Posts Tagged ‘Legislation’

Give Whales A Voice @ IWC

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Contributed by, Nicola Gothard

The International Whaling Commission (IWC) will be meeting on 21st June to discuss a possible lifting of the commercial whaling ban. The IWC regulates the whaling industry and is responsible for the ban on commercial whaling which came in to force in 1986.  However the commission is largely focused on regulating the whaling industry so that it can be sustainable and the ban had little to do with animal welfare. Whale stocks were hunted to near extinction and a ban was necessary.  However three countries; Japan, Norway and Iceland have continued to hunt whales. Iceland and Norway have objected to the ban and set their own hunting quotas – ignoring international law. Japan operates it’s whaling industry under the guise of ’scientific’; research – the ban allows for limited whaling in the interest of scientific research. Australia have recently filed a suit claiming that Japanese whaling has nothing to do with science and is more commercially motivated.

At the upcoming meeting members will vote on a deal which will see the end to the ban and legitimize commercial whaling. The proposal would allow the three countries that have defied the ban to hunt legally provided they kill less whales than they have been doing illegally. This is a ridiculous proposal, it’s like telling a criminal that their activities are no longer illegal but as a trade-off they can no longer commit the crime so often. Firstly they probably won’t listen because they have already shown they have no respect for the law. Secondly, the international community should not bow to bully nations throwing their weight around. Thirdly, it completely disregards the fact that whaling is inherently inhumane and as such should not be inflicted on any number of whales.

How to Help

I have scouted around the net for various ways you can show governments and the IWC that you do not want to lift the ban on commercial whaling:

1. Everybody can sign this petition to the Norwegian Government  here

2. Everybody can join WSPA Australia’s campaign to give the whales a voice. They are asking everyone to record messages to the International Whaling Commission which they will take to the meeting on June 21st here

3.  In America you can write a letter to your senator asking them to support the International Whale Conservation Protection Act here. The USA is as ever a key decision maker and it id vital that they vote against lifting the ban.

4.  Email the International Whaling Commission to tell them what you think at secretariat@iwcoffice.org

5. In this international community it is important that we all show our national representatives how we feel.  You can find the name of the representative of your country in the IWC  here.  Please contact them and tell them how you would like your country to vote.

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Posted in Animal Welfare in Action, Animals & Politics, Animals in the News, Wild Animals | 1 Comment »

What does new British government mean for fox-hunting?

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

Contributed by, Nicola Gothard

Ok, so bad news first – the Conservative party are the largest party in British government with 307 seats. The good news is that they needed at least 323 to form a majority government and therefore had to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats. Why is this good news? Well, because the Conservatives and Liberals couldn’t be further apart ideologically. The conservatives look after the landed classes and people with money in general, wanting to lower taxes on the rich, cut back on public spending and most importantly to me, repeal the fox-huting ban – favourite past time of the ‘old money’ landowners. On the other hand the Liberal Democrats care about people and to some extent animals too.

Unfortunately as part of the coalition agreement, on page 18 it states,  ”We will bring forward a motion on a free vote, enabling the House of Commons to express its view on the repeal of the Hunting Act.” So it appears likely that a vote on the issue will come up in parliament at some point in the next five years – provided the coalition makes it that far. However the Liberals are anti fox-hunting and don’t have to vote with the conservatives to repeal the ban. Labour brought the ban in to place and won’t want to see it repealed either. Hoever there may be other marginal parties that will side with the conservatives on the issue and it could be a very close contest.

As luck would have it a timetable for such a vote failed to materialise in the Queen’s Speech, effectively indicating that it was no longer a priority and had been shelved! This is possibly because they would be heavily criticised for prioritising a law that affects few people and is effectively about a past-time  when the country is facing a massive financial deficit and their are more universally important issues to address. It also might cause unnecessary friction with the Liberals.

So, it looks like the foxes are safe to live another day – for now! But we must not get complacent and we must continue to show that many more people oppose fox-hunting than support it. The country-side alliance is making more noise on the issue because they don’t have their way, we must not let them manipulate the issue. So 4000 members of the country-side alliance want fox hunting back – there are 70 million people in the UK!

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Posted in Animals & Politics, Animals in the News, Wild Animals | No Comments »

What is an ‘enriched’ cage?

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Contributed by, Nicola Gothard MSc

From 1st January 2012 the conventional battery cage will be replaced by the ‘enriched’ cage in Europe. This article will take you through what is included in an enriched cage and what that means for laying hen welfare.

Enriched cages include:

    • 600cm2 of usable space – roughly the size of an A4 sheet of paper. This is only 50cm2 more usable space than conventional battery cages!

