|
|
AR-NEWS Digest 632
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Inquirer Magazine article on fur
by NOVENA ANN
2) Food poisoning from meat in Great Britain
by Andrew Gach
3) Virus from slaughtered animals kills Kenyans
by Andrew Gach
4) European countries ban human cloning
by Andrew Gach
5) Request for assistance on polar bear issue
by Lesli Bisgould
6) (Au) Sheep and dogs
by Lynette Shanley
7) [Israel] Rabies - Israel 1997
by bunny
8) (NZ)Calicivirus released NZ
by bunny
9) [Fwd: [Fwd: [Romnet] in support of the Rico laws]]
by Katy Andrews
10) (CN) Alligators thrive under protection
by jwed
11) (HK) Farmers' group critical of enclosed units proposal
by kuma@cyberway.com.sg
12) (TH) Bear cubs with top animal rights activist
by indy
13) (IN) Get rid of dogs and monkeys, Delhi hospital told
by indy
14) S. African police seize four tonnes of smuggled abalone
by kuma@cyberway.com.sg
15) Privatise fish stocks, says Prince Philip
by Vadivu Govind
16) Endangered Species Act Alert
by "Christine M. Wolf"
17) BSE in the US
by Karen Purves
18) (CN) Dairy Industry moves on China
by jwed
19) Indonesian and Malayan zoos.
by Lynette Shanley
20) Orlando, FL **demos/protests**
by KELE5490
21) Deer Strangled to Death, called "Road Kill"... no charges filed.
by KELE5490
22) [US] Madison: Media Coverage of Vilas Zoo/WRPRC Monkey Scandal: ALAG
Web Update
by Steve Barney
23) buffalo nations update- more saved
by stop-the-slaughter@wildrockies.org (by way of buffalo folks)
24) (UK) Pigs on the run from abattoir
by indy
25) (news)Fires in Indonesia: The U.S link
by Twilight
26) (US) Animal Rights Are No Laughing Matter
by allen schubert
27) (US) Animals Take Shelter In Norway
by allen schubert
28) http://courttv.com/library/misc/veggie.html
by Wyandotte Animal Group
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 01:03:57 EST
From: NOVENA ANN
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Inquirer Magazine article on fur
Message-ID:
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
STYLE by Patricia McLaughlin
Fur play.
Start with Luxury. Add ingenuity and whimsy.
áááFur is back, the fashion magazines tell us, and it certainly is back
in the magazines - though what they're showing isn't exactly your
grandma's mink.
áááCredit the cleverness of the fur industry, which all along has been
inviting bright young designers to work in fur, and showing them how.
According to the Fur Information Council of America, 160 ready-to-wear
designers used fur in their collections last year - compared to only 42
in 1985. All those young designers let loose in the furriers' workrooms
have learned to use fur like a fabric - to drape it, dye it, shear it,
knit it, crochet it, use it for collars and cuffs, muffs and boas, coats
you can wear to work every day or drive a car pool in.
áááSome of the credit for moving fur fashion forward belongs to the the
animal-rights movement, too.
áááDan Matthews of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals doesn't
see it that way, and he doesn't think fur is back. "Furriers may be able
to buy the fashion editors, but they can't buy public opinion," he says.
Young people think fur is "disgusting," he says. And: "Conspicuous
consumption may be back," he says, "but that doesn't mean people want to
look like Leona Helmsley."
áááThe old lady flaunting her wealth in fur must have seemed an
irresistible target for animal-rights activists - just the way, in
Depression-era comic strips, the tycoon's top hat attracted the surly
schoolboy's snowball. The rich old lady in the big fur coat had useful
built-in negative vibes, as Julia Emberley found.
áááEmberley, who teaches women's studies at the University of North
British Columbia, started paying attention when she noticed the
misogynist tone of anti-fur slogans - such as "It takes 40 dumb animals
to make a fur coat and only one to wear it." Her book, The Cultural
Politics of Fur, will be published by Cornell University Press this
month.
áááShe found that fur had been defined as an unnecessary indulgence of
luxury since the 13th century, when sumptuary laws began to restrict its
use to aristocrats and wealthy merchants. And the image of the predatory
female draped in fur (revived last year with Disney's Cruella DeVil) has
been a staple of darker sexual fantasies at least since the 19th-century
novel Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, who donated his name
to masochism.
áááEmberley also noticed that the anti-fur movement, which drew mostly
middle-class white liberals, arose in the 1980s, when the leveraged
buyout kings were spending like crazy and middle-class wage-earners were
being callously downsized - which must have made it easier to identify
with vulnerable minks.
áááSome animal-rights activists find eating meat or wearing leather just
as objectionable; some even object to wool, since sheep don't volunteer
to be shorn. That's a hard sell; most Americans aren't ready to demonize
Big Macs and woolly mittens. But the rich old lady in the fur coat was
an easy mark, just what they needed to build an ad hominem argument to
exploit the emotions and prejudices of their audience.
áááBy pillorying the old lady for wearing the skins of dear little furry
creatures, instead of conducting an intricate philosopical discussion
about the proper relationship of man and beast, the anti-fur campaigns
seem to have succeeded in stigmatizing - not the wearing of fur per se -
but the long, shapeless, formal, frankly furry fur coat of stereotype.
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 22:11:26 -0800
From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Food poisoning from meat in Great Britain
Message-ID: <34BB058E.18FB@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
British doctors warn against eating raw meat
Agence France-Presse
LONDON (January 12, 1998 07:55 a.m.)
The British Medical Association on Monday warned in a report to members
of parliament that all raw meat should be considered infected and a
possible source of food poisoning.
"The current state of food safety in Britain is such that all raw meat
should be assumed to be contaminated with pathogenic organisms," the
report said.
It said that the number of cases of food poisoning was at its highest
ever in 1997, with 1 million people infected by salmonella or E. Coli
0157 bacteria and 200 people dying as a result.
"The only safe approach for the food industry and general public is to
treat all raw meat as infected and adopt universal precautions in
handling and cooking raw meat," the report said.
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 22:14:34 -0800
From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Virus from slaughtered animals kills Kenyans
Message-ID: <34BB064A.6AD1@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Fever kills 21 more in Kenya
Copyright ⌐ 1998 The Associated Press
NAIROBI, Kenya (January 12, 1998 4:08 p.m. EST)
An outbreak of Rift Valley fever -- already believed to be responsible
for more than 300 deaths -- has killed another 21 people in northeastern
Kenya, authorities said Monday.
Rift Valley Fever is spread by mosquitoes, sand flies and the slaughter
of infected animals. It causes high fevers, severe headaches and vision
problems, and in severe cases, fatal hemorrhaging from the nose and
other orifices.
Red Cross officials urged residents Monday to burn all animal carcasses,
saying recent victims got the virus from handling ailing livestock.
