Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)

Leonardo DiCaprio Calls For Wildlife Trade To End – Says Animals Are ‘Worth More Alive’

The actor praised Vietnam’s decision to ban all imports of wild animals to his 45.1 million Instagram followers

Celebrity actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio has called for an end to the wildlife trade, saying animals are ‘worth more alive’.

The star made the comment after reposting a breaking news story from WildAid on how Vietnam has banned all imports of wild animals, dead or alive, to reduce further pandemic risk.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has also called for tougher action against people involved in illegal hunting, killing, or advertising of wild animals in a new directive with immediate effect.

‘This is huge’

DiCaprio, who often uses his platform to raise awareness of meat’s environmental impact, said to his 45.1 million Instagram followers: “This is huge for both the protection of wildlife and ourselves.

“We must end the trade. #EndTheTrade #WhenTheBuyingStopsTheKillingCanToo #WorthMoreAlive.”

Is Leonardo DiCaprio Vegan?

Whilst DiCaprio has invested in plant-based brand Beyond Meat, and executively produced the environmental documentary Cowspiracy – he is not vegan himself.

However, it was reported that the celeb requested a plant-based meal for the 2020 Governors Ball earlier this year.

Chef Wolfgang Puck told Hollywood Life: “I did the SAG Awards and Leo said, ‘What can you give me, something vegan?’. He wanted vegan. We made a vegan pizza. He ate it so fast. He said, ‘Oh, can you bring another one?’.”

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Sorry folks but with Venus away I was hoping to keep things under some kind of control.  But over the last few days I have personally had a really bad hit with my MS – and with the heat this week in Europe, it just shut me down.  But things are a little better today and so I will try and publish a few things.  This story is just one of thousands which relate to animals being kept and abused for their fur.

Then you get crass statements from the BFTA stating that there are individual cases like this; but with rigorous checks cases are dealt with swiftly.  A typical response from an industry which supports animal abuse.

This incident was in Finland, but we fully support Claire Bass of the Humane Society International/UK, when she says “As long as the UK sells fur from overseas, we are complicit in this horrendous cruelty.

“We need a UK fur sales ban now.”

Fully agree Claire, and we will continue (with most people) to fight to get one.

Fur farmers and traders – dealers in animal abuse and untold suffering; we will expose them whenever we can.

All photographs are reproduced courtesy of the Mirror newspaper.

Regards Mark

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/caged-raccoon-dog-impaled-through-22426297?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Foxes and mink have been found in appalling conditions on fur farms in Finland, which exports millions of pounds of fur products to the UK.

Investigators found animals in tiny cages suffering from ear infections and damaged eyes, and with ears and limbs bitten off.

One raccoon dog had even been impaled through the eye and head by a protruding part of his cage.

Kristo Muurimaa is an investigator for the Finish charity Oikeutta Elaimille, who visited farms undercover.

He said: “I have got used to seeing animals unable to move more than a few feet, the stench, the continuous screaming and the rattling sound of wire cages under thousands of tiny paws.

“But this raccoon dog pierced through the eye, hanging there unable to move, was something I’ve never seen before.

“This industry needs to stop.”

Finland is Europe’s biggest producer of fox fur.

It electrocutes 1.9 million foxes, 1.04 million mink and 153,000 raccoon dogs every year.

Since 2000, when Britain banned fur farming, we have imported more than £14million of Finnish fur.

Claire Bass, of the Humane Society International/UK, said: “As long as the UK sells fur from overseas, we are complicit in this horrendous cruelty.

“We need a UK fur sales ban now.”

This month, the Daily Mirror launched its Fur Free Britain campaign.

The British Fur Trade Association said: “There will be individual cases where animals become ill or injured.

“Thanks to the rigorous checks in place, these cases will be dealt with swiftly.”

• To help us make Britain fur free sign this petition

Mirror petition wording:

Help make a fur-free Britain!

The government ordered the last UK fur farm to close its doors back in 2000, but now the UK is importing fur cruelty from overseas. The unnecessary suffering of animals for fur fashion is deplorable, whether the animal involved is a cat, a dog or a seal, whose fur is already banned from UK trade by EU regulations, or a coyote, a fox or a raccoon dog, whose fur is currently still allowed.

