting; and we feel for Lesley that her meeting with the EU Commission did not go a lot better last week.
Good EU citizens in their thousands (millions for live export 8 hours) want change; but the non elected EU Commissioners say ‘no’ – so that’s how it remains; the wishes of one person as opposed to the wishes of several million.
At the heart of this campaign is a petition calling for an end to long-distance transport and a reduction of the maximum overall journey time to 8 hours. Organisations large and small as well as many committed individuals all over Europe helped to collect signatures.
The petition was handed in to Brussels in June 2012, signed by 1,103,248 EU citizens.
The EU is out of touch with the real world. On the following link you will find Mark’s new letter to Alan Smyth MEP (in Scotland) regarding our views on the e mail he sent to us asking us to ‘remain in for animals’. Lets be clear – Mr Smith is a very GOOD animal welfare person who works hard for welfare. He is an MEP, but for UK membership we cannot agree with him on how brilliant the EU has been for animals. We hope that Mark’s letter makes this fairly clear.
We have sent our response to Alan Smyth, but do not expect a reply soon as he is obviously very busy with referendum work. We have in this instance a difference of opinion, but we can still work together for improvements for animals (in our outside of the EU) and we can still have full respect for each other. It just happens that in this current case, we do not agree with what the EU has done.
Posted on June 19, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
IMPORTANT NOTE – VISA EXEMPTION FOR OTHER NATIONALITIES. See the following but note timescales is short.
Not just exemption for UK – see the following:
The visa exemption for
British, German, French, Spanish and Italian citizens travelling to Vietnam for a period of up to 15 days (single entry and not returning within 30 days) is applied from 01 July 2015 to 30 June 2016. Up to now, the Embassy has not received any information on extension of this policy.
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Further to our recent posts regarding Australian cattle being killed by the use of sledgehammers in Vietnam, we now send out an important message to all UK residents.
We understand from our friends at Animals Australia, that Vietnam wants more United Kingdom residents to visit. In fact, they’ve just waived VISA requirements hoping you do.
They consider UK visitors important – so we need UK residents to act now.
The Vietnamese government will be very sensitive to feedback from you (UK residents) about the brutal sledgehammering to death of animals in their slaughterhouses as exposed by AA.
UK residents can send an e mail to the Vietnamese embassy in the UK, and also to the Vietnamese Tourist Board informing them that (you) will only ever visit nations that have full respect for animals; which does clearly NOT involve the use of sledgehammers for killing as exposed by AA.
Inform the Vietnamese that until they tidy up their act and treat animals respectfully and in accordance with 21st Century procedures, YOU WILL NEVER consider visiting Vietnam regardless of the VISA changes it has currently introduced.
Posted on June 7, 2016 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
Regarding our recent post on the failure of the EU to enforce any protection for EU animals being tucked to Turkey, a non EU state, https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/2016/06/06/the-eu-excuses-get-more-pathetic-by-the-day-contact-mr-van-goethem-and-show-your-disgust/ as the ex EU correspondent for Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE), I decided to go back into my old files as I know the name of Bernard Van Goethem very well. The two of us have corresponded in the past, when I presented many other failures of EU live animal transportation regulations to the EU; sadly, all of these appear to have been ignored also; certainly from what is recently still seen at Kent, English ports. There is very little, if any change.
As the copy of the letter (below) shows; I wrote on behalf of KAAALE to the EU (one of many letters – see ‘About Us’ – https://serbiananimalsvoice.com/about-us/ ) regarding concerns for animals in transport within the EU, including the UK. This letter is from early 2013 and specifically deals with the issue of trailer identification and the fact that live animals are / were being carried on vehicles which did not identify this in any way. It was often seen at Kent ports that live animal transporters did NOT carry any identification on them that live animals were being carried. To many outsiders or those not familiar with the trade, I can understand when people say that you must be able to identify an animal transporter trailer just by the look of it. Well I am afraid this is not always the case; as ‘box trailers’ with no visible access to the animals were sometimes used by the Dutch when operating in the UK. Here is a photo of a typical closed box trailer; which actually contains many dozens of live sheep.
Live sheep being carried in this trailer within the UK by a Dutch haulier – would you know it ? – where is the signage in accordance with EU Regulations on the transport of live animals ?
If you do not know that, then how are UK emergency services supposed to know it if the trailer overturns on a UK motorway ?. That my friends was the very essence of my letter of complaint to Mr Van Goethem – that trailers are not identified as carrying live animals; hence failing the requirements of EU Regulation 1/2005, and that the trailers did not have access doors fitted to them – something which Lesley identified so very much in her report to the EU on the very same issue.
Here below is a link to Lesley’s report on the importance of access in livestock trailers – why it is so very important to have multiple access doors to allow access to animals should they need it.
