|
|
AR-NEWS Digest 582
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Drug companies battle for the bottom line
by Andrew Gach
2) World Fur Farming Production
by MINKLIB@aol.com
3) TORONTO FUR PROTEST
by Cesar Farell
4) Monday, Nov. 24 is Bear Call-In day--URGENT!
by nancyvp@ix.netcom.com (Nancy Perry )
5) MD Alert: Stop Deer Kill for Gaithersburg Development
by Michael Markarian
6) Washington Post: Iraq's Animal Tests
by LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long)
7) Yosemite bears cause record property damage in 1997
by Mesia Quartano
8) L.A. area-- today at 1pm, talk show discusses A-R
by Eric
9) Urgent Action Alert: Nov. 21 Dove Shoot in Florida
by SMatthes@aol.com
10) (US) Pet Deaths Under Fire
by allen schubert
11) Alaska Halts Lethal Wolf Control!
by Michael Markarian
12) (US) Alaska wolves face sterilization, relocation
by allen schubert
13) RALLY AGAINST HUNTING SATURDAY!
by "Alliance for Animals"
14) Re: (US) Alaska wolves face sterilization, relocation
by "Bob Schlesinger"
15) RE: MD Alert: Stop Deer Kill for Gaithersburg Development
by "D'Amico, Ann-Marie"
16) FUR FREE FRIDAY
by GOVEGAN4AL@aol.com
17) Fund Exposes Campaign to Recruit Children into Hunting
by Michael Markarian
18) (AR) Intendente propone envenenamiento masivo de perros
by caf@caf.mas-info.com.ar
19) CA TRAP INITIATIVE- BAY AREA MEETINGS
by CFOXAPI@aol.com
Date: Wed, 19 Nov 1997 21:39:10 -0800
From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Drug companies battle for the bottom line
Message-ID: <3473CCFE.6D71@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Dow Jones Newswires -- November 19, 1997
Mass. Denies DuPont Merck's Blockage Of Barr Labs' Warfarin
POMONA, N.Y. (Dow Jones)--Barr Laboratories Inc. (BRL) said the
Massachusetts Drug Formulary Commission rejected DuPont Merck
Pharmaceutical Co.'s petition to block the substitution of Barr
Laboratories' Warfarin Sodium, the generic equivalent of DuPont Merck's
Coumadin anti-coagulant.
As reported Monday, Barr Laboratories said an independent clinical trial
conducted at the VA Medical Center in Long Branch, Calif., found its
generic Warfarin Sodium product interchangable with DuPont Merck's
Coumadin.
In a press release Wednesday, Barr Laboratories said the commission's
decision "confirms the baseless nature of DuPont Merck's monopolistic
attempt to have states implement legislation and regulations to block
substitution of our generic version of Coumadin." DuPont Merck officials
weren't available to comment.
Barr Laboratories develops, makes, and sells generic pharmaceuticals.
DuPont Merck is a joint venture of Dupont & Co. (DD) and Merck & Co.
(MRK).
A Dupont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. spokesman confirmed Wednesday that the
Massachusetts Drug Formulary Commission denied the company's petition to
block substitution of Barr Laboratories Inc.'s (BRL) Warfarin Sodium
generic product.
The spokesman said Barr Laboratories hasn't addressed the potential
adverse drug effects when patients are switched from one form of
warfarin to another.
He said patients need to be monitored when a switch occurs because too
much of the drug may cause serious bleeding and too little can make the
therapy ineffective.
DuPont Merck maintains that pharmacies shouldn't be allowed to
substitute Warfarin Sodium for Coumadin without first notifying
patients. According to the spokesman, Barr Laboratories has spent about
$5 million to fight this concept.
A Dupont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. spokesman said Wednesday that the
Illinois Drug Formulary Commission voted not to list Barr Laboratories
Inc.'s (BRL) Warfarin Sodium as a generic substitution for Coumadin.
Barr Laboratories officials weren't immediately available for comment.
A Barr Laboratories Inc. spokesman said Wednesday the Illinois Drug
Formulary Commission made its decision without the benefit of the
clinical study that found Warfarin Sodium interchangable with DuPont
Merck Pharmaceutical Co.'s Coumadin anti-coagulant.
The spokesman said the company wasn't allowed to present the study or
views from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because all information
had to be submitted by Nov. 4. He added the company will appeal the
commission's decision.
In addition, he said DuPont Merck's claims that Barr Laboratories hasn't
addressed the drug's effects when patients are switched from one form of
warfarin to the other were found false and misleading by the FDA. The
company will seek having the FDA stop DuPont Merck from making the
claims
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 09:59:58 -0500 (EST)
From: MINKLIB@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: World Fur Farming Production
Message-ID: <971120095958_87537551@mrin47>
Here are the latest figures for this years world mink and fox production,
based on the number of kits that survived this year and will probably still
be alive when it comes time to kill the animals in a few weeks.
This is limited to mink and fox, but we know that 150,000 sable are farmed in
Russia each year, and several European countries raise a small number of
fitch and raccoon dogs (not to be confused with the American raccoon which is
a totally seperate species).
Also, North America and Russia have a small amount of lynx and bobcat
farming, and about 250,000 chinchilla are killed each year in various
countries. Finland is experimenting with pine marten farming, and Russia is
experimenting with river otter farming. Both of these are at a very early
stage right now.