Residents and livestock share water from the same dams in Shimbirey, 200
miles northeast of Nairobi, Dr. Saade Abdala said.
In addition, severe flooding in northeastern Kenya has widely scattered
eggs laid by the mosquitoes at the edges of rivers.
There is no treatment for Rift Valley fever, but patients benefit from
rehydration and nourishment.
The virus, endemic to Africa, was first isolated in 1931 during an
outbreak in livestock on a farm in Kenya's Rift Valley. It causes
spontaneous miscarriages in ewes and cows.
Across the border in Somalia, dozens of people have also died recently
from Rift Valley fever. Exact figures were not available.
Tests were continuing at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention in Atlanta and the National Institute of Virology in South
Africa to determine whether Rift Valley fever also was to blame for the
deaths of hundreds of sheep, goats and camels in the region.
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 22:16:32 -0800
From: Andrew Gach
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: European countries ban human cloning
Message-ID: <34BB06BF.2CC6@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
European countries say no to human cloning
The Associated Press
PARIS (January 12, 1998 4:08 p.m. EST)
Hours after French President Jacques Chirac called for a world ban on
human cloning, 19 European nations signed an agreement Monday to
prohibit genetic replication of humans.
The actions came two days after President Clinton blasted a Chicago
physicist's intention to clone humans as "untested and unsafe and
morally unacceptable" and urged Congress to outlaw human cloning.
"It is on the international level that one must ban cloning and the
genetic manipulation susceptible to altering the character of the human
species," Chirac told the European national ethics committee.
The July 1997 presentation of Dolly the sheep, the world's first cloned
mammal, set off an international outcry over the implications for human
biology.
Many world leaders renewed their condemnation after Chicago scientist
Richard Seed said Jan. 7 that he planned to begin working on human
cloning using a new technique.
"We would resolve nothing in banning certain practices in one country if
the doctors and researchers can develop them elsewhere," said Chirac,
citing the "worrying trend" in the United States.
Representatives from 19 members of the Council of Europe later today
signed a protocol that would commit their countries to prohibiting by
law "any intervention seeking to create human beings genetically
identical to another human being, whether living or dead."
The 40-member group was founded in 1949 to promote democracy, human
rights and the rule of law.
The cloning protocol will not include two of Europe's biggest countries.
Germany claims the measure is weaker than a current German law that
forbids all research on human embryos -- a legacy of Nazis attempts to
conduct genetic engineering of humans.
Britain, with a strong tradition of defending the freedoms of scientific
research, also balked.
Countries signing today are: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece,
Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Portugal, Romania,
San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Macedonia and Turkey.
-- By JOSEPH SCHUMAN, The Associated Press
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 15:16:16 -0500 (EST)
From: Lesli Bisgould
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Request for assistance on polar bear issue
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19980112152559.4c770e90@idirect.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Our last message was delivered a bit messy (fancy email program...). As it
is quite urgent, I'm resending it. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Urgent Request for Support for Zoocheck's Campaign calling for a Moratorium
on the Export of Polar Bears
January 9, 1998
Zoocheck Canada's campaign to end the export of wild-caught polar bears
from Churchill, Manitoba to substandard zoos around the world is at a
critical point. On Friday, January 16th, representatives of Zoocheck Canada
and the Winnipeg Humane Society will be attending a meeting with the
Minister of Natural Resources for the province of Manitoba, the Honourable
J. Glen Cummings. The discussions will be centred on the proposed guidelines
that an advisory committee has given to the Minister for his approval.
After reviewing the guidelines, Zoocheck cannot support the recommendations.
The recommendations fail to address the concerns raised by Zoocheck, the
Winnipeg Humane Society, and the thousands of Canadians who have been
horrified to discover that Canadian bears have been given to zoos and
amusement parks in places such as Safari World in Thailand, and the
notorious Aso Bear Park in Japan.
The guidelines offered by the panel do not recommend the establishment of
legally binding agreements between the Government of Manitoba and the
recipient facilities. Thus, any compliance with these guidelines in their
present form would be strictly a matter of good faith.
Zoocheck is hoping to present the Minister with letters of support from
groups and organizations stating that they have been made aware of the
situation concerning Manitoba's polar bear export program, that they wish to
voice concerns regarding the program, and that they support Zoocheck's
request for a termination of the program, or at least a temporary moratorium.
Letters of support for the termination/moratorium addressed to the
Honourable J. Glen Cummings, Minister of Natural Resources, Legislative
Bldg. Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 0V8, Canada, should be faxed to Zoocheck
Canada at 416-285-4670 or e-mailed to zoocheck@idirect.com. Please indicate
in your letter how many constituents your group represents.
Further information is available by calling:
Rob Laidlaw, Zoocheck Canada, (416) 285-1744.
A detailed report entitled: "Canada's Forgotten Polar Bears: An
Examination of Manitoba's Polar Bear Export Program" is also available on
Zoocheck's website http://web.idirect.com/~zoocheck/
While the report is not formatted properly, it is easily readable (hard
copies are available from Zoocheck).
Your immediate action is urgently requested and appreciated.
Zoocheck Canada Inc.
3266 Yonge Street, Suite 1729
Toronto, ON M4N 3P6 Canada
Phone: 416-285-1744; Fax: 416-285-4670 or 696-0370
E-mail: zoocheck@idirect.com
Web site: http://web.idirect.com/~zoocheck/
Registered Charity No. 0828459-54
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 17:56:09 +1100
From: Lynette Shanley
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (Au) Sheep and dogs
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980113175609.006c76a0@lisp.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
In Australia as well as overseas the Anatolian sheep dog has been used with
great success to protect sheep. The dogs must live with the sheep from
birth. These dogs have also been used with great success overseas to
protect livestock from Cheetahs. However it is placing the dog in a
position where it must fight to protect its livestock. I am not sure of the
ethics involved.
One of the major problems here in Australia is that farmers do not check on
their sheep. The dog could get into a fight with a fox, suffer dreadful
injuries and be left lying in pain and die before our farmers would ever
find it. In many countries where these dogs are used they are checked on
daily. I cannot see Australian farmers doing this.
I feel the best way to go is anti-fertility control but in Australia there
are just so many foxes, it would not succeed. Dr Jay Kirkpatrick has done
great work in this area.
Lynette Shanley
International Primate Protection League - Australia
PO Box 60
PORTLAND NSW 2847
AUSTRALIA
Phone/Fax 02 63554026/61 2 63 554026
EMAIL ippl@lisp.com.au
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 15:04:54 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [Israel] Rabies - Israel 1997
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19980113145741.2daf8568@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
RABIES - ISRAEL: 1997
*********************
A ProMED-mail post
[1]
[We received the following communication from the Pasteur Institute, Paris,
for which we are most grateful. - Mod.MHJ]
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 17:58:57 +0100
This is the information we received from Israel. After asking permission
from Dr. Yakobson, this information was forwarded to rabiesr@pasteur.fr.