Opinion polls show continually high levels of public disapproval of fur, regardless of species – more than 80% believe that it’s unacceptable to buy and sell animal fur in the UK. We want to see an end to the cruel, unnecessary, outdated fur trade, and for Britain to lead the way as the world’s first fur-free nation!

Please add your name to our letter calling on the government not only to retain a UK import ban on cat, dog and seal, but also establish a sales ban to cover the pelts of all animals killed for their fur.

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See pictures and Ramsgate videos here:

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/07/30/england-dutch-criminal-exports-british-sheep-for-eid-slaughter-the-conservatives-do-nothing-except-talk-the-talk-we-want-action/ 

WAV Comment – I (Mark) have been involved with work against the live animal trade for nearly 30 years now.  I think that I have seen a lot of the abuses associated with this business over those years.  Got the T shirt and all that !

At the moment in England; we really only have the live trade going out of Ramsgate, which is a port here in my home county of Kent.  Kent is the nearest county to mainland Europe, with very regular ferry services to the continent.  Fortunately, due to excellent and very long, hard campaigning over many years; we managed to get all the major ferry operators (sailing from UK to Europe) to stop carrying live animals (for slaughter) on their ships.  The only service which really operates sporadically now is from Ramsgate port by the Dutchman named Onderwater.  He has been operating for a few weeks now; taking British sheep into Europe for ritual slaughter in relation to Eid.  See the message below from Lyn at Animals Australia about this also.

See these links for more info /history relating to Onderwater:

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2019/08/05/england-the-onderwater-facts-from-campaigner-jane/

https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2018/11/27/england-dutchman-onderwater-exports-scottish-calves-from-ramsgate-plus-more-info/

Mr Onderwater runs a Dutch registered company called Onderwater Agneaux BV. He pleaded guilty on behalf of his company at Folkestone magistrates’ court on 5 July 2010 to six offences of not displaying any sign on his vehicles indicating the presence of live animals contrary to article 6(c) of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006 and article 6(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport. The prosecutor was the trading standards department of Kent county council.

And here we are in 2020 with a convicted criminal still taking live British sheep into Europe for ritual slaughter.  As with all politicians; the CAWG bleats on about how terrible things are for sheep to be exported from Ramsgate; and yet they are the political party with a big majority in government who could act to stop the trade and change it now.  Instead they do nothing and continually go on about how terrible it all is.  Yes it is terrible; so CAWG, get off your butts and do something to get your party, the Conservatives; to stop the trade.  If they don’t take action and instead just simply bleat on; then you have to ask what they really exists for ?

Here below is the message from Lyn; it is happening in England right now due to an ineffective CAWG and a useless Conservative government.  Boris Johnson specialises in talking the talk; but fails when it comes to doing anything.

———————————————

Mark,

Tomorrow is the start of Eid al-Adha, the annual ‘Festival of Sacrifice’ — one of the most lucrative times of the year for the global live export industry and, sadly, one of the peak times of suffering for animals.

Animals from Australia, Europe and South America have been exported to the Festival. It is the companies and countries that supplied these animals that bear the weight of moral responsibility for what lies ahead for them in coming days.

For some 15 years now, Animals Australia has had investigators on the ground during the Festival to document the final moments of animals, so that we have evidence to call these countries and companies to account. This year will be no different.

Despite the challenges of COVID-19 border closures, we will have investigators working across eight countries in South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Our in-country work over many years has enabled us to forge invaluable relationships and friendships with local advocates and investigators who share our desire to see an end to the live export trade. They will be actively operating under our coordination during the Festival.

Already our investigators’ work has paid ‘dividends’, with the lodging of evidence to the Australian regulator revealing Australian sheep being sold outside of approved supply chains in Kuwait. We know all too well what this blatant breach of exporters’ responsibilities would have meant for these animals — transport in car boots in suffocating heat and a prolonged and painful death.

This complaint reveals once again that without independent oversight, Australian live export regulations can be easily circumvented. And once again, without our investigators being active, the Department of Agriculture would be none the wiser that breaches of their regulations were occurring.

Having witnessed the treatment of animals during so many Festivals of Sacrifice, I can report that the one small mercy we will see this year, is reduced suffering. This is because COVID-19 restrictions are dramatically reducing street sales and slaughter across all affected countries. As a result, we don’t know exactly what our teams will find, but thanks to you they will be there.

