AR-NEWS Digest 384

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) FWD: Unethical human experiments
     by Andrew Gach 
  2) [NZ] Most New Zealanders are Worried About Eating GE Food
     by David J Knowles 
  3) [CA] ENVIRONMENT CANADA "DUPED" ON PVC PLASTIC
     by David J Knowles 
  4) [FI] FINNISH FOREST CERTIFICATION IS A STUNT
     by David J Knowles 
  5) [CA] GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND ON-SITE INSPECTIONS REVEAL 
  LITANY OF "BROKEN PROMISES" IN B.C. FORESTS
     by David J Knowles 
  6) [AU/NZ] AUSTRALIA ACTS TO PROTECT ALBATROSS; NEW ZEALAND MUST
  FOLLOW SUIT -- GREENPEACE
     by David J Knowles 
  7) PVC/VINYL THE  "WORST PLASTIC" FOR ENVIRONMENT
     by David J Knowles 
  8) [UK] Two cloned sheep are pregnant
     by David J Knowles 
  9) (US) Fwd: Boys Town Facilities put on Alert After
  Animal-Rights Bomb Threat
     by allen schubert 
 10) Manufacturer of Premarin promotes drugs
     by Andrew Gach 
 11) (Fwd) Tony hearing canceled; Release Set Saturday
     by allen schubert 
 12) UK Protestors Occupy Monsanto HQ to Kick-off Global Protests
     by alathome@clark.net (allen schubert)
 13) (US) Lining up for the rat race in Louisville, Kentucky
     by allen schubert 
 14) [NORWAY]Canine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE}.
     by bunny 
 15) Sweet kitty needs human companion to fly to California with her 
     by "Jessica Glatzer" 
 16) Montgomery County (MD) Refuses Money for Deer Reflectors
     by Mike Markarian 
 17) [NZ]Anti-RD/RHD letters published in Science(4.4.97)
     by bunny 
 18) Job Opening: Marketing Administrator
     by Mike Markarian 
 19) update on cruelty case/Barry Herbeck
     by "Alliance for Animals" 
 20) (US) APHIS Press Release USDA Amends Regulations for
  Genetically Engineered 
     by allen schubert 
 21) (US) APHIS Press Release USDA to Hold Public Meeting on
  Genetically Engineered 
     by allen schubert 
 22) injured bobcat needs funds for vet care (fwd)
     by allen schubert 
 23) WI Alert: Trapping and Hound Hunting
     by Mike Markarian 
 24) (US) Gov't Moves To Protect Wild Horses 
     by allen schubert 
 25) Animal Rescue in ND Floods
     by Joyce Briggs 
 26) (ZA) No More Hormones For Elephants 
     by allen schubert 
 27) (US) House Votes To Help Elephants 
     by allen schubert 
 28) SEX ABUSE CHARGES AGAINST ANIMAL SHELTER OWNER
     by "Zoocheck Canada Inc." 
 29) EU FUR BAN- ACTION NEEDED
     by CFOXAPI@aol.com
 30) Admin note...subscription options
     by allen schubert 
 31) May 1st DEADline!...take a second please!
     by stop-the-slaughter@wildrockies.org (buffalo people)
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 22:40:42 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: FWD: Unethical human experiments
Message-ID: <335DA0DA.31E0@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Public Citizen News Release
APRIL 22, 1997

1000 FOREIGN INFANTS TO DIE UNNECESSARILY IN US-FUNDED HIV STUDIES

       HUMAN EXPERIMENTS ARE TUSKEGEE PART TWO, SAY HEALTH GROUPS

Washington, D.C., April 22, 1997 -- The U.S. Government is funding 
experiments in some of the world's poorest countries which will allow
over  1000 children to die unnecessarily from HIV infections, Public
Citizen's  Health Research Group revealed today, based on documents
obtained from the government.  