You can forward this on ProMED-mail if you wish.
***********
Thank you for your interest in the rabies situation in Israel. General
information on the subject until 1996 was summarized by Prof. A. Shimshony
the Director of the Israeli Veterinary Services and Animal and can be seen
at:
Recent information is present in our rabies home page (in Hebrew) at:
and the map of the cases diagnosed in 1997 can be seen at:
The information in English about the Israeli rabies page can be found at:
In 1997 we diagnosed 85 positive cases including three human cases one in
November 1996 (a 19 year old soldier, Golan district), and two in December
1997 (a 7 year old girl, Qallansawa, central Israel and a 58 year old man
from Jdeida, north-western Israel). All three were bitten (case 1) or
scratched (cases 2 and 3) by nocturnal unidentified animals while sleeping
outdoors. Human rabies was not diagnosed previously in Israel in last 20
years. The majority of the others positive cases have been in foxes and the
situation is similar to that presented at
The first stage of the Israeli oral wildlife vaccination project (the
vaccine and bait evaluation in jackals) is in progress. A regional project
also including the Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Egypt being planned.
--
Henri Tsiang
Head of Rabies Unit
Nationa Reference & WHO Collaborative Centers for Rabies
Institut Pasteur
75724 Paris cedex 15, France
[2]
[The above was triggered by the following communication out of the blue
from Henry Wilde, written to Henri Tsiang and cc'd to ProMED-mail. - Mod.MHJ]
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 07:13:14 +0700 (BKK)
The recent reports of human rabies in Israel are disturbing and
interesting. It appears from limited information obtained from the "rabies
network" as well as individual information from friends in Israel that the
cases all had a history of camping (where?) and being bitten at night by an
unknown small animal. Some of the injuries may have been "scratches". Foxes
have been suspected and an oral wildlife vaccination effort is being
considered, as there has been fox rabies in the region. The viral strain
has not been identified (at least not in any e-mail communications) and it
is not known if studies are pending.
It would seem to me, that a fox bite would be an event that would bring the
victim to a medical facility and not be described as a "scratch". Foxes, in
my experience with several seen in Alaska, are like dog bites. Rabid dogs
often chew and gnaw rather than inflict simple puncture wounds though that
can also be seen. It is thus quite possible that the Israelis are dealing
with bat bites or bites from small rodents. Palm rat bites are small and
palm rats do carry rabies (at least in Sri Lanka and India). If the
responsible animal is a bat or palm rat (or other small mammal) oral
vaccination may not solve the problem. In any case, the Israelis need a
good zoologist, do some survey studies in small mammals and, above all,
send some brain tissue to Tsiang at [the] Pasteur [Institute] or Smith at
[the] US CDC for strain identification.
--
Henry Wilde, MD
Bangkok, Thailand
......................................mhj/es
========================================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
- Voltaire
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 18:06:39 +0800
From: bunny
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (NZ)Calicivirus released NZ
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19980113175927.296f8134@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
**And this is the country (NZ) who officially decided *against* the
introduction of rabbit hemorrhagic disease but where farmers illegally
imported and spread
RCD/RHD in late 1997...read on
(NZ)Evening Standard 12/1/98
Calicivirus released in Horowhenua
by Rachel Forde
Rabbit calicivirus disease (RCD) has been released in the
Horowwhenua area, Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council
announced today.
Spokesperson Christine Beech said the council was told the
virus had been released on about seven Horowwhenua farms
just before Christmas. She believed there may have also been
some unofficial releases beforehand.
Meanwhile, the rate on some of the Rangititei farms where RCD
was released on December 21 appears to be variable.
Seven Rangitikei farmers whose properties lie between the Rangitikei
and Turakina rivers released the virus in carrot and pellet bait. Council
staff carried out population counts on the farms before the virus
was released, then repeated the counts on three of the farms on
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week.
Ms Beech said counts on one property had fallen from 17.4 rabbits
per kilometre to 13.3. Counts on a second farm had fallen slightly
from 1.8 to 1.5, while on a third farm, numbers had increased
fractionally, from 7.5 per km to 7.8.
Ms Beech said it was still too early to draw any firm conclusions,
and further counts would be done in three weeks.
Last week, one of the Rangitikei farmers who released the virus,
Denis Hocking, said there appeared to be a "significant" fall in
rabbit numbers in areas spread with bait.
(NZ)Evening Standard 13/1/98
RCD release spurs vaccination call
Staff reporter
Horowhenua rabbit owners are being warned to get their pets
vaccinated against Rabbit Calicivirus Disease, released in the
area just before Christmas.
RCD was released in carrots and pellet bait on seven properties
between Himatangi and Otaki. Anyone who finds a dead rabbit
is asked to contact the regional council on 06 327 7189.
Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council regional land manager
Dave Harrison said rabbit numbers would be counted in the
Horowwhenua area to assess the effects of the virus.
Meanwhile rabbit counts on three farms in Rangitikei,
where the virus was also released just before Christmas, show
the reduction in the rabbit population was only significant on the
farm where rabbit numbers were highest before the virus was
released. Numbers on the other two properties had not really changed,
Mr Harrison said.
It was too early to draw any conclusions from the result, and counts
would be done in three weeks time.
The council will continue to monitor the virus.
========================================================
Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148
email> rabbit@wantree.com.au
http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)
/`\ /`\
(/\ \-/ /\)
)6 6(
>{= Y =}<
/'-^-'\
(_) (_)
| . |
| |}
jgs \_/^\_/
It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
- Voltaire
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 11:01:35 +0000
From: Katy Andrews
To: ar-news
Subject: [Fwd: [Fwd: [Romnet] in support of the Rico laws]]
Message-ID: <34BB498F.B0215748@icrf.icnet.uk>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="------------5C9807B13BEA25BEB23869E6"
Another from my other newsgroup that might be of interest.
(Romnet is a Romani culture/human rights net primarily intended for
Romani people, but they do let anthropologists and academics on. You
have to apply and be accepted though, and certain topics are not allowed
to be discussed. Discussion is in English, French, Spanish and Romani.)
Cheers,
KATY.Return-Path:
Received: from ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU
by europa.lif.icnet.uk with SMTP(5.65v3.0/6.2); Sat, 10 Jan 1998 22:42:52 GMT
Sender: nonni@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU
Received: from localhost (nonni@localhost)
by ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id JAA11119
for ; Sun, 11 Jan 1998 09:42:14 +1100 (AEDT)
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 09:42:13 +1100 (AEDT)
From: Jonathan Sumby
X-Sender: nonni@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU
To: Katy Andrews
Subject: Re: [Fwd: [Romnet] in support of the Rico laws]
In-Reply-To: <34B7D481.1963D91@icrf.icnet.uk>
Message-Id:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
As afar as I know RICO laws were introduced in the US to target
Racketeering I*** and Corrupt Organisations (RICO) it is essentially a
domestic control law and the law also specifically includes direct action
of the environmental type (e.g earth-first!) but the point at which enviro
direct action becomes a RICO matter could change on the political whim
(teking manes on a petition?...)