As you can imagine, investigation work is highly risky for those who must live and work in the same regions, but these advocates’ bravery is driven by their collective desire to see all animals treated humanely and with compassion.

I wish you could have come to know these advocates and investigators as I have. I am so very grateful to these incredible men and women who care so deeply for animals. They are the agents for change in their countries. Their desire for kindness and compassion to be extended to all beings is no different to our own.

And of course, I’m so grateful for your support that means these investigators can be where they need to be, equipped and ready. We speak to them of the critical support that you provide that enables these investigations. Please know that they draw strength from you, and other caring people, who they know will be with them in spirit in coming days.

Thank you, as always, for making our work possible — this year more than ever.

For the animals,

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Council In London To Ban Meat From Future Events To Fight Climate Crisis

‘Thank you for doing the right thing when plant-based is the only way forward for our planet, public health, and human decency’

LIAM GILLIVER

https://www.plantbasednews.org/news/council-ban-meat-from-events-fight-climate-crisis

Enfield Council in London has announced it will ban meat from future events to help tackle the climate crisis.

Starting in December, the council will be the first in the U.K to only serve veggie and vegan options at events where it provides the catering.

The council, which aims to become a net-zero organization by 2030, and a net-zero borough by 2040, recently made the announcement in its Climate Action Plan report.

‘Positive impact’

A spokesperson from The Vegan Society told the Evening Standard: “A comparison of even the lowest impact beef with plant protein such as peas shows that beef is responsible for six times more greenhouse gasses and 36 times more land.

“For councils that have declared a Climate Emergency this would be a simple policy to enact which would have a positive impact.”

The Vegan Society added that it hopes other councils and public sector organizations will be ‘inspired’ by Enfield Council’s move and follow in suit.

Mixed opinions

The announcement stirred opinions online, with some accusing the council of ‘forcing’ people to be vegetarian.

One Twitter user said: “Imagine the outcry if it was the other way around! Surely it’s not a councils job to dictate what we eat?”

Whilst another, who was in support of the ban, said: “Hats off to Enfield Council. Thank you for doing the right thing when plant-based is the only way forward for our planet, public health, and human decency.”

You can read the full report here

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https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/07/29/brazil-major-investors-drop-meat-giant-jbs-after-company-linked-to-amazon-deforestation/

Major Investors Drop Meat Giant JBS After Company Linked To Amazon Deforestation

The announcement follows five allegations in 2020 alone that have tied the meat processor to illegal deforestation

LIAM GILLIVER

JUL 28, 2020

https://www.plantbasednews.org/news/investors-drop-meat-giant-jbs-amazon-deforestation

Brazilian meat giant JBS has been dropped from major investor Nordea Asset Management – the largest financial service group in the Nordics.

It is reported the investors control a fund of around £21 billion ($27 billion) – which JBS is now ‘excluded’ from.

‘Quite dramatic’

According to The Guardian, head of responsible investments at Nordea Asset Management Eric Pedersen said: “The exclusion of JBS is quite dramatic for us because it is from all of our funds, not just the ones labelled ESG.”

The firm’s acronym ESG stands for ‘environmental, social and governmental’ – a set of standards used to assess how sustainable a company is.

Illegal deforestation

The announcement follows five allegations in 2020 alone that have tied the meat processor to illegal deforestation – with environmental groups including Greenpeace criticizing the company since 2012.

JBS was also slammed last year when the Amazon Rainforest was reported to have been ‘burning down at record pace’ – with a slew of major news outlets linking the blazes to beef farming.

Many celebrities also spoke out about the environmental catastrophe – with Khloe Kardashian encouraging her [then] 97.6 million Instagram followers to go plant-based.

TAGS

MEAT GIANTAMAZON DEFORESTATIONAMAZON FIRESJBS

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https://worldanimalsvoice.com/2020/07/29/australias-fires-killed-or-harmed-three-billion-animals/

Australia’s fires ‘killed or harmed three billion animals’

• 28 July 2020

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-53549936

Nearly three billion animals were killed or displaced during Australia’s devastating bushfires of the past year, scientists say.

The findings meant it was one of “worst wildlife disasters in modern history”, said the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which commissioned the report.

Mega blazes swept across every Australian state last summer, scorching bush and killing at least 33 people.