MINK PRODUCTION FOR 1997
Denmark 10,800,000
Finland 2,200,000
Norway 305,000
Sweden 1,350,000
Iceland 150,000
Total Scandinavian Production 14,805,000
USA 2,700,000
Russia/CIS 2,000,000
Canada 920,000
China 800,000
Holland 2,800,000
England 100,000
Ireland 160,000
France 160,000
Germany 200,000
Poland 45,000
Belgium 140,000
Argentina 140,000
Italy 265,000
Spain 400,000
S. Korea 10,000
Baltics 600,000
Others 50,000
World Total Including Scandinavia 26,295,000
WORLD FOX PRODUCTION
Denmark 85,000
Finland 2,550,000
Norway 579,000
Sweden 15,000
Total Scandinavian Production 3,264,000
Russia/CIS 600,000
Poland 320,000
Canada 33,000
USA 20,000
Holland 30,000
Argentina 30,000
China 70,000
Baltics 80,000
Others 6,000
Total World Production Including Scandinavia 4,453,000
This info provided by the
Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade
PO Box 822411
Dallas, TX 75382
MINKLIB@aol.com
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 10:23:35 -0500
From: Cesar Farell
To:
Cc: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: TORONTO FUR PROTEST
Message-ID: <347455F7.34DADD64@utoronto.ca>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Announcing the Anti-Fur Extravaganza!
Saturday, November 29
12 noon
North-East Corner of Yonge and Bloor Streets
Toronto
Come protest against the murder of animals for
the sake of vanity -- take part in this annual
anti-fur demonstration. This is your chance to
let those who sell and wear fur know that fur
is cruel and barbaric.
Feel free to bring any props, banners, and any
other anti-fur paraphenelia.
For more information, please contact:
Tanjah @ ARK II, Animal Rights Kollective
(416) 967-9988
This event is co-sponsored by ARK II and AVA.
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 11:03:14 -0600 (CST)
From: nancyvp@ix.netcom.com (Nancy Perry )
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Monday, Nov. 24 is Bear Call-In day--URGENT!
Message-ID: <199711201703.LAA17807@dfw-ix5.ix.netcom.com>
It is of special importance that Tennessee folks make this call, but we
need as many calls as possible, so everyone should pick up the phone
Monday!
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24 IS "CALL THE GOVERNOR TO STOP THE BEAR HUNT"
DAY!
ACTION ALERT!
Please call Governor Sundquist's office at 615-741-2001 and ask that he
cancel the upcoming December season on Tennessee bears!
POINTS TO MAKE IN ARGUING TO PROTECT THE TENNESSEE BEARS:
1. The December hunt is biologically reckless! This year, the hunt
has already resulted in unprecedented numbers of bears killed. In just
one week, 235 bears were killed in Cocke, Blount and Sevier counties.
These counties surround the Great Smokey Mountain National Park which
has an estimated population of some 600 - 700 bears. Therefore, one
third of the bear population has already been removed. Holding a
second season this year, one that will last twice as long as the
already dramatically "successful" first season, may easily decimate
this bear population. A dangerously high percentage of the bears
killed in October were female (60%), further evidence of the biological
harm to the bear population.
2. The hunt has already led to unprecedented numbers of orphaned cubs!
The Appalachian Bear Center (ABC), a rehabilitation facility in
Townsend, took in just one orphaned cub last year, compared to the 9
they have received this year following the first hunt. There are
reports of at least 6 additional cubs that either escaped capture or
were hit by cars. When mother bears are killed, their cubs are found
wandering haplessly, often completely vulnerable. Daryl Ratajczak,
ABC's curator, referred to the October hunt as contributing to this
large number of orphaned bears stating, "The state never expected so
many bears to be taken...they grossly miscalculated."
3. Public safety and the well-being of the community will be
jeopardized by the December hunt! Individuals in local towns have been
outraged at hunters in pursuit of bears in their neighborhood streets,
parking lots, even in their backyards. They have endured the sound of
gun shots, the baying of dogs and the howling of wounded and dying
bears. They are being harassed and threatened by hunters who claim
they have a right, granted by state law, to hunt within city limits,
despite city ordinances prohibiting such action based on concerns for
public safety. One family of four vacationing in Gatlinburg watched in
horror as a hunter shot a bear seven times before it fell from a tree
to its death. The local townspeople and the local tourist industry has
a right to be protected from such threats to their safety and their
livelihood.
Call the governor's office ON MONDAY! Please pass this information
along to everyone who can make a call for the bears. Your call can
make a huge difference!
For more information, please call Nancy Perry at The HSUS at
301-258-8266.
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 10:39:47 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: MD Alert: Stop Deer Kill for Gaithersburg Development
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971120162136.0adfae1e@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
GAITHERSBURG ACTION ALERT
NO DEER KILLS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Gaithersburg officials are pushing for the Natelli Communities to kill more
than 100 white-tailed deer before building the new Lakelands development on
350 wooded acres that stretch between Route 28 and Great Seneca Highway.
This is the first ever suggestion that wildlife be killed to make room for
houses, and this short-sighted proposal must be halted in its tracks!
The Gaithersburg City Council will decide whether to allow the sharpshooting
plan in January, so time is short. Please write letters to the editor of
local newspapers, and contact the Mayor and the City Council members below.
Tell them not to slaughter deer in the name of development.
MAYOR:W. Edward Bohrer, Jr.
CITY COUNCIL:Stanley J. Alster
Charles F. Davis
Geraldine E. Edens
Sidney A. Katz
Henry F. Marraffa, Jr.
Each of them can be reached at: Gaithersburg City Hall
31 South Summit Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2098
You may wish to make the following points in your letters:
* Muddy Branch State Park is directly across Route 28 from this development
site. The deer are not overpopulated, and they will have plenty of places to go.
* Neo-traditional development communities such as Lakelands promote
themselves as ecologically friendly. People move into these developments
because they want to be close to parks, ponds, and wildlife. Residents do
not want the wildlife killed.