A guy called Ken LeVasseur was, i believe, one of the first people
arrested under these laws. He was nabbed in hawai'i after freeing two
dolphins confined bad conditions in a substandard federal research
institution.
Yrs,
Jon
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 20:48:29 +0000
From: jwed
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (CN) Alligators thrive under protection
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980113204829.007c9860@pop.hkstar.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Date: 01/13/98
Copyright⌐ by China Daily (Xinhua)
THE population of Chinese alligators, once on the verge of extinction, is
now thriving, but not in the wild.
Latest reports from the country's largest alligator breeding and research
centre in East China's Anhui Province suggest that the number of alligators
there has shot up to more than 7,000, making their dwelling place, the
one-square-kilometre lake, a bit "overcrowded."
The reptile is rare and precious because it is one of the few species that
originated from the same period as dinosaurs but has survived to this day.
It was listed as an endangered species by the United Nations as early as
1973 and has been under State first-class protection since then.
Alarmed by a field survey which revealed the alligator's population had
shrunk to less than 500, China built up the first alligator breeding centre
in 1979 in Anhui, the reptile's main natural habitat.
Now the centre is a repository of knowledge on everything alligator,
including egg hatching and raising babies. The survival rate is more than
90 per cent.
However, that alone cannot free wildlife experts of their misgivings.
"I'm afraid the wild alligator population is decreasing," said Gu
Changming, deputy director of the Wildlife Protection Agency in Anhui.
"It's still too early to say that they would not totally disappear some day."
A recent survey convinced zoologists that the alligator can no longer be
found in its former habitat in Zhejiang Province, also in East China.
That means wild Chinese alligators are now living only in Anhui, in the 13
nature reserves set up in 1983. These reserves cover a total water surface
of 433 square kilometres.
Gu said the use of farm chemicals and pesticide pollution have poisoned the
environment. "Worse still, some people don't have the sense to protect wild
animals," Gu said.
Some alligators would dig holes for hibernation in rice fields or ponds,
plus live on fish and shrimp and eat ducks and geese they find in the
water. Angry farmers often kill alligators within their reach.
The animal is actually very docile. It is pretty small, the biggest one
about two metres and weighing about 20 kilograms, Gu noted.
He said Anhui is preparing a field survey to determine the wild Chinese
alligator population and what changes have occurred to its living
environment. Joining the project will be experts from the National Wildlife
Federation of the United States and the International Union of Conservation
of Natural Resources.
To boost the wild alligator population, zoologists plan to release into
nature some of the animals raised in captivity, Gu said.
"We will try to protect wild alligators," said Qing Jianhua, director of
the Wildlife Protection Department of the Ministry of Forestry. "That's the
only way to retain the rare species."
Every child has the right to a healthy diet - that means no meat.
http://www.earth.org.hk/
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 21:04:42 +0800 (SST)
From: kuma@cyberway.com.sg
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (HK) Farmers' group critical of enclosed units proposal
Message-ID: <199801131304.VAA24136@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Hong Kong Standard
13 Jan 98
Farmers' group critical of enclosed units proposal
By Cindy Sui
LOCAL chicken farms may be less safe compared to those in other countries
that use enclosed units to prevent disease from spreading to fowl.
But a suggestion on Monday from an Agriculture and Fisheries Department
(AFD) official that local farmers switch to enclosed facilities met with
criticism from a farmers' group.
The method was too costly and would leave local farmers unable to compete
with their mainland counterparts, said Kwok Ming-cheung of the New
Territories Chicken Breeders Association, which has 200 members.
``It's going to ruin the industry. Unless the public is willing to pay for
such facilities, it's unlikely to be built here,'' Mr Kwok said.
AFD assistant director Liu Kwei-kin said the department was encouraging
farmers to use low-interest government loans to build the enclosed farms.
The loans, to be repaid at 2 per cent interest, is part of a package of
measures adopted by the government to compensate farmers for their losses in
the recent mandatory slaughter of 1.5 million chickens and other fowls.
In most developed countries, fowl are raised in completely enclosed metal
structures, equipped with air ventilation and climate control systems. These
units keep out migratory birds or other species which may spread viruses to
the fowl.
No such units exist in Hong Kong. Chickens and ducks here are raised in open
fields or in open-sided barns.
But switching to such units, which could cost as much as $500,000 each,
would make a local chicken $5 to $6 more expensive than one from China, Mr
Kwok claimed. Local chickens have been priced at just a $1 higher than
mainland fowl.
``We support other measures to prevent infection to fowls,'' he said.
He added some farmers were considering building screens around the barns to
keep other animals out, but he admitted they were not infection-proof.
Dr Les Sims, a senior AFD veterinarian, said chicken farms in countries that
used the enclosed units were much larger than Hong Kong farms. This means
cost is usually less of an issue.
The average Hong Kong farm is a mum-and-pop operation with about 10,000
chickens.
Meanwhile, Mr Liu said the AFD was testing migratory birds for evidence of
the virus but had not found any trace.
Legislators at the health panel urged the government working group to form a
contingency plan. ``As a government, you must have a plan of action before
things get to a crisis state,'' legislator Leong Che-hung said.
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 21:19:17 +0800 (SST)
From: indy
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (TH) Bear cubs with top animal rights activist
Message-ID: <199801131319.VAA24426@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Bangkok Post
13 Jan 98
Bear cubs in good hands of top animal rights activist
Found in national park by villagers
Anchalee Kongrut
Shrieks echoed inside the house of animal rights activist Leonie
Vejjajiva's home yesterday as two baby bears cried to be fed.
Mrs Leonie, of the Thai Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, lovingly cradled the two-week-old cubs, while a special
formula was prepared for them.
Officials with the Wildlife Fund Thailand (WFT) delivered the
cubs to her because they thought Mrs Leonie would be able to
give them expert care.
The WFT officials refused to say how they came to have the
cubs except to say that some villagers found them in a national
park while foraging for wild products.
Each three-kilogramme cub has a severe ear infection.
Society secretary-general Chisanu Tiyacharoensri said they also
had digestive problems because they had been fed with cows'
milk. He was worried about the cubs' physical conditions and
their chances of survival.
"We have to wait and see how they do day to day," he said.
The cubs would be fed a special formula for puppies which was
high in protein. Mrs Leonie said her organisation would take care
of the cubs until they were strong enough to be returned to the
wild.