"The American government is paying for--and in at least one case 
conducting--experiments on African, Asian and Caribbean women which
would never be tolerated in this country. It is a clear-cut double
standard and for these babies it will be lethal," said Dr. Peter Lurie
of Public Citizen's Health Research Group. Public Citizen and other
public health experts said that they are not opposed to randomized,
controlled trials of different kinds of arguably effective interventions
to reduce mother-to-infant HIV transmission per se but that they
strongly object to such trials if they deny women access to any
intervention already proved effective, such as AZT.The discovery that
AZT can reduce the transmission of HIV from mother to baby by about
two-thirds dates to early 1994 and 
since then providing AZT has been standard care for HIV-infected
pregnant women in the U.S. 

Public Citizen produced evidence showing that at least 1002 newborn
babies will die as a result of HIV infections they will contract from
their mothers in nine unethical experiments funded by either the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC). An additional 502 infants can be expected to die
in six other experiments funded by foreign governments including
Belgium, Denmark, France and South Africa and the UN AIDS program. 

In the HIV experiments in Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya,
Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania, Thailand, Zimbabwe, and the Dominican
Republic, some of the women are given either placebos or drugs that have
not been proven effective, instead of AZT. Some of the experiments are
already under way.

"Two U.S. studies of anti-HIV drugs to prevent transmission to infants
are listed in the documents obtained from the government. While both
studies in the U.S. offer effective anti-HIV drugs like AZT to all the
women involved, 15 experiments abroad--including nine funded by the
U.S.--do not. It's Tuskegee Part Two and this time many morepeople will
die," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, Director of Public Citizen's Health
Research Group, referring to a U.S. Public Health Service study in which
African-American men were denied access to effective treatment for
syphilis for several decades.

The health experts including Public Citizen, Wilbert Jordan, M.D., MPH,
Chairman of the Black Los Angeles AIDS Consortium, Michael Grodin, M.D.
and George Annas, J.D., MPH of Boston University's Health Law Department
and George Silver, M.D. of Yale School of Medicine have appealed to
Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala to order the
researchers to provide the women in the experiments with AZT immediately
and save the infants' lives. "The research violates at least four of the
ten principles of  the Nuremberg Code," said the letter.They also stated
that the experiments may violate the Department's regulations on human
research and demanded an investigation by the Department's Office of the
Inspector General. 

Public Citizen is a non-profit, member-supported, consumer advocacy 
organization founded by Ralph Nader in 1971.  Public Citizen fights for
safe foods, drugs and medical devices; for greater consumer control over
personal health decisions; and for universal access to quality health
care.

Visit our website at www.citizen.org
Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 23:32:09 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [NZ] Most New Zealanders are Worried About Eating GE Food
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970422233246.46bf123a@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From the Greenpeace media release list (Greenbase)

MOST NEW ZEALANDERS ARE WORRIED ABOUT EATING GENETICALLY
ENGINEERED  FOOD -- OPINION POLL
Green Groups launch poll on eve of Global Week of Action 


Auckland, Sunday April 20th, 1997:- Sixty percent of New Zealanders  are
worried about eating genetically engineered food, according to an  AGB
McNair opinion poll commissioned by Greenpeace, Soil an Health and Friends
of the Earth.

The groups have called for an immediate moratorium on genetically
engineered food, which can currently enter the New Zealand market  without
assessment or labellin
 
The poll, released by the groups on the eve of a Global Week of Action
against genetic engineering, showed that 43 percent of people  were "worried
a lot" and 17 percent of people were considerably  rried about eating
genetically engineered food. Only 12 percent of  people "would not worry at
all" about eating genetically engineered  food (see attached results

Opinion polls in Europe also show consumer resistance to genetically
engineered food.  Between 53 percent (in the UK) and 78 percent (in  Sweden)
of people disagreed with the
statement: "I personall would be happy to eat genetically modified food"
(MORI, January  1997). An average 17 percent of Europeans said they agreed
with the  statemen

"Consumers have spoken," Stephanie Mills of Greenpeace said. "People  do not
want mutant food, and it is time the Government, the food  regulators and
the food industry listened to them 

She said the groups had commissioned the poll of 1000 New Zealanders  from
an independent market research company to ensure a robust  statistical
result.  She criticised a
HortResearch survey  published  last week, which she said had loaded
questions to list the
supposed  benefits of genetic engineering, while ignoring the risks. 