* As we continue to develop and to destroy wildlife habitat, we should
recognize that we are going to live close to wildlife and we should have
tolerance for neighboring critters.
* The development will not be complete for five to ten years, and there is
plenty of time to resolve deer conflicts humanely. We have time to explore
the use of reflectors on roads, the use of repellents and fencing in
gardens, and the use of deer contraception.
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 10:47:10 -0800
From: LCartLng@gvn.net (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Washington Post: Iraq's Animal Tests
Message-ID: <199711201838.NAA15699@envirolink.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Archivist of Atrocity
By Jim Hoagland
Thursday, November 20, 1997; Page A25
The Washington Post
Nearly 18 months ago, U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq
discovered videotapes showing stomach-turning scenes of the
testing of biological weapons on donkeys, sheep and dogs at the
Hakam laboratory in Baghdad. The tapes showing the animals
dying in agony are so gruesome that they were not released
publicly or disseminated widely within the United Nations itself.
They should have been played on closed-circuit television for all
U.N. delegates. Boris Yeltsin and Yevgeny Primakov, now busy
trying to find "light at the end of the tunnel" for Saddam Hussein,
should have been strapped into chairs and forced to watch the
handiwork of their client.
The existence of the tapes, as well as of the poison gas sprays
they reportedly show over the animals' stalls and cages, provides
graphic evidence of the nature of the man and the regime the
world confronts in Saddam Hussein and Iraq.
What kind of regime videotapes such horror and then places it in
archives?
The kind that ordered the massacre of innocent Kurdish civilians
and filmed that killing on a massive scale in 1987. The kind that
has systematically taped the show trials and grisly executions of
those who have fallen afoul of Saddam Hussein since he and his
murderous colleagues came to power in 1968.
There is in Iraq, some U.N. inspectors and Iraqi dissidents
believe, extensive documentary evidence of biological and
chemical experimentation on human prisoners by the Iraqi
regime. The New York Times suggested plausibly in a
front-page article last week that the Iraqis forced an end to U.N.
inspections on Oct. 29 by banning the team's American
members to avoid discovery of that evidence.
Few if any other rogue regimes would permit such evidence to
be recorded and kept. But the nature of Saddam Hussein's
dictatorship requires the archiving of atrocity.
He periodically shows tapes of the brutality with which he treats
enemies on Iraqi television to terrorize his people. Moreover, his
system requires filmed records to show that the dictator's savage
orders have been carried out as he directed. He trusts no one,
which is one key to his survival.
Saddam Hussein is no simple psychopath. He is, as former CIA
director R. James Woolsey recalled on television this week, "a
professional killer." That is no metaphor: Saddam Hussein's
occupation before going into government was that of hit man. In
the art of murder and extermination, he leaves nothing to
chance.
Release of the animal testing tapes by the United Nations would
have reminded the world of that reality. But political sensitivities
as well as emotional ones come into play at this point: What is
the point of stirring up public outrage and revulsion if you are not
prepared to remove the cause of it?
Publicizing the experiments using biological agents might well
have brought immediate and justifiable comparisons between the
Saddam regime and Germany's Nazis, and turned public opinion
toward demands for dramatic action. Disclosure of Serb
concentration camps and mass rape and killing in Bosnia had just
that effect in 1992.
But until Saddam Hussein put President Clinton on the spot by
ousting the American inspectors, Washington was content to
proclaim its "containment" of Iraq a triumph. But containment
resembled what the world would have looked like in 1940 if the
Roosevelt administration had pushed the German army out of
France, taken away most (but not all) of its V-2 rockets and left
Adolf Hitler in place to do what he liked to those who lived in
Germany.
Containment was a policy that was bound to be overtaken by
events, and the swift transformation of Iraq in U.S. official
statements from a non-problem to the world's most urgent
danger proves this has now happened.
Three weeks ago Saddam Hussein and Iraq were routinely
described by U.S. official statements as being tightly contained
in a box of American making. This week President Clinton said
Iraq presents a threat to "the safety of the children of the world"
that must be dealt with urgently.
That transformation raises a fundamental question for the
American people to put to its government:
Were you fooling us then, or are you fooling us now?
It is not an idle or vindictive question. Clinton must quickly close
the gap between the vivid dangers to global stability he is
describing and the still muted methods he is pursuing to combat
them.
The president has sensibly kept his diplomatic and military
options open to this point. But he cannot go very long having it
both ways, publicly suggesting that he suddenly sees the
gruesome and dangerous nature of the Iraqi threat while he
keeps the door open for a disguised diplomatic deal that will
grant Saddam Hussein new legitimacy.
Saddam Hussein does not shrink from looking into the face of
the horror he has created. The United Nations and the United
States no longer can afford the luxury of looking away from the
evidence the regime itself collects.
⌐ Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company
Lawrence Carter-Long
Science and Research Issues, Animal Protection Institute
email: LCartLng@gvn.net, phone: 800-348-7387 x. 215
world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/
"We are here on earth to do good for others. What the others
are here for, I don't know." -- W. H. Auden
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 13:44:29 -0500
From: Mesia Quartano
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Yosemite bears cause record property damage in 1997
Message-ID: <3474850D.E0F89768@usa.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
>From InfoBeat News:
Black bears in Yosemite National Park have caused a record
amount of property damage this
year, the National Park Service said Wednesday. Al Nash, a
spokesman for the service, said
property damage caused by black bears exceeded $500,000 in
1997. Nash blamed the problem
on tourists who fail to follow the park's food storage
guidelines. "Our bears are very smart, to the
point that they know what an ice chest or a cooler is - even if
it's sitting in a car. So they know
there's a reward if they break into the car," Nash said. Park
officials recently killed four bears,
which were regularly breaking into vehicles and charging at
people.