WFT's programme director Nikhom Phuttha was confident he
could return the cubs to their natural habitat because he had
done so with various other animals.
But Mr Chisanu was not so certain. "Their chances of surviving
in the wild would be slim. Most wild animals that have lived with
humans normally lose their instincts and experience of
surviving in
the jungle," he said.
Bear cubs had to live with their mothers for a year before they
could survive alone.
"They get used to electric lights which they tend to associate
with
humans and they come close to villages to get food. They scare
villagers and usually get shot," he said.
The Forestry Department runs a bear rescue centre in Bang
Lamung, Chon Buri. But Mrs Leonie said the centre was already
crowded with hundreds of bears and the cubs would not receive
sufficient attention and proper medical care.
Mr Chisanu was critical of the Forestry Department for lacking
the necessary expertise to handle wild animals.
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 21:29:17 +0800 (SST)
From: indy
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (IN) Get rid of dogs and monkeys, Delhi hospital told
Message-ID: <199801131329.VAA29432@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
13 Jan 98
Get rid of dogs and monkeys, Delhi hospital told
NEW DELHI -- A New Delhi hospital was given a one-week deadline
yesterday to clear out stray dogs, monkeys and rats from its premises.
The Delhi High Court order came after the city authorities admitted
that stray dogs often slept on beds in the Rajan Babu Hospital which
treats tuberculosis patients.
A hospital superintendent told the court that dogs did "sneak in" and
occupy beds because there were not enough watchmen.
But he argued that the dogs were encouraged by patients offering them
food and he denied conditions in the hospital were "deplorable". Recent
press reports have also focused on wild monkeys invading hospitals in
search of food.
Attempts to cull the city's population of monkeys last year floundered
when no one applied for the job. -- AFP.
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 21:30:54 +0800 (SST)
From: kuma@cyberway.com.sg
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: S. African police seize four tonnes of smuggled abalone
Message-ID: <199801131330.VAA23615@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
13 Jan 98
S. African police seize four tonnes of smuggled abalone
JOHANNESBURG -- South African police on Sunday arrested five people,
including three Chinese and one Malaysian, suspected of smuggling four
tonnes of abalone.
A team of policemen from the environmental protection squad, acting on
a tip-off, raided a shop at Henley-on-Klip, close to Vereeniging, south
of Johannesburg, and made the arrests.
The abalone, a mollusc known for its mother-of-pearl shell, is
considered an
endangered species and its sale is licensed strictly.
Police put the value of the abalone seized at 200,000 rands (S$71,600) and
said they had also seized several thousand rands' worth of equipment. --
AFP.
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 21:33:27 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Privatise fish stocks, says Prince Philip
Message-ID: <199801131333.VAA29234@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Electronic Telegraph
13 Jan 98
Privatise fish stocks, says Prince
By Charles Clover, Environment Editor
PRINCE Philip suggested yesterday that fish stocks should be
privatised, a practice that had prevented over-fishing in New Zealand.
Launching the UN's International Year of the Ocean on
behalf of the World Wide Fund for Nature International, of which he is
president emeritus, the Prince said that most fishing policies amounted to
a "free- for-all".
He said: "Most fishermen would admit the problem but they feel they have
to go on fishing to make a living, yet they realise that they're overfishing.
The problem with a free-for-all is that if there is one
fish left, somebody will catch it.
"If one could introduce some proprietary right to fishing
which they've tried to do in New Zealand, I think that may be the future of
it."
New Zealand has Individual Transferable Quotas, which the
state sells off to fishing companies. In the absence of pressure from other
fishermen the companies are said to manage their fishing effort more
responsibly.
However, leading fishing scientists say that ITQs have
been successful only in places where a single country controls a whole
stock, and not where (as in the Falklands with squid) other countries
plunder parts of that stock.
The Prince's remarks at the Royal Society of Arts, in London, prompted
Ian Strutt, editor of Fishing News International, to ask why he and others
were attacking "a wonderful fishing industry". He said that tradeable quotas
in New Zealand had resulted in fishermen being bought out by large
companies and jobs being lost.
Mike Sutton, head of WWF's Endangered Seas Campaign, said:
"The jury is out on fisheries privatisation. Some people are uncomfortable
about
selling public resources. I would put my money on marine reserves, no-go
zones for fishing."
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 11:02:59 -0800 (PST)
From: "Christine M. Wolf"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Endangered Species Act Alert
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19980113150613.150774e0@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
ACTION ALERT
CALL CONGRESS NOW TO SAVE THE
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
When Congress re-convenes at the end of January, an important item on their
agenda will be S. 1180, sponsored by Senator Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID). This
bill, intended to re-authorize the 25 year-old Endangered Species Act, will
essentially gut the Act, removing critical protections for wild species and
jeopardizing the mission of the ESA to recover species in peril. Since your
elected officials could vote on this dangerous bill soon after they return
to Washington, they need to hear from you NOW.
Kempthorne's S. 1180 would weaken the ESA by providing:
o Special access for special interests.
o Taxpayer subsidized habitat destruction.
o Roadblocks to recovery of imperiled species.
o Fewer protections for species on public & private lands.
A better bill, H.R. 2351, has been introduced in the House of
Representatives by Congressman George Miller (D-CA). H.R. 2351 would
reaffirm and strengthen the nation's commitment to wildlife and to protect
our natural heritage. It is estimated we are losing approximately 100
species every day. Rather than weaken protection for fragile plants and
animals, Congress should strengthen the ESA.
H.R. 2351 would:
o Conserve declining species before they near the brink of
extinction.
o Place a deadline on listing decisions from the federal
government for candidate species.
o Provide economic incentives to landowners to encourage
voluntary conservation.
CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVE AND TELL THEM TO PRESERVE
THE
INTEGRITY OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, AND OPPOSE S. 1180!
ASK THEM TO STRENGTHEN THE ACT BY CO-SPONSORING H.R. 2351.
You can contact your Senators, in two separate letters, by writing to: The
Honorable ________, U.S. Senate, Washington D.C., 20510, or call the Senate
Switchboard at 1-800-972-3524 (D.C. area residents, call 202-224-3121).
You can contact your Representative by writing to: The Honorable ________,
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C., 20515, or call the House
Switchboard at 1-800-972-3524 (D.C. area residents use 202-225-3121).
Access to your Senators' and Representative's e-mail addresses can be found
at .
For more information, or to find out who your elected officials are, call
Christine Wolf at The Fund for Animals, or e-mail CWolf@fund.org.
******************************************************************
Christine Wolf, Director of Government Affairs
The Fund for Animalsphone: 301-585-2591
World Buildingfax: 301-585-2595
8121 Georgia Ave., Suite 301e-mail: CWolf@fund.org
Silver Spring, MD 20910web page: www.fund.org
"The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of
appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men."