Genetically engineered soybeans, manipulated by Monsanto to be tolerant to
their herbicide Roundup, may already have been imported  from Australia into
New Zealand.  Soybeans are used in cakes,  bread,  baby food and up to 60
percent of processed food.  Monsanto has 
applied to increase the level of permitted residues of Roundup in  soybeans
in Australia and New Zealand as result of importing Roundup  Ready soybeans.

Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Soil and Health and other groups  such as
the Safe Food Campaign and the Open Forum for Health have  called for
amoratorium on all imports and
production of  genetically  engineered food.  There are currently no
regulations to assess
or  label genetically engineered food in New Zealand. Labelling regulations
proposed by the Canberra-based Australia New Zealand Food uthority would
result in many genetically engineered foods not being  labelled.

The Global Week of Action follows a highly successful referendum in  Austria
last week, where 1.22 million Austrians called on their  government to stop
the release of genetically engineered organism into food and the
environment.  Activities will be taking place in at  least 24 countries
during the week April 20-27th, including pickets,  press conferences, and
street protests, in the United Stat , across Europe, Canada, India,
Malaysia, Australia, Japan and  Brazil. 

In New Zealand, activities are planned by environment and food  groups  in
both Auckland and Wellington.  On Earth Day, Tuesday April 22nd,  Auckland
groups will stage a supermarket protest at midday. In Wellington, a similar
protest is planned on Thursday.

Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 23:32:12 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] ENVIRONMENT CANADA "DUPED" ON PVC PLASTIC
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970422233249.1bd7f736@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From the Greenpeace media release list (Greenbase)

ENVIRONMENT CANADA "DUPED" ON PVC PLASTIC

Toronto/Montreal, April 22, 1997 (GP) -- Greenpeace called today on
Environment Canada to withdraw a controversial report used by the vinyl
industry to prevent restrictions on PVC plastic (vinyl) in Canada. PVC, the
second most common type of plastic, is already subject to restrictions in
over 200 municipal, regional and national jurisdictions in Europe. The
industry study, which has been used worldwide to oppose further moves
against PVC, was sponsored in part by Environment Canada. A Greenpeace
review of the study has found it to be seriously flawed. 

The industry report (1)concludes there is little or no correlation between
the amount of dioxin emitted by waste incinerators and the amount of
chlorine in the waste, of which about two-thirds comes from PVC. Noting that
these conclusions point in a different direction than most of the published
technical literature on the subject, a team from the Greenpeace
International Science Unit returned to the statistical data provided in the
appendices of the report and re-ran the calculations. The Greenpeace
reviewers found that the report's conclusions contradict the source data for
all categories of incinerators. (2)

The report was published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
(ASME) in 1995, but primary $US 150 000 funding was provided by the Vinyl
Institute, a trade association that
represents American manufactures of PVC. Approximately $20 000 was also
provided by Environment Canada, allowing industry representatives to present
the study as a "joint
government/industry project". According to internal Vinyl Institute memos
obtained by Greenpeace, the ASME report was part of a campaign to
"aggressively defend the industry's credibility through the use of
third-party sources". Before work on the study even began, the report's lead
author, Gregory Rigo, was identified as "sympathetic to plastics" and
"willing to set his priorities to our [industry's] needs".

"The PVC industry regularly clamours for the use of 'sound science'. Now we
know what that really means is 'Vinyl industry science'," said Dr. Matthew
Bramley, Toxics Campaigner with
Greenpeace Canada. "It is intolerable that Environment Canada has allowed
itself to be duped and used by the PVC industry to lend credibility to its
flawed claims".
 