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 97 12:26:27 -0000
From: Eric
To:
Subject: L.A. area-- today at 1pm, talk show discusses A-R
Message-ID: <199711201916.OAA21924@envirolink.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Attn: L.A. area folks (along with others who have super-strong radio
receiving antennas)
At 1pm on Thursday, November 20, LCA President Chris DeRose will be an
in-studio guest on the Conway & Steckler Talk Show. The focus is slated
to be on animal research and the USDA licensed B Dealer system who
provide "random source" animals for experimentation.
It airs live on FM 97.1 and is supposedly L.A.'s #1 radio talk show in
the mid-afternoon, so the callers will likely be lively. Steckler (one
of the hosts) is a bright guy who loves to play devil's advocate, so he
may be tough on the issues.
Call-in # is 1-800-722-4971. Let's trounce on vivisection and reach
hundreds of thousands of people!
eric
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 14:26:13 -0500 (EST)
From: SMatthes@aol.com
To:
Cc: alf@dc.seflin.org, francion@andromeda.rutgers.edu,
PIGEONS-LIST@listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu, manatee@america.com,
OneCheetah@aol.com, nnetwork@cwnet.com, dnation@juno.com,
BHGazette@aol.com, lcanimal@ix.netcom.com, foa@igc.apc.org,
DDAL@aol.com, Ashley_Banks@ml.com, MChasman@aol.com, dawnmarie@rocket,
chrisw@fund.org, , jdanh@juno.com,
EnglandGal@aol.com, Pandini/@prodigy.net
Subject: Urgent Action Alert: Nov. 21 Dove Shoot in Florida
Message-ID: <971120142612_495032427@mrin40.mail.aol.com>
The 1997 Florida Citrus Showcase Dove Shoot (fund raising event) is scheduled
to be held Friday, November 21, on a field off of State Rd 33, less than 1
mile south of Deen Still Road just outside of Polk City in Polk County,
Florida.
It is the understanding of Sarasota In Defense of Animals that the fields are
baited to attract the doves to eat in the field where they are then gunned
down by the "fun-loving" citrus group! Baiting fields in the state of
Florida is illegal according to Florida Wildlife Code 39. If this event is
held, we are calling for a boycott of Florida citrus just when the profitable
citrus fruit 'SEASON' begins and just as the winter tourists are beginning to
arrive in Florida. This is a shameful introduction for the citrus season!
Faxes to protest this despicable dove shoot are urgently needed to the
following:
Allen L Egbert, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Florida Game & Fresh Water Fish Commission
Fax: 904-488-6988
Mr. Daniel Santangelo, Director
Florida Dept. of Citrus
Fax: 941-284-4300
Commissioner Neil Combee
Board of Polk County Commissioners
Fax: 941-534-7655
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 14:55:31 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Pet Deaths Under Fire
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971120145528.006e32b0@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
(comment: a NY Times article also noted that the deceased animals went to
a rendering plant)
from CNN custom news http://www.cnn.com/
----------------------------------
California State News
Reuters
20-NOV-97
Pet Deaths Under Fire
(LOS ANGELES) -- State senators are visiting Los Angeles to talk about why
so many stray animals end up destroyed at animal shelters. Committee chair
Tom Hayden calls the number of animals euthanized in L-A ``grisly.'' More
than 169- thousand were killed last year. He says thousands could have been
adopted out and the sickly ones nursed back to health. Hayden says many of
those killed were lost pets who could have been returned to their anguished
owners. The head of L- A's S-P-C-A says NO animal should be offered for
sale in a pet shop that hasn't been neutered.
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 11:54:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Cc: foa@igc.org
Subject: Alaska Halts Lethal Wolf Control!
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971120173616.55c7ca26@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game called us today to tell us the good
news -- NO MORE LETHAL WOLF CONTROL. This press release below is from their
web site.
http://www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/FISH.GAME/
STATE ADOPTS NON-LETHAL WOLF MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Cancels Lethal Wolf Control Program
November 18, 1997
Fairbanks - Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Frank Rue
announced today that the Knowles
Administration has accepted the recommendations of the Fortymile Caribou
Herd Planning Team to implement
non-lethal methods of predator control in Game Management Unit 20E.
Incorporating recommendations of the
National Academy of Sciences, the program is intended to allow the Fortymile
Caribou Herd to recover to former
levels, in order to provide more food for subsistence hunters and their
families as well as others in Alaska and
Yukon.
Rue also announced the department will not implement controversial, lethal
predator control programs currently
authorized in three interior Alaska game management units.
The Fortymile Caribou Herd once numbered over 500,000 and traveled across
eastern interior Alaska and the
Yukon Territory. Due to over-hunting prior to the 1970s, harsh winters and
predation, the herd is now only 5% of
its former size, and occupies only 25% of its former range, mostly in Alaska.
"The bottom line is that if we do nothing, the Fortymile caribou herd and
its surrounding ecosystem may never
recover. At best, it could take 50 to 100 years," said Rue. "We agree with
the diverse interests found on the
planning team, who believe we should try to overcome our past management
mistakes and help return the herd to
its former range."
Gov. Tony Knowles said the department's action was progressive, professional
and the result of a sound public
process. "The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is clearly in the forefront
of wildlife management science,"
Knowles said. "Their decision to accept the recommendations of the Fortymile
planning team is consistent with my
principles and the report of the National Academy of Sciences. The Fortymile
plan is the most effective and
humane way to address this situation and put food on the table for
subsistence families in Alaska's interior."
An 18-member team representing various stakeholders in the debate over wolf
management policy spent three
years developing a caribou management plan that recommended this new
approach of non-lethal wolf control.