- Emile Zola
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 12:43:58 -0800
From: Karen Purves
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: BSE in the US
Message-ID: <34BBD20E.28B1@earthlink.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Chicago Tribune January 13, 1998 Editorial Section 1, page 10.
Mad Cow Here?
Evergreen Park--In response to statements by Oprah Winfrey's lawyer that
her remarks regarding mad cow disease are characterized as "opinion,
hyperbole or rhetoric not statements of fact" ("Where's the beef?" Main
news, Jan. 4), I would like to pass on some information:
On Dec. 15 a member of our family died from complications resulting from
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or spongiform encephalopathy. This is the same
disease that has killed numerous people in England but that supposedly
has not surfaced in the US.
Our family member has lived in the United States his whole life and has
never traveled abroad. If our livestock are not infected with mad cow
(bovine spongiform encephalopathy), why, then, are people in the US dying
from CJD? I would be interesetd to hear what rhetoric the cattle farmers
have to offer on this point.
Susan Grady
---------------------------------
submitted by:
Karen E. Purves, M.A.
API--Midwest Regional Office
3540 N. Southport Ave., Suite 254
Chicago IL 60657-1436
ph: 773/975-7840
fax: 773/975-7924
email: samneph@earthlink.net
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 03:48:12 +0000
From: jwed
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (CN) Dairy Industry moves on China
Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980114034812.007b09c0@pop.hkstar.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
China Daily - 13th January 1998.
THE Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine and the French Danone Group
jointly launched a health promotion centre in Beijing last weekend that
aims to contribute to the improvement of eating habits worldwide. The
centre, Danone Institute in China, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
public health. The centre will encourage research on the relationship
between diet and health and serve as a forum for the exchange of
information between scientists and health and education professionals in
nutrition-related subjects.
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 09:36:24 +1100
From: Lynette Shanley
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Indonesian and Malayan zoos.
Message-ID: <3.0.1.32.19980114093624.006b5ab0@lisp.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
We keep getting complaints about two zoos in particular. One in West
Sumatra and the other in Malaya. We have written to the Indonsian
government, zoo society etc but no replies. We would like to do something
about this as many Australians visit these zoos and then complain when they
return.
We have photos but the photos have been taken by people that do not have
good photography skills.
Is there anyone going to these places that can help us. The emphasis is on
excellent photos so the person must be a good photographer.
Does anyone have any ideas on who else I can contact.
Lynette Shanley
International Primate Protection League - Australia
PO Box 60
PORTLAND NSW 2847
AUSTRALIA
Phone/Fax 02 63554026/61 2 63 554026
EMAIL ippl@lisp.com.au
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 20:03:38 EST
From: KELE5490
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Orlando, FL **demos/protests**
Message-ID:
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
The group Campus Action for Animals at UCF will
and Animal activists of Central Florida will be holding a
candle light vigil this Thursday night (January 15th) for the death of the
tiger that
was killed. Thursday night is the opening day for the circus in orlando.
We will meet at 6:30 by the front entrance of the Orlando Arena . There
will also be protests all day Saturday for the three shows and two on
Sunday. If interested or need directions contact us at
caa@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~caa. Also, check out our web page :
http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~caa.
kellie
kele5490@aol.com
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 19:58:40 EST
From: KELE5490
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Deer Strangled to Death, called "Road Kill"... no charges filed.
Message-ID:
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
Pennsylvania teen kills deer with bare hands
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Reuters) - It wasn't a typical road kill when
an 18-year-old high school student killed a deer with his bare
hands but authorities said no charges would be filed.
Brian Krepp, a Cooperstown, Pennsylvania, high school student
who had no history of a bad temper killed the deer this week with
his bare hands after the animal jumped in front of the car he was
driving, Game Commission spokesman Bruce Whitman said
Friday.
"It's very unusual," Whitman said. "It's certainly not recommended
practice."
Whitman said no charges will be filed against Krepp and the deer
was considered a road kill under state classifications.
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 20:02:07 -0600
From: Steve Barney
To: AR-News
Subject: [US] Madison: Media Coverage of Vilas Zoo/WRPRC Monkey Scandal: ALAG
Web Update
Message-ID: <34BC1C9F.2926ADF8@uwosh.edu>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit
Check out the latest update of the Animal Liberation Action Group's web
page, featuring media coverage of the Vilas Zoo/Wisconsin Regional
Primate Research Center monkey scandal:
http://www.uwosh.edu/organizations/alag/
Look for the following in the "Outline of Animal Liberation Action Group
Home Page", and follow the links:
3.Current Wisconsin Issues: (Updated January 13, 1998)
1.Vilas Zoo/Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center Monkey
Scandal:
1.Madison, Wisconsin, Media Coverage:
1.The Capital Times Investigative Series (Aug. 9-13, 1997)
2.Citations to news articles in The Capital Times
3.Citations to news articles in The Wisconsin State Journal
--
Steve Barney, Representative
Animal Liberation Action Group
Campus Connection, Reeve Memorial Union
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
748 Algoma Blvd.
Oshkosh, WI 54901-3512
UNITED STATES
Phone:920-424-0265 (office)
920-235-4887 (home)
Fax: 920-424-7317 (address to: Animal Liberation Action Group, Campus
Connection, Reeve Union)
E-mail: AnimalLib@uwosh.edu
Web: http://www.uwosh.edu/organizations/alag/
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 09:36:14 -0700
From: stop-the-slaughter@wildrockies.org (by way of buffalo folks)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: enviroforum@envirolink.org
Subject: buffalo nations update- more saved
Message-ID:
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
January 13th update
Below:
Technical Note
Buffalo Nations report from the field
Letter to President Clinton from Rosalie Little Thunder (take a second &
write him one also!!!)
*****************************************************
TECHNICAL NOTE
If you receive this by accident...kindly hit REPLY and write me a note.
I'm a human not a listserve.
Same goes for duplicates...hit REPLY to both alerts.
Folks receiving these updates (about 2 a month) are helping by forwarding
this to friends...If this was forwarded to you and you would like to
receive updates about the Yellowstone Buffalo...please mail me a quick note
(stop-the-slaughter@wildrockies.org)
If you are webmaster with a link to the buffalo site...drop me a quick
note, I've got a suprise for you
Thanks
Pass this on and take care!
***********************************
Buffalo Nations
Date: Mon,12 Jan 1998 14:49:05 -0500 From: Buffalo Nations
Subject: buffalo nations update- more saved
E-MAIL UPDATE--WEEK OF JANUARY 8, 1998
Volunteers from the group Buffalo Nations declared victory Sunday
after successfully defending bison all week from Dept. of Livestock (DOL)
agents. On late Monday afternoon the DOL was spotted outside the town of
West Yellowstone. Several members of Buffalo Nations were standing with a
small group of bison by a housing development when the DOL drove up. The
DOL quickly left the scene after spotting us and was subsequently followed
through the area by half a dozen vehicles before the state agents went
"home" for the night to the private residence of the individual who
maintains the capture facility.