    • ‘Nesting’ box

    • Scratching mat

    • Perches

    • Claw shortening devices

Enriched Cage


    Scratch mat

    In a natural environment hens will forage for food over most of the day but in the enriched cage food only has to be dropped on to small astro-turf mats once a day. It is doubtful that all hens will be able to gain access to the mat or that it will be enough to satisfy the hens need to forage which will lead to frustration. Frustrated foraging behaviour is widely believed to be the cause of feather pecking (an abnormal behaviour only seen in captive laying hens).

    Perches

    Hens like to rest on high perches because it makes them feel safe but the perches in enriched cages are only slightly raised off the floor due to the low height of the cage. It is also unlikely that the hens will be able to roost/rest undisturbed on the perches because of the stocking density (the number of birds in a given area).

    Nesting box

    The astro-turf flooring in the nest box does not look or feel like nesting material and is only slightly more comfortable than a bare-wire floor.

    Dustbathing

    Hens become frustrated when they are unable to dust-bathe every day and yet there is still nothing in the enriched cage which allows them to do it at all.

    In my opinion, a cage is still a cage and hens should not be living in cages. They should be able to live more natural lives in  free-range or organic systems. The ‘enrichments’ in enriched cages only look good on paper and in reality do very little to meet the hens behavioural needs and improve their welfare. Please buy cage-free eggs!

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Posted in Animal Welfare Science, Ethical Eating | 1 Comment »

Breaking the code of good animal welfare!

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

It’s time for pet owners to start brushing up on how to look after their pets. From Tuesday 6 April new codes come into force which support the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and set out the legal duties of many pet owners. Following their introduction, the new codes will be used in courts as evidence relating to poor animal welfare. Animal Welfare Minister Jim Fitzpatrick unveiled the new codes on a visit to a Dogs Trust re-homing centre last Christmas. He said:

“We’re a nation of animal lovers, but sadly too many people still don’t know how to look after their pets properly and get things wrong. It’s the animals who suffer as a result.

Booklets containing the new codes are available from the Defra website as .pdf files here.

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Posted in Animals in the News, Companion Animals | No Comments »

Time for change needed for Dangerous Dogs Act

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Attacks by dangerous dogs have soared in Edinburgh, while the number of owners charged has doubled in the space of two years, it was revealed today. Figures obtained by the Evening News show at least one violent incident involving an out-of-control dog is now being reported every week in the Capital. And last year, a total of 36 owners faced charges under the Dangerous Dogs Act, compared to 26 the year before and 18 in 2007.

The statistics – which follow a spate of high-profile attacks on people and pets in Edinburgh in recent months – today led animal welfare chiefs to demand that changes to the law are speeded up to give them more powers to deal with so-called “devil dogs”.

Today’s figures show that in the last year 22 adults were savaged on their arms, hands, legs or face, a child was bitten on the stomach and 27 pet dogs were attacked. Two cats in the Craigmillar area were also mauled to death.

SSPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said the escalating number was “very worrying”, and he said the Control of Dogs Bill, which is currently being debated in parliament, should be introduced as soon as possible.
Currently no action can be taken against any dog owner or dog unless it has physically attacked another creature, but under the proposed legislation, introduced by MSP Christine Grahame, police could respond to reports of threatening and uncontrolled behaviour.

“At the moment police can only act if a person is physically injured, and often this is too late. Under the new bill, if there were any good case for restraining, muzzling or imposing conditions on a dog, it would be legally enforceable. We will be able to make sure that dogs are micro-chipped, walked on a lead or banned from certain areas if necessary. However, we should remember that it is often the irresponsible owner who is at fault. We fully support pulling the hammer down on these people.”

To read more about the RSPCA’s campaign against irresponsible dog ownership and the growing problem of ’status’ dogs, click here.

To find out against the League Against Cruel Sports planned campaign against dogfighting, click here.

Source: The Scotsman
Anna Claxton

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Posted in Animals in the News, Companion Animals | No Comments »

Official- Swiss animals don’t need lawyers!

Monday, March 8th, 2010

In the follow-up to previous AWEN news detailing a vote for animals to have the right to be represented by their own lawyers, the result of the poll taken yesterday was emphatic: Swiss voters don’t think abused animals need to have their own lawyers.

It’s a proposal that would never even come near a referendum in other countries, but the outcome disappointed animal rights advocates, who say Switzerland’s elaborate animal welfare laws aren’t being enforced. Opponents of the proposal, including key farmers’ groups and the government, had argued that existing laws are enough and appointing special lawyers to act on behalf of animals would be unnecessarily expensive for taxpayers.

Official results showed that 70.5% of voters cast their ballot against the proposal to extend nationwide a system that has been in place in Zurich since 1992. Some 29.5% of voters backed the proposal, with turnout at just over 45%. Switzerland tightened its laws two years ago and now has among the strictest rules anywhere when it comes to caring for pets and farm animals.

Do you think this was the right outcome? Have your say below.

Source: The Press Association.

Anna Claxton

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Posted in Animals in the News | No Comments »

Lebanon says ‘non’ to animal welfare?