Stakeholders include Native subsistence users in Alaska and Yukon, hunters,
environmentalists, animal welfare
advocates, tourism groups, state, federal and Yukon wildlife management
agencies.
The department will not implement lethal predator control programs
authorized by the Board of Game in Game
Management Units 19-D, 20-A, and 20-D.
In Game Management Unit 20-E, the department will implement a program that
involves fertility control and
relocation of the wolf packs located in the Fortymile Caribou Herd calving
area over the next three years. This
winter the department will focus on five to seven of the 21 packs that cause
the majority of caribou calf mortality. A
certified veterinarian will perform vasectomies and tubal ligations on the
alpha males and alpha females in these
packs. The alpha pairs are expected to maintain their territories, and
wildlife biologists will monitor them by
aircraft as frequently as weather allows.
Subdominant pack members will be relocated to other areas of Alaska. This
mimics natural dispersion of wolf
packs and increases chances for survival. The department has followed
recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences to design this program
to provide measurable outcomes.
Various interest groups hailed today's announcement as progress in the
ongoing debate over predator control.
Kenny Thomas Jr., a planning team member and subsistence hunter from
Tanacross, said, "I think we found a fair
solution, where we protect the health of our wildlife resources while
meeting the needs of our people. When our
main source of food is in jeopardy, you try to solve the problem in any way
necessary to put dinner on the table. I
want my little ones to grow up to have good hunting seasons."
Steve Behnke of the Alaska Wilderness & Recreation and Tourism Association
said, "State wolf kill programs
have been costly to Alaskan tourism outfitters in the past and we're glad to
see them ended. We're pleased that
tourism interests were recognized along with other points of view, and feel
that the planning team's
recommendation was a sound compromise."
Steve Taylor, Chief, Tr'on dek Hwech'in, Yukon, Canada said, "The Fortymile
caribou management plan is a very
good plan that took a lot of give and take on the part of a very diverse
group."
"The Fortymile planning process represents a sharp departure from previous
wolf control programs," said David
van den Berg of the Northern Alaska Environmental Center. "When conducted
properly, as this one has been,
consensus processes are a powerful tool of democracy, shifting decision
making and accountability to the people
most affected. For the public to have faith in these lengthy planning
processes, it is important to implement their
work if it is well-reasoned and thorough."
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 15:06:53 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Alaska wolves face sterilization, relocation
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19971120150651.006e32b0@pop3.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from CNN custom news http://www.cnn.com/
------------------------------------------
Alaska wolves face sterilization, relocation
Plan is bid to protect caribou
In this story:
November 19, 1997
Web posted at: 2:32 p.m. EST (1932 GMT)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) -- Wolves believed to be crowding an area of
Alaska will be subjected to sterilization and relocation in a bid to
protect a shrinking caribou population, the state Department of Fish and
Game said.
The 21 packs in Alaska's region -- a lengthy network of creeks and rivers
in eastern Alaska -- will be spared any wolf kills, department officials
said on Tuesday.
Instead, the "alpha" or lead pairs of each pack will get vasectomies and
tubal ligations to reduce reproduction under the plan. State biologists
this winter will capture about 30 of the area's 150-some wolves, take them
to a makeshift clinic for sterilization and then release them.
About 60 more wolves will be relocated to other parts of the state, under
the plan.
The intent is to boost the population of the Fortymile River area's caribou
herd, which is at 25,000 animals, only 5 percent of its historic high,
officials said.
No killing
Past Alaska practices of killing wild wolves to boost game populations have
been ruled out, officials said.
"It was pretty clear to us that the lethal wolf control of shooting wolves
out of airplanes was probably off the scale of what was acceptable to most
people," said Wayne Regelin, director of the department's Division of
Wildlife Management.
The Fortymile sterilization-and-relocation plan, product of three years of
research and negotiation by a diverse panel, was the state's only
wolf-control program approved by the Department of Fish and Game.
Government programs to kill wolves were common in Alaska in past decades.
But public attitudes about wolves have changed since then.
A short-lived wolf-control program in the early 1990s sparked an
international outcry and tourist boycott. In one of his first acts when he
took office in late 1994, Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles suspended the
culling program.
In 1996, Alaska voters banned a form of air-supported wolf hunting,
making it illegal to land an aircraft and kill a wolf on the same day.
Large wolf population threatens caribou
Without any action to reduce wolf predation, the Fortymile caribou herd
may not rebound from its depressed state, said Frank Rue, commissioner of
the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Rue.
The herd's troubles can be traced to the 1950s and 1960s, when the animals
were overhunted by humans, he said.
An 18-member team, with hunters and representatives of native,
environmental and tourism groups, came up with the Fortymile wolf plan.
The team included representatives from the Yukon Territory's government and
a native tribe there.
Alaska is the only U.S. state where wolves are not endangered or threatened.
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 16:12:08 -0600
From: "Alliance for Animals"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: RALLY AGAINST HUNTING SATURDAY!
Message-ID: <199711202122.PAA19329@mendota.terracom.net>
The ALLIANCE FOR ANIMALS IN MADISON, WI will be holding an
ANTI-HUNTING RALLY on Saturday, November 22, 1997 at 1:30pm.
We meet at the Pres House in the UW Library Mall at the end of State
Street (at Lake Street) at 1:30 for short speeches on:
Deer population dynamics
Steel Jaw Trapping
Bear Baiting and Hounding
Pheasant raise and release programs
DNR "youth hunts"
etc...
Please come for information, videos, free refreshments, free bumper
stickers, and a march up to the capitol.
DRESS WARM!!
For more information call The Alliance for Animals
at: 608-257-6333
Thank you!