The next day BN was in position and ready to go. More than a half
dozen people took a stand next to nine bison resting on private land a half
mile beyond the capture facility. During the course of the day BN was
bolstered by news from a park service employee who was able to contact the
owner of the land where the bison rested and who reported that the owner
didn't want bison killed on his land. When the DOL showed up on
snowmobiles they were confronted by 8 people who refused to leave the bison
and who carried the message of the landowner to the DOL. The DOL left,
threatening to come back and haze the bison into the capture facility with
the landowners permission. Fortunately, the DOL never returned and, we
assume, never got the needed permission.
While standing with the bison, dozens of locals and tourists with
camera's stopped by the side of the road and offered support.
Over the next several days the DOL showed their vehicles but not
their faces. Buffalo Nations declared victory for the week.
The situation in W. Yellowstone is getting more urgent by the day.
Snow continues to accumulate hourly; more than 250 bison are now inside the
park a few miles from the boundary; the DOL has made its intentions clear
and continues to stay in the area. Buffalo Nations expects serious
confrontations when these 250 leave the park, perhaps this week. They are
calling on concerned people everywhere to join them in protecting the
bison. Also donations are greatly appreciated.
Buffalo Nations
PO Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070 phone
406-646-0071 fax
buffalo@wildrockies.org
*******************************************************
My name is Rosalie Little Thunder. I am of the Sicangu band of the Lakota
Nation. I hold no position of power and I hold no wealth, but I do have an
important message for you.
Historically, the buffalo were critically essential to our survival and
were the center of our culture. We hold them sacred (we, who
hold fast to the laws and sacredness of the natural world). For many of
our people, especially our elders, the slaughter was a horrendous tragedy,
reminding us of similar massacres of our people in the not-so-distant
past. I am a descendant-survivor of two massacres: the 1855 Little Thunder
massacre in Nebraska (within the boundaries of the 1851 treaty territory)
and the Sand Creek massacre ten years later. But that is not unique; all
native people in this country have haunting massacre histories.
In the late 1800's, 60 million or more buffalo were mindlessly
slaughtered, in a very deliberate, calculated move to starve and conquer
the native people. The buffalo were slaughtered, we were slaughtered, the
buffalo are being slaughtered again....
Like the two sides of the buffalo/Indian-head nickel, we are synonymous;
two sides of a single coin. We, and the buffalo, share a common
history that we dare not forget. We may be generations and miles removed
from the buffalo, but according to the wisdom of thousands of years of
existence in the natural world and interdependence with the buffalo, we
hold a belief; a prophecy of an inseparable destiny.
Surely, as a leader, you must at least understand the challenge of being
responsible for not only the people, here and now, but also for future
generations. "In every deliberation, we must consider the impact upon the
7th generation" was the challenge of our traditional leadership.
If the sacredness of the buffalo is so difficult a concept to understand,
then consider this: science recognizes the buffalo as a keystone species
of the ecosystem and like us, who serve as "miners' canaries" for
humanity, the buffalo too serve as such for the natural world that
sustains us all.
If this land could support 60 million plus buffalo that were almost
completely exterminated, save for those very few that sought refuge in
Yellowstone, then we have yet to comprehend, to experience the full
impact of their absence.
It is happening all over again. Beneath the layers of pathological
politics, once that smokescreen of disease is blown away, you will find
that same brutal violence that this country was built upon. Mr. President,
that violence is not just a faint memory in family history, I've been in
Yellowstone, I have seen it.
You have signed an executive order, directing your agencies
and departments to consult with tribes in matters that affect them. The
buffalo are of historic, cultural, and religious significance and we have
not been consulted in a meaningful manner. We have not even been
participants on the Environment Impact Study team. As the leader who
affixed his name on that Executive Order, you must honor Government to
Government Relations and tribal consultation in determining the fate of
the sacred buffalo; your national symbol.
We remain in Yellowstone with many friends; peaceful but determined
guardians of the buffalo. Ho, hecetu!
*****************************************************
**********************************************************
For more information about the plight of the Yellowstone Bison
check out this web site
http://www.wildrockies.org/bison
Mitakuye Oyasin (All My Relations)
**********************************************************
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 11:22:27 +0800 (SST)
From: indy
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (UK) Pigs on the run from abattoir
Message-ID: <199801140322.LAA13317@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
>The Electronic Telegraph
14 Jan 98
Swimming boars save their bacon
By Sean O'Neill
TWO pigs have been living wild for six days after escaping
from an abattoir and swimming across a river to freedom.
The five-month-old Tamworth Ginger boars squeezed through
a hole in the fence of the slaughterhouse yard at Malmesbury, Wilts, swam
across the River Avon and disappeared into gardens.
"They were wild," said Jeremy Newman, owner of the
abattoir. "We just
could not get hold of them, but we were pretty surprised to see them
swimming the river.
"They have done pretty well to stay on the run for so long. I think the
owner had so much trouble getting them into his lorry that he does not hold
out much hope of recapturing them."
The animals have been seen by several householders but
have continued to evade capture. Harry Clarke saw tracks in his garden and
evidence of their
presence in his vegetable patch before sighting the pigs. "They were a
lovely ginger colour and vanished very quickly and stealthily in the
undergrowth," said Mr Clarke, 61.
"The police called the owner but they had vanished when he
arrived. Later that night I was pottering about the bonfire and they trotted
out to see me again and came quite close. By then it was too dark to
try to catch them."
Andrew Hazlehurst, who lives near the abattoir, was dragged along the
pavement by his border terrier pup who saw the pigs and gave chase.
His wife, Julie, said: "Andrew had been taking Hamish for
a quick walk. He rushed back in saying he had spotted a couple of pink pigs.
We just
laughed and said he would be seeing two pink elephants next. But now it
seems he was telling the truth."
Arnoldo Dijulio, the smallholder who reared the animals,
worth ú40 each, said he still intended to send them to the abattoir if they
are recaptured.
Motorists were warned to be alert yesterday after two
emus, capable
of running at 30mph, escaped from a garden in Broadstairs, Kent. Police
advised the public that the birds were harmless as long as they were not
startled. One of the birds, originally from South America, was caught last
night. The other was still on the run.
⌐ Copyright The Telegraph Group Limited 1997
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 19:35:32 -0800 (PST)
From: Twilight
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (news)Fires in Indonesia: The U.S link
Message-ID: <19980114033532.22809.rocketmail@web4.rocketmail.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Rainforest Fires in Indonesia and Brazil: The U.S. Link
By: Dr. Stephanie Fried and Dr. Stephan Schwartzman, scientists
with EDF's International Program.