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Lebanon must catch up with neighboring states and enact animal rights legislation, a local animal welfare organization said this week.

“Gandhi once said that a nation’s greatness is measured by the way it treats its animals,” said Lana Khalil, president of Animals Lebanon, at a conference on Wednesday.

“As human beings we inherited this incredible planet, and along with this inheritance came great responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is respecting the environment and all the living beings including the animals which share life on this planet.”

The call for greater respect for animal welfare comes ahead of a summit for signatories of The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), which takes place in Qatar from 12-25 March.

Lebanon and Bahrain are the only Arab states that have not signed the 1975 convention, though are technically obliged to monitor any trade of animals between countries that have. However, because of a lack of training in animal policing in Lebanon, however, it is an easy base for animal smugglers to import and export endangered species. Elephants, big cats and chimpanzees are just some species known to have been smuggled in and out of Lebanon.

As recently as September 2009, a lion cub was discovered abandoned in a cage in a Beirut alleyway. The severely dehydrated animal, which had been kept illegally, died shortly after. There are also a large number of private zoos where endangered species are kept without proper care or safety precautions, campaigners have said.

“I call on all Lebanese and every humanitarian to implement international laws like CITES to protect and preserve animals,” said Khalil. She said that Lebanon had always enjoyed a reputation as the “pearl of the Middle East: because of its natural beauty. “Let us agree today to add one more attribute to Lebanon which is: Lebanon not only believes in human rights but also animal rights,” Khalil implored.

Anna Claxton

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Posted in Animals in the News | No Comments »

All in favour please say “neigh”

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Swiss voters will go to the polls on 7th March, 2010, to decide whether or not to appoint state-funded lawyers across the country to represent animals in court.

Supporters of the idea say such lawyers would help deter cases of animal cruelty and neglect, by making sure that those who did abuse or neglect animals would be properly punished.

Opponents, however, claim that Switzerland, which already has strict animal protection laws, does not need any more legislation and that taxpayers money would be better spent elsewhere.

Zurich already has had its own animal lawyer for a number of years; Antoine Goetschel is the only state-funded lawyer in Switzerland who goes to court to speak on behalf of animals. His clients include dogs and cats, guinea pigs, cows, horses and sheep, even, recently, a large pike, fished from Lake Zurich.

“People accused of animal cruelty very often hire lawyers to defend themselves,” Mr Goetschel pointed out. “Why shouldn’t someone speak for the animal as well?”

Source: BBC News

Anna Claxton

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Don’t let them CON you!

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Contributed by Nicola Gothard, MSc.

There will be a general election in the United Kingdom this summer. People are disillusioned with politics and looking for a change from Labour, following the recession and some dubious behavior over the Iraq war.  I agree to some extent that it would be nice to see a new government but this is very idealistic thinking. When it comes down to it, there are only two parties in the running (Labour and Conservative) and they differ very little in terms of how they would actually run the country. That is, until it comes to animal welfare. I am not saying Labour actually care but they are supportive of animal welfare legislation – if only because the conservatives are not!

I have contacted the conservative MP for my constituency – Ed Vaizey many times about animal welfare issues. I have asked him to support proposals ranging from banning animals in circuses to public procurement of free range eggs to backing the ban on beak trimming to backing the ban on fox hunting. Every single time he has refused to give support and has explicitly told me that he supports fox hunting. If you look at the MPs that have signed Early Day Motions on animal welfare issues, the conservatives always have the least number of sign ups despite being the second largest party in government. EDMs are petitions which can only be signed by MPs and if there are enough signatures the issue will be debated in parliament.

Even the conservative leader, David Cameron is pro fox hunting – having taken parts in hunts himself. The conservatives will repeal the fox hunting ban if they get in to power – it’s as simple as that. Do we really want to elect a government that supports an archaic out-lawed cruel sport like fox hunting? A vote for the conservatives is most definitely a step backward for animal welfare!

Meanwhile since Labour first took office in 1997 there has been more animal welfare legislation passed than ever before and the significance can’t be under-estimated.

  • Since 1997 no great apes (chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas) have been used in experiments in the UK
  • The Home Office stopped giving licences to test finished cosmetic products in 1998
  • Banned fur farming in England and Wales on moral grounds when it passed the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act in 2000
  • Made it illegal to hunt wild mammals with dogs in England and Wales when it passed the Hunting Act in 2004
  • Passed the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which makes owners and keepers responsible for ensuring that the welfare needs of their animals are met.

If you are interested in whether your MP or candidates back the ban click here.

Several animal welfare organizations have teamed up to ask MPs to sign a pledge to vote cruelty-free on several key animal welfare issues. If you are interested in finding out if your MP or candidates have signed click here.

Let’s make the outcome of this summers election a positive one for animals!

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Posted in Animals & Politics | No Comments »