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 13:28:26 -0800
From: "Bob Schlesinger"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Re: (US) Alaska wolves face sterilization, relocation
Message-ID: <199711201328260070.00D71517@pcez.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Following is a much different perspective than what was reported by CNN in the posting today by
Allen Schubert. The following is from the Alaska Wildlife Alliance Newsletter. The statement in
the CNN piece "An 18-member team, with hunters and representatives of native, environmental
and tourism groups, came up with the Fortymile wolf plan." is most certainly not true as one can
tell from the article below. The team was completely dominated by hunting interests.
An additional article on the sterilization plan can be found at:
http://www.arkonline.com/awa-sterilization.htm
-Bob Schlesinger
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Fortymile Plan Team
One activist's experience
by Alex Bury
Editor's note: Alex Bury is a local wildlife activist who was sought by the Fortymile team after the
Alliance
resigned to help restore the illusion of "balance." Alex resigned from the team after one meeting.
Back in February, I was thrilled to get a call from Fairbanks inviting me to join the "Fortymile
Caribou Herd
Restoration Project Team." The caller, Susan Will (the meetings coordinator) was refreshingly
blunt and
honest: There would be wolf control, period. The team had already come that far. So I was not
being
invited to help decide if the natural ecosystem should be messed with, but how. The team wanted
somebody to represent the wildlife protection view. I was excited, honored, and completely
impressed with
the apparent democracy of the process. Needless to say, the fact that the team would be
discussing a
non-lethal wolf control method was the biggest draw.
So off I flew to Fairbanks, more dressed up than I get for church. I was met at the door to the
meeting
building by none other than Craig Gardner himself. Craig (he insisted on first names) is the Fish
and Game
biologist who leads the team, and a big promoter of wolf control. Craig was not just polite or
welcoming,
he was downright gushy with his "What a treat to meet you," "So happy to have you here," and
"We're just
thrilled you came all this way."
During introductions I discovered that I was sitting between Christie Spence, from the Yukon
Dept. of
Renewable Resources, and two trappers, Pete Buist and Joe Mattie. I wish somebody had been
monitoring their blood pressure when they discovered who I was. Everybody else, though seemed
real
happy to have me there.
We got right to business. First, Craig Gardner and Rodney Boertje, another Fish and Game
biologist, gave
us an update on the Fortymile Caribou Herd. The herd is not only doing fine, they said, but even
growing. I
kept waiting for the bad news--some disease, perhaps, or imminent habitat destruction--to explain
why
they felt the need to "control" wolves, but Craig and Rodney sat down. That's odd, I thought.
Next, Bob Hayes and Christie Spence gave a presentation on some experimental wolf sterilization
they had
going on in the Yukon. Christie was my age and seemed quite charming. She had borrowed a pen
from me
and we had even shared a joke about being the only two young women in the room. That was
before I was
introduced as someone concerned with animal welfare.
Bob and Christie told the rest of the team of how they had just spent a ton of money to sterilize
wolves in
the Yukon and now knew, well, nothing about the effectiveness of wolf sterilization. The
sterilization itself
wasn't non-lethal; they talked about wolves "not recovering in the field" (that means dead, right?).
They
didn't know if sterilization was effective, how it affected the ungulate population, if the summer
kill rate by
wolves had changed, or if it would work long-term. They were quite sure, though, that it was
expensive.
When they sat down I held my breath, sure that their report would be met with discouragement
and
frustration. Instead they were applauded and thanked for offering such valuable information.
The real fun started after that. We attacked the wording of the plan, and when I say attack, I mean
it: It
was an assault on honesty and common sense like I have never seen, before or since. And this is
where I
came in.
Because the BOG meeting where the plan would be voted on was coming up, the team wanted to
insure
that their proposal was worded in such a way that the public would swallow it without any
naughty thoughts
of slaughtering wolves. I was their token animal lover, on hand to alert them to any phrases that
might make
other compassionate folks upset.
I sat back, amazed, as they spent literally hours over single sentences. It was exhausting--I had to
keep the
chocolate flowing. How to word it so that trappers and hunters would be happy while keeping the
general
public (the majority of Alaskans) quiet?
What it boils down to, plain and simple, is this: A few wolves will be sterilized (some of which
will die
during the procedure) and a few will be moved. Hundreds, though, will be "harvested" by being
caught in
steel-jawed leghold traps and wire snares.
There was no mention of all the other animals that will be killed in these traps and snares. There
was no
discussion of what this sort of carnage would do the delicate, natural ecosystem--not a peep from
Mr.
Northern Environmental Center (David van den Berg).
I had been assured, before the meeting, that issues of "humane-ness" and the environment would
be
addressed, in fact, that is why I was invited. But the barbaric cruelty of traps was never mentioned
at the
meeting, even when I bought it up. And as for the environment? They must have run out of time
before they
could consider what ecological havoc increased hunting in the area would cause (increased both
during the
plan, to trap more wolves, and after, to kill more caribou). The only environmental issue
mentioned was
Charlie Warbelow's concern that any attempt at habitat protection would lead to some areas being
closed
to ATV's. The rest of the team fell all over themselves to reassure Charlie there would be no such
habitat
manipulation!"
A big problem was how to assure the public that the sterilized wolves would be protected from
trapping.
There would be a lot of money invested in these eunuch animals, after all, and nobody wanted to
hand
those silly non-hunters ("they just don't understand") a soapbox to whine on. The trappers, though
(brilliantly represented by Pete and Joe), demanded a guarantee that no areas would be closed to
trapping
and that nothing would happen to them if and when they trapped a sterilized wolf the day after
surgery.
Needless to say, they got it.