The ASME report has been widely used in Canada. In March 1996, when Toronto
City Council debated a proposal to ban the use of PVC water and sewer pipe,
Ontario-based consultant John Chandler, one of the authors, presented the
report as expert evidence that PVC incineration was uncorrelated with dioxin
emissions. And across the country, the ASME study is now being widely quoted
in debates about waste incinerator sites. Greenpeace has documented its use
in key policy debates on PVC in the United States, Europe, Australia and
at negotiations of international conventions conducted under the United
Nations Environment Program.  

Dioxin is released during both the production and incineration of PVC.
Dioxin is a known human carcinogen and has been linked to reproductive
disorders, birth defects impaired brain development and immune suppression,
with toxic effects in animals and humans at
concentrations as low as tens of parts per trillion. Environment Canada
recognizes waste incineration as the largest source of dioxin.

Greenpeace is calling upon the ASME to conduct a new review and set up an
investigation into the study. Pending the investigation, Greenpeace is
demanding that Environment Canada not only withdraw use of the ASME report,
but that it review all of its internal or
public policies that may have been influenced by the study, conduct its own
investigation to discover whether the contracts it signed with Chandler,
Rigo or associated consultants were fulfilled in a properly scientific
manner, and investigate whether its sponsorship of the ASME study has been
exploited improperly.




Contact:  Dr. Matthew Bramley                     (514) 933-0021  
                 Morag Simpson                              (416) 597-8408


Editors' Notes:

1. H.G. Rigo, A.J. Chandler and W.S. Lanier (1995). The Relationship Between
Cholorine in Waste Streams and Dioxin Emissions From Waste Combustor Stacks.
American Society of
Mechanical Engineers.

2.  Pat Costner (1997)  The Burning Question: Chlorine and Dioxin.
Greenpeace International.  81 pages. A separate seven-page summary is also
availabel.  Copies of both documents can be obtained by Greenpeace Canada.



Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 23:32:15 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [FI] FINNISH FOREST CERTIFICATION IS A STUNT
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970422233252.09271636@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From the Greenpeace media release list (Greenbase)


Helsinki, April 18, 1997-- The model for forest certification standards
introduced today by the Finnish working group has not achieved its own
goals. Yet the group claim that this standard
is one of the most progressive forest certification standards globally.
Greenpeace, who did not participate in the working group because the group
had not committed itself to applying
Forest Stewardship Council principles and working methods, thinks this claim
is totally misleading. 

"The standard presented today is partly based on forestry practice levels
below existing recommendations of Enso and Land owners association MTK",
said Greenpeace campaigner Matti Ikonen today. In the proposed model all
forest owners of a particular
forest district would be certified if 2/3 of the forest owners in the
district vote for it. If the certification standards were not met in the
district, or if forest owners did not vote for
it, then certification could be done at forest management unit level.

However, in the proposal, it would also be possible for a forest owner not
to get his forests certified even if 2/3 of the owners vote for it, if he
asks the forest owners association not to
include his forest holding into the certified group. 

"Unfortunately the proposal of the working group to start to test run their
certification as they introduce it, without asking forest owners to commit
to applying the standard,  is a
far cry from the kind of real, ecologically based forest certification that
Greenpeace encourages globally," said Matti Ikonen.

This week an example of the current poor forest practises was found in
Pirkanmaa, Southern Finland. In Kuhmalahti, five hectares of forest were
clearcut without any retention trees. It
was part of a 30 hectare forest included in the proposed Natura 2000
protection network and in the whitebacked woodpecker protection programme.

The Koskisen Oy sawmill worked fast to buy and transport the wood in a mere
couple of days. Only when caught and when an official moratorium was set did
the mill stop the transport. Most of the trees will be sawn for the export
markets. It will soon be tested whether Enso, UPM-Kymmene and Metsa-Serla
buy the pulp wood from Koskisen Oy. (At the time of translation none of the
companies had promised not to buy it.)