More of the Earth's surface was ablaze recently than at any
previous time in human history. Fires raging in Indonesia blanketed
six countries in smoke, damaging human health and causing an
international scandal. An even larger smoke cloud covered much of the
Brazilian Amazon, where burning was up sharply over 1996 and was
possibly the worst on record.
Analysis of satellite data shows that the primary cause of
the burning in Indonesia was not, as has been claimed, slashing and
burning by the small farmers who have traditionally used fire in a
controlled manner to grow their food crops. Rather, research shows
that 70% to 90% of the fires were set by large, officially sanctioned
companies to clear land for timber, oil-palm, and rubber plantations.
The irreplaceable tropical forests of Indonesia, and the land rights
of their indigenous inhabitants, are being sacrificed to Indonesia's
push to supply heavily subsidized plywood and paper mills.
EDF has urged the U.S. to provide technical assistance and
training to help the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and
non-government groups monitor violations of environmental law,
particularly in Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Irian Jaya, the regions hit
hardest by the fires and haze. In discouraging burning, Indonesia must
differentiate between traditional judicious use of fire by small
farmers and large-scale land clearing by plantation and logging
companies. In view of the urgency and magnitude of problems facing
Indonesia's forests, the U.S. must strengthen environmental monitoring
of currently planned projects aimed at protecting Indonesia's
forests.
Amazon Burning Rises 28%
In the Amazon as well, large ranchers were primarily
responsible for the burning. EDF analysis of satellite data shows that
burning increased 28% from 1996 to 1997. Research in Brazil strongly
suggests that for every acre seen burning in satellite images,
another acre burns undetected under the forest canopy. Climate
researchers calculate that the increased burning is impairing the
ability of up to half the entire Amazon rainforest to remain green
through the tropical dry season. This might cause the forest to become
flammable under only slightly drier conditions, raising the specter of
potentially massive conflagrations in a vicious circle of
burning and drying. The end of the Amazon forest may be much closer
than anyone has ventured to guess.
One reason for the rampant Amazon burning is that, since
1989, Brazil's environmental agency has had no legal authority to
enforce environmental law, including the restrictions on forest
clearing. A bill
in the Brazilian congress that would restore this authority passed the
Senate in early 1997, but has been blocked by special interests in the
lower house. The World Bank, the U.S., and other nations must examine
the new data and reevaluate their support for Brazilian government
programs.
Logging a Path to Your Furniture Store
Unsound forestry practices in both the Amazon and Indonesia
spur tropical deforestation and burning. The international timber
trade is the chain that links U.S. consumers--mostly unwittingly--to
unsustainable forestry practices and the destruction of tropical
forests. The U.S. is the number one importer of mahogany, the product
most responsible for new deforestation in the Amazon. In addition,
about half the imported plywood in the U.S. is the fruit of
Indonesia's rainforest destruction. Unfortunately, wood sold in the
U.S. is not properly labeled, so consumers generally have no way of
knowing if their purchases of furniture or lumber are fueling the
rainforest fires. It is critical that the U.S. give citizens and
businesses the information they need to make informed choices. With
adequate information, consumers can avoid the wood produced by
destroying rainforests and instead help create markets for sustainably
produced timber. The labeling of timber and wood products by country
of origin and species would provide this information--the essential
first step toward harnessing market forces for the sustainability of
the forests.
Consumer and citizen efforts against global deforestation in
the U.S. and Europe have already led to important steps, including a
mahogany moratorium in Brazil, a World Bank policy prohibiting loans
for logging in primary tropical forests, and several institutional
and governmental projects aimed at developing methods of sustainable
forestry. Unfortunately, the lack of labeling of wood and wood
products hampers the boycott and efforts to promote sustainable
forestry.
Informed consumers could become the rainforests' best
friend. The single most cost- effective step the U.S. can take today
for the preservation of the world's forests is to label all timber and
wood products by country of origin and species. This simple
information would allow consumers in the world's largest timber market
to use their power to choose. More detailed information on timber
labeling is available in an EDF report, Global Deforestation, Timber,
and the Struggle for Sustainability: Making the Label Stick, by
Stephan Schwartzman and Molly Kingston. To order, send $10 to EDF
Publications, c/o the Washington office, or call 800-684-3322.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Humans need to get a grip on the consequences of their actions. In the
end the environment and the animals suffer. When will greed be
overcome by smart decisions and compassion?
~ Twilight
_________________________________________________________
DO YOU YAHOO!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 23:47:02 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Animal Rights Are No Laughing Matter
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19980113234658.006e01b0@mail.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from CNN custom news http://www.cnn.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Animal Rights Are No Laughing Matter
World Entertainment News Network
13-JAN-98
(JAN. 13) WENN/P - ANIMAL RIGHTS ARE NO LAUGHING MATTER From WENN
correspondent ANDREA PULLEN in Los Angeles American animal rights
campaigners are seeing nothing funny about top sitcoms SEINFELD and
COSBY.
The ARK TRUST, who have just released their annual FOE PAW report, say
the two shows have scored badly when it comes to portraying animals on
the small screen.
Seinfeld's episode on cock-fighting ruffled feathers at the Trust,
while Cosby's depiction of a tortoise being accidentally burnt
horrified the organisation.
Spokeswoman LISA AGABIAN says, "Scriptwriters should do their homework
when it comes to animal issues.
"Like children, animals are the innocents of the world, and TV and
film executives need to pay attention to the messages they are sending
out."
One show which did make it into the Trust's good books was BAYWATCH.
Agabian adds, "Baywatch took the trouble to consult with us on an
episode they produced on horse slaughter. More programmes should follow
suit." (ASP/WN/ASP)
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 23:52:03 -0500
From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Animals Take Shelter In Norway
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19980113235200.006e01b0@mail.clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from CNN custom news http://www.cnn.com
-----------------------------------------------
Maine State News
Reuters
13-JAN-98
Animals Take Shelter In Norway
(NORWAY) -- Animal lovers are doing their part after last week's ice storm.
The Little Jungle Pet Shop in Norway has already opened its doors to more
than 200 pets left there by Mainers headed for emergency shelters. Pets are
legally barred from shelters for health reasons. Owner Kris McAllister has
taken in displaced dogs cats as well as birds, iguanas and bunnies. They're
welcome to stay as long as necessary.
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 23:51:28 -0500
From: Wyandotte Animal Group
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: http://courttv.com/library/misc/veggie.html
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19980114045128.0f2fb210@mail.heritage.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Forwarded from private e-mail:
>Here is a link that provides an EEOC ruling that vegetarianism is a
religious belief. If I am not mistaken, Gloria Allred was involved in this
case.
>
>
>
>
> http://courttv.com/library/misc/veggie.html
Jason Alley
Wyandotte Animal Group
wag@heritage.com
|
|