It took over two hours, but the resulting paragraph made it sound like F&G cared about the fate
of the
sterilized wolves but, in reality, it gave trappers free reign. It was here that Craig Gardner assured
the
trappers (the entire team was real worried about upsetting the trappers) that he would continue to
work
closely with them on the locations of the wolves and that they shouldn't worry about the sterilized
wolves.
This is fair chase? Craig later went on record (Anchorage Daily News, March 12) denying that
F&G
communicated with trappers about the location of animals. This guy really needs to run for
office--he's got
all the skills needed.
They actually asked me, in all sincerity, if I thought that "animal lovers" and "other greenies"
would be happy
with the new wording of the plan. Perhaps, said I, a problem could arise over the fact that
trapping is the
major component of the plan but the plan proposal tries to cover this. I just didn't understand,
they told me.
I think I left Fairbanks with a pretty clear understanding of the plan. It is wolf control by trapping,
plain and
simple. The sterilization nonsense is nothing but a smoke screen, a decoration to fool the public,
and the
team knows it full well. I spent that day watching, with growing disbelief, a small group of people
determined to pull the wool over Alaska's eyes, for invalid and unethical reasons, and for personal
gain.
The consequences, if this plan goes into effect, will be disastrous.
This plan is an example of politics at its worst--power, money, and responsibility being used for
harm
instead of public good. When I later testified against the plan at the BOG meeting, I quoted
Martin Luther
King:
"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is is politic?' Vanity asks
the
question, 'Is it popular?' Conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?'
There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe or political or popular, but
we must
take it because conscience tells us that it is right." It fell on deaf ears that day, but the words
remain valid
for those concerned with the future of Alaska's wildlife and environment.
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 16:31:19 -0500
From: "D'Amico, Ann-Marie"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org,
"'mmarkarian@fund.org'"
Subject: RE: MD Alert: Stop Deer Kill for Gaithersburg Development
Message-ID:
Mike...
Sorry didn't read this alert before I sent mine out. Duplicated council
names.
AM
----------
From: Michael Markarian[SMTP:mmarkarian@fund.org]
Reply To: mmarkarian@fund.org
Sent: Thursday, November 20, 1997 1:39 PM
To: ar-news@envirolink.org; en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: MD Alert: Stop Deer Kill for Gaithersburg
Development
GAITHERSBURG ACTION ALERT
NO DEER KILLS FOR DEVELOPMENT
Gaithersburg officials are pushing for the Natelli Communities
to kill more
than 100 white-tailed deer before building the new Lakelands
development on
350 wooded acres that stretch between Route 28 and Great Seneca
Highway.
This is the first ever suggestion that wildlife be killed to
make room for
houses, and this short-sighted proposal must be halted in its
tracks!
The Gaithersburg City Council will decide whether to allow the
sharpshooting
plan in January, so time is short. Please write letters to the
editor of
local newspapers, and contact the Mayor and the City Council
members below.
Tell them not to slaughter deer in the name of development.
MAYOR:W. Edward Bohrer, Jr.
CITY COUNCIL:Stanley J. Alster
Charles F. Davis
Geraldine E. Edens
Sidney A. Katz
Henry F. Marraffa, Jr.
Each of them can be reached at: Gaithersburg City Hall
31 South Summit Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2098
You may wish to make the following points in your letters:
* Muddy Branch State Park is directly across Route 28 from this
development
site. The deer are not overpopulated, and they will have plenty
of places to go.
* Neo-traditional development communities such as Lakelands
promote
themselves as ecologically friendly. People move into these
developments
because they want to be close to parks, ponds, and wildlife.
Residents do
not want the wildlife killed.
* As we continue to develop and to destroy wildlife habitat, we
should
recognize that we are going to live close to wildlife and we
should have
tolerance for neighboring critters.
* The development will not be complete for five to ten years,
and there is
plenty of time to resolve deer conflicts humanely. We have time
to explore
the use of reflectors on roads, the use of repellents and
fencing in
gardens, and the use of deer contraception.
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 17:40:30 -0500 (EST)
From: GOVEGAN4AL@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: FUR FREE FRIDAY
Message-ID: <971120174030_307010834@mrin83.mail.aol.com>
Animal Rights Mobilization, will be sponsoring our annual FUR FREE FRIDAY
march against fur!
November 28 at 12:00 noon beginning at State St and Adams in downtown
Chicago. We will start at that point and march down Michigan Ave to the old
Water Tower where we will rally. We will have street theatre, going naked,
and any other contributions to this critical march.
If you are in Illinois, or surrounding states, please join us in this annual
march down the streets where Chicago's renowned Furriers financially benefit
from the merciless slaughter of sentient beings! All in the name of profit
and vanity!
The fur industry has been fighting back with the help of the mindless fashion
industry. FIGHT BACK with us!
Any questions call 773-381-1181
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 14:59:25 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: Fund Exposes Campaign to Recruit Children into Hunting
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19971120204138.5fdfbe1e@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, November 19, 1997
CONTACT: Heidi Prescott, (301) 585-2591
Norm Phelps, (301) 739-7087
"KILLING THEIR CHILDHOOD"
Fund Exposes Campaign to Recruit Children into Hunting
In a 31-page report issued this week, The Fund for Animals, the nation's
largest and most aggressive anti-hunting organization, exposed a massive
nationwide campaign by the hunting and firearms industries to promote sport
hunting to America's children.
"Killing Their Childhood: How Public Schools and Government Agencies are
Promoting Sport Hunting to America's Children" documents the decline of
hunting in the U.S. and the desperation of the firearms and hunting
industries to prevent the demise of a sport that every year brings in nearly
$21 billion -- four times what Americans spend on movie theater tickets.