A statement exists in EU Regulation 1/2005 on ‘the protection of animals during transport’, that: ANNEX I – Technical Rules; Chapter II – Means of Transport; Section 2 – ‘Additional provisions for transport by road or rail’ – Para 2.1 clearly defines:
2.1 “Vehicles in which animals are transported shall be clearly and visibly markedindicating the presence of live animals, except where the animals are transported in containers marked in accordance with paragraph 5.1”.
SAV underline and red type above.
Evidence of the failure of ‘clear and visible markings’ on some livestock trailers is yet another example of where the EU has written legislation, in the form of Regulation 1/2005; but effectively, it (the EU) does not wish to ensure that its regulations are enforced by member states.
In his letter back to Mark of 6/5/2013, Mr Van Goethem clearly states at the end of page 1 that:
“You alert us to the fact that transports, often do not display notices warning that live animals are being transported. This is indeed contrary to the terms of the legislation, according to which road vehicles carrying animals ‘shall be clearly and visibly marked indicating the presence of live animals’.”
“This is of course of great importance to ensure the welfare and safety of the animals on board”.
“The Commission sees that it is important that the Regulation is properly implemented. It is however the member states that are primarily responsible for the daily enforcement of EU legislation, and the Commission would intervene mainly where there appears to be a systemic failure of the competent authority of a member state to enforce adequately the EU Regulation”
As of 2016, Dutch livestock transporters using the box type trailers are still being witnessed by UK activists on the roads of the UK, and ARE STILL carrying no signage whatsoever in accordance with EU Regulations.
So, we have to ask exactly what Mr Van Goethem and his ‘team’ are actually doing for the welfare of animals in transport from EU member states. In our opinion, very little at all; maybe even nothing. Not particularly good for someone who in his letter of May 2013 to Mark claims to be the ‘Director responsible for animal welfare in the DG for Health and Consumers’ (at the EU).
Why Mr van Goethem, have you taken no action either about the lack of clear signage on livestock carrying trailers ? We have given you the clear photographic evidence, the names of some of the hauliers doing this, and the actual sub para of the EU Regulation which declares that signage is completely important.
Why ?, why are you happy to fail the animals ? – you declare that you are a ‘Director responsible for animal welfare’ art the EU Commission.
Can we make a suggestion – that you practice what you claim to be and that you give a lot more understanding to the lives and suffering of animals in transport rather than just to your retirement pension from the EU !
Yet another reason for the UK groups to get out of the utterly useless EU and to undertake ex EU campaigning for all live animals in transport across the EU.
And more importantly, time for EU ‘importants’ to wake up to the real world; see all their failings and to actually do something about it. Something we have not seen to date.
Things are very close at the moment – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36271589 – many people wanting out simply because the EU does nothing; talks the talk; fails to enforce and then charges member states millions of pounds each week for not enforcing the regulations.
What would you do in such a situation ? – support the Van Goethem ‘do nothing’ policy or get out and try to improve the welfare of animals in transport ?
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We witness the dictatorship of incompetents!
In June 2012, the then EU Commissioner John Dalli assured us all to pursue the will of the 395 MEPs until 2014, who signed for a reduction of the transport of animals to 8 hours. And the will of 1,100,000 EU citizens who had signed the petition. In June 2012, Dalli disclaimed his promise.
To date, 6 years after, Dalli goes unpunished. A MEP cannot nullify his promise without consequences, just because it fits him like that. Unless he suffers from dementia or is corrupt. Both very poor properties to direct the Office of Health and Food.
Dalli is out, a new is here! His name is Mr. Van Goethem or perhaps Mr. Andiukaitis, or even Mr. Hogan. No one knows, because no one is responsible for anything. The only thing we know with certainty that all can nothing. It would be enough if they bring the 8hours campaign to an end, as a sign of fairness and restitution. If they had corrected the EU bad reputation in animal welfare because of the Dalli affair. If they had abolished the shameful Transport Regulation from 01/2005, we would not accuse the EU of being responsible for medieval barbarism in animal transport. We do not ask that they do all this because of love for the animals, but because animal welfare is in their contract, and because they get a turbo salary.
Clearly, we are experiencing the dictatorship of incompetents! When conducting talks with MEPs, you are at the end after half an hour. You sit opposite to merciless, disinterested and stupid janitor, with nice white shirts. And one wonders what they’re doing there. Besides earning a lot of money, of course.
Both Mr. Van Goethem and Mr. Andiukaitis would gain a higher reputation, if both would give up her job. Both are not able to lead a responsible animal welfare policy. In whose hands lies the future of animal transport?
In those of the incompetents, the washouts, the clueless. We need a new European model. For humans and animals. Venus
Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 