In Sweden, FSC-certification is being prepared in a working group comprising
a majority of FSC-members. This way the working group has a status endorsed
by the FSC. (It was reported in Helsingin Sanomat that the Swedish group do
not have the support of the FSC either.) Included are such FSC-members as
IKEA, who buy timber products from Finland, and Assi Doman, the world's
largest private forest owner, as well as all major environmental ngos. The
Swedish group achieved consensus in most of the standards, opposite to
claims in Finland. The problems still awaiting a solution include the
phase-out of exotic
plantations. It is expected that after their break, the Swedish FSC working
group will be reorganised to include only those who support FSC-certification.

Greenpeace supports ecocertification of forests on the following conditions: 

1. The certification system is independent
2. The certification is done on forest management unit level and the forest
owner actively commits to certification. The owners can organsie themselves
as a group. 
3. The certification is performance-based. 
4. The certification standard aims to maintain natural forest dynamics and
other elements of
biodiversity as well as indigenous rights etc. as described in "Greenpeace
principles and guidelines for ecologically responsible forest use."

Any serious certification must be based on an internationally respected
system in order for it to work in the global market. At present the FSC
remains the only credible system. To be
approved by the FSC a standard has to be prepared in an FSC endorsed working
group in a transparent process and according to FSC principles. 

"The Finnish model published today most likely cannot be approved by the FSC
unless it goes through a proper process. It is highly unlikely that the FSC
endorse a standard well below the existing national guidelines for good
forest management," said Greenpeace's Matti Ikonen.

For further information please contact :
Matti Ikonen at Greenpeace Finland  +358 9 6150 166 also  +358 49 257 755
(cellular) fax +358 9 6150 1699 E-mail matti.ikonen@ams.greenpeace.org


Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 23:32:18 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [CA] GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND ON-SITE INSPECTIONS REVEAL 
  LITANY OF "BROKEN PROMISES" IN B.C. FORESTS
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970422233255.1bd7e81a@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From the Greenpeace media release list (Greenbase)

GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND ON-SITE INSPECTIONS REVEAL  LITANY OF
"BROKEN
PROMISES" IN B.C. FORESTS

Greenpeace releases international report condemning British Columbia's
forest practices and policies 

(Victoria, Toronto, New York) April 21, 1997 -- A report released by
Greenpeace and the Sierra Legal Defence Fund at the United Nations, in
Toronto, Victoria, in five European cities,
and live on the internet today documents a long series of broken promises
the British Columbia government has made to the world about protecting its
public forests.

By collecting government and forestry industry data and carrying out their
own on-site inspections,  Greenpeace and the SLDF have revealed that,
contrary to government and industry claims, the situation has actually
worsened in British Columbia's forests.

Following world-wide criticism of the province's clearcut logging policies
earlier in the decade, the B.C. government undertook a series of heavily
promoted initiatives including the
Forest Practices Code, the Protected Areas Strategy and others. "Broken
Promises" is the first comprehensive analysis of what these measures have
really meant.  The answer is a lot of public relations and very little
protection.

"Broken Promises" reveals a complete failure by successive provincial
governments to enforce the Code, reduce the cutting of public forests to
sustainable levels or adequately protect forest regions of global ecological
importance.   It also shows
that the provincial and federal governments, along with the forest industry,
have spent over $65 million in public relations to try to convince the world
that all is well in the woods.

"British Columbia's forests are moving ever closer to the brink. This report
reveals that for the past four years the government has been misleading
Canadians and the international community," said Greenpeace forests
campaigner Tzeporah Berman. "The government has spent millions of dollars
promoting forest related initiatives but the truth is the level of cut
remains the same, clearcutting continues unabated and wildlife in this
province is simply not protected." 

"The improved forests laws promised to British Columbia have been
consistently watered down and are now little more than window dressing.
This evidence shows that the BC government has been more interested in
public relations than in making the real
changes it promised,"  said Greg McDade, Executive Director of the Sierra
Legal Defence Fund.