State wildlife agencies, which are funded by the sale of hunting licenses
and an excise tax on firearms and ammunition, have become willing allies of
the hunting industry. The agencies use public money and employees to recruit
children through special hunts and hunter education classes conducted in
schools. The Fund's report reveals that 42 states conducted children's hunts
-- some with no minimum age -- during the 1996-97 hunting season, an
increase from 30 states in 1995.
At least half of the states acknowledged that they are aware of hunter
training classes being taught on school time as part of junior high and high
school curricula. Public schools are being bombarded with videos and
curriculum units from pro-hunting organizations such as the National
Shooting Sports Foundation, an umbrella group for the firearms industry. The
NSSF received $330,000 in federal grants to put pro-hunting videos in grade
4-12 classrooms across the country.
Says Norm Phelps, The Fund for Animals' program coordinator and author of
the report, "The government does not use Joe Camel to promote cigarettes to
children, and they should not use hunting to promote guns to children
either. Young people have a natural affinity for animals, and our schools
and our state agencies should encourage that kindness, not killing."
A copy of "Killing Their Childhood" is available upon request by calling
(301) 585-2591, or can be viewed at .
# # #
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 17:58:13 -0300
From: caf@caf.mas-info.com.ar
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (AR) Intendente propone envenenamiento masivo de perros
Message-ID: <199711202300.UAA21541@lx1.sicoar.com>
Intendente de Usuahia (Tierra del Fuego) propone envenenar a todos
los perros callejeros
___________________________________________________
(Argentina) Olas de repudio causa el proyecto del Intendente de
Usuahia (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) que tiene por objeto el
exterminio masivo de perros en esa ciudad a traves de la
distribucion de alimentos envenenados.
Es increible que a pesar del esfuerzo que se esta realizando - la
participacion voluntaria y desinteresada de la comunidad en campanas
de esterilizacion- para controlar la superpoblacion de animales a
traves de un metodo etico y eficaz, nuevamente surjan estas
propuestas que no solamente son ineficaces para resolver este
problema sino que carecen de toda etica y ponen en riesgo a toda la
poblacion atento lo prece ptuado y severamente castigado en los
articulos 200 y 201 del Codigo Penal argentino. (*)
Si las autoridades municipales de Usuahia desean que se reduzca el
numero de animales deberia intensificar las campanas de
esterilizacion, que al igual que en otras ciudades de nuestro pais,
es el unico metodo que permite arribar a una solucion etica,
economica y eficaz para beneficio de toda la comunidad.
Desde todo el pais, organizaciones pertenecientes a la RED ARGENTINA
DE ENTIDADES PROTECTORAS DE ANIMALES estan haciendo llegar su
repudio al Intendente de Usuahia.
(*) El Codigo Penal argentino senala:
Art. 200: "Sera reprimido con reclusion o prision de tres a diez
anos. el que envenenare o adulterare, de un modo peligroso para la
salud, aguas potables o substancias alimenticias o medicinales,
destinadas al uso publico o al consumo de una coletividad de
personas. Si el hecho fuere seguido de la muerte de alguna persona,
la pena sera de diez a veinticinco anos de reclusion o prision"
Art. 201: "Las penas del articulo precedente, seran aplicadas al que
vendiere, pusiere en venta, entregare o distribuyere medicamentos o
mercaderias peligrosas para la salud, disimulando su caracter
nocivo."
________________________________________________
send by Club de Animales Felices (Happy Animal's Club)
caf@caf.mas-info.com.ar
Date: Thu, 20 Nov 1997 22:37:51 -0500 (EST)
From: CFOXAPI@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: veg-sf@waste.org, FlipFacts@aol.com, aaronm@ix.netcom.com,
waynepp@ix.netcom.com, Animatty@aol.com, idausa@ix.netcom.com,
Joseph_Mitchell@admin.castilleja.pvt.k12.ca.us, JVDD08A@prodigy.com,
will.crichton@autodesk.com, david_minkow@qm.kqed.org
Subject: CA TRAP INITIATIVE- BAY AREA MEETINGS
Message-ID: <971120223750_832873613@mrin41.mail.aol.com>
*******IMPORTANT BAY AREA MEETINGS!*******
We Need Your Help to Ban Cruel Traps and Poisons in California...Now!
More than 15,000 animals suffer and die every year in California in
indiscriminate steel-jaw legholds, snares and Conibear traps for the fur
trade. Thousands of non-target animals- dogs, cats, birds, and threatened
and endangered species- are also harmed in these barbaric devices. We can
stop this cruelty if we qualify the ProPAW initiative for the November 1998
ballot!
We need 650,000 signatures by January 30th- ONLY TWO MORE MONTHS TO GO!
***Please bring a friend and join us at one of these important meetings.
Special Guest: Wayne Pacelle, HSUS
Saturday, Nov. 22nd 11:00a.m.
Marin Humane Society Auditorium
171 Bel Marin Keys, Novato 94947
(Bel Marin Keys Exit off of Hwy. 101)
Contact Camilla Fox for more info.: 415-945-9309
_____________________
Sunday, Nov. 23rd 11:00a.m.
Oakland SPCA
8323 Baldwin
Oakland, 94621
(Off of Hegenberger Rd.)
Contact Eric Mills for more info.: 510-652-5603
______________________
Sunday, Nov. 23, 5 p.m.
Western Mountaineering, San Jose
840 Town and Country Village
(On Winchester and Stevens Creek Blvd.)
Contact Susan for more info.: 408-244-1944
_______________________
Protect Pets and Wildlife is sponsored by the American Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Protection Institute,
The Ark Trust, Doris Day Animal League, The Fund for Animals, The
Humane Society of the United States, and the International Fund for
Animal Welfare. Aaron Medlock is the ProPAW campaign
manager (310) 207-7706 or email: propaw@ix.netcom.com
|
|