Mammals, reptiles, birds and frogs died in the flames or from loss of habitat.

• Koalas face extinction in New South Wales by 2050

• Australia fires were far worse than any prediction

During the peak of the crisis in January, scientists had estimated that 1.25 billion animals had been killed in New South Wales and Victoria alone.

But the new estimate takes in a larger area. About 11.46 million hectares – an area comparable to England – was scorched from September to February.

What was the impact?

“When you think about nearly three billion native animals being in the path of the fires, it is absolutely huge – it’s a difficult number to comprehend,” said Prof Chris Dickman, who oversaw the project by 10 scientists from Australian universities

He said they could not yet state an exact death toll, but noted the chances of animals escaping the blazes and surviving were “probably not that great” due to a lack of food and shelter.

The numbers were based on population counts and estimates of animal density before the disaster.

Limitations on data meant that some groups – such as invertebrates, fish and turtles – were not included in the estimates.

In February, the Australian government identified 113 animal species which needed “urgent help” after the bushfires.

Almost all on the list had lost at least 30% of their habitat in temperate forests and grasslands of Australia’s south and east.

Koalas and wallabies – as well as bird, fish and frog species – were among those needing the most help, said experts.

• A visual guide on the scale of Australia’s fires

• How do we know how many animals died in fires?

• Coronavirus bites into bushfire recovery

The government pledged A$50m (£27m; $35m) to wildlife and habitat recovery, but environmentalists have called on Australia to strengthen its conservation laws.

Australia is holding a royal commission inquiry into the fires, which is due to report findings in October.

It has heard overwhelming evidence from scientists who said the unprecedented frequency and severity of the blazes were a result of climate change.

Experts also said that smoke from the fires was linked to more than 445 deaths.

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Animal rights activists rally at Greater Vancouver Zoo after emaciated moose put down

https://globalnews.ca/news/7219704/vancouver-zoo-moose-animal-rights/

Animal rights activists gathered at the Greater Vancouver Zoo Sunday to protest what they say is the poor treatment of animals, in the wake of the death of an emaciated moose.

Oakleaf, an eight-year-old moose, was euthanized at the Aldergrove facility Wednesday after months of declining body condition, according to zoo veterinarian Dr. Bruce Burton.

Read more: Grizzly bear cubs from Alberta find new home at Greater Vancouver Zoo

Burton told Global News staff had tried multiple diet changes since the winter, but that her condition worsened significantly in recent weeks.

The decision to euthanize came one day after a photo of the moose with its ribs clearly visible circulated on Facebook, which Burton said was “coincidental,” adding that he hadn’t seen the photos before the moose was euthanized.

Activists, however, claim the decision to put the moose down was a result of public scrutiny and argue that the zoo is “sourcing animals in questionable ways, and subsequently not delivering proper care or environment to them either,” according to their Facebook page.

“We have tons of questions. We’re demanding answers and we’re demanding a return to them being at least partially accountable as far as announcing deaths that have occurred here,” said organizer David Isbister with No More Dead Captives.

“If it wasn’t for the public finding Oakleaf’s condition no one would have known about it.”

Demonstrators say they’re also concerned with plans to transition the zoo to housing more large African animals, which they say will not fare well in northern climates.

Protesters point to a 2019 report commissioned by the Vancouver Humane Society (VHS) by wildlife protection charity Zoocheck, alleging that many animals at the zoo were “living in barren, undersized cages and enclosures that restrict them from engaging in natural behaviours.”

The zoo maintains that the welfare of its animals is its top priority and that enrichment and conservation remain the institution’s guiding principles.

“Our goal is to provide the best possible conditions for the zoo’s animal collection by continually evaluating and improving all aspects of the animals’ homes, social situations, husbandry, and nutrition,” zoo general manager Serge Lussier told Global News when the report was released.

Burton said the zookeepers are vigilant but that the facility welcomes feedback from the public if they ever believe an animal is in distress.

Read more: Red panda death sparks calls for change at Greater Vancouver Zoo

“They have a vested interest. They love these animals,” he said. “But if we get input from somebody else it does two things — it provides us with information, but it also indicates that the public are concerned about the health and welfare of these animals.”

Burton said a post-mortem on Oakleaf has not provided a definitive reason for her declining condition, but that he believed she would not have been able to recover.

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