Polling done by Comquest Research, also contained in the report, shows that
77% of British Columbians think logging of old-growth forests should be
stopped or phased out.  More than 90% want strong rules to protect the
environment even if it costs a bit more,  69%  do not want clearcutting to
continue given the available alternatives and  81% say Premier Glen Clark is
not doing enough to protect B.C.'s forests.

Some of the other primary findings contained in "Broken Promises" include:

* Instead of protecting wildlife habitat as it promised, the government has
not implemented any of the available mechanisms including "landscape units".
All current logging is therefore
relying on the "lower biodiversity option" as set out in the Forest
Practices Code.  According to the Forest Practices Code the "lower
Biodiversity Option" will mean that "The pattern of 
natural biodiversity will be significantly altered and the risk of some
native species being  unable to survive in the area will be relatively
high." (Source: The Forest Practices Code,
Biodiversity Guidebook)  

* While government and industry claim they are leading the world in
protected areas, only 6% of the low elevation old growth forest has been
protected; of all the areas protected since
1991, 61.2% are classified as alpine/subalpine areas (consisting primarily
rock of and ice). (Source: Land Use Coordination Office, A Protected Areas
Strategy for British Columbia)

* Widespread clearcutting continues in "Special Development Resource Zones,"
that were intended to protect wildlife.

*Despite promises to increase alternative harvesting and statements that
"Wide chunks the size of football fields are no longer cut" (Source:
Ministry of Forests in the Washington
Times, July 2, 1996) cutblocks in excess of 100 hectares are still
commonplace.  A football field is one hectare. 

*Province-wide the report shows 92% of logging is still done by clearcutting.  

* While 764 B.C. salmon stocks have gone extinct or are at risk of
extinction, and  83% of streams in 1996 cutblocks  were clearcut right to
their banks.

* Despite repeated violations of this kind, in the almost two years the
Forest Practice Code has been in effect, not a single charge has been laid.

* The annual amount of forest logged in B.C. remains 20 % above the Ministry
of Forests estimates of a sustainable level.

The release of "Broken Promises" follows efforts by the Canadian government
at the United Nations to introduce a Forest Convention that would allow
destructive forest practices and policies ofthis kind to continue.


To find "Broken Promises" on the internet visit our homepage:
http://www.greenpeace.org\~comms\cbio\canada.html 




Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 23:32:21 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [AU/NZ] AUSTRALIA ACTS TO PROTECT ALBATROSS; NEW ZEALAND MUST
  FOLLOW SUIT -- GREENPEACE
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970422233258.092719ce@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From the Greenpeace media release list (Greenbase)

AUSTRALIA ACTS TO PROTECT ALBATROSS; NEW ZEALAND MUST FOLLOW SUIT
-- GREENPEACE


Aboard MV Arctic Sunrise, Southern Ocean, 17 April 1997: 

Greenpeace  today congratulated the Australian Government  on its successful
listing of eleven albatross species for protection under an inter national
wildlife convention.  The
environmental organisation urged  New Zealand to urgently adopt measures to
further protect the  endangered birds.

Greenpeace campaigner Cristina Mormorunni said New Zealand was lagging
behind Australia, and must follow suit by suspending the Southern bluefin
tuna fishery which contributes  to the decline in  albatross numbers.  

"New Zealand is lagging behind Australia in preventing the slaughter  of
albatross," she said. "We are not even members of the Bonn  Convention.  But
New Zealand can take action by supporting a global suspension of the
Southern bluefin tuna fishery, which is implicated  in the decline of
several albatross species."

She said the listing of albatross species under the Bonn Convention  showed
that governments around the world recognised that the  albatross is
critically endangered.

Every species of albatross is now listed under the Convention following the
Conference of  the Parties to the  Convention held in  Geneva this week.
The Bonn  Convention is a global
convention  intended to protect threatened and endangered species of
migratory  animals.

"There is more than enough scientific evidence to confirm that commercial
longline fishing  is driving the albatross and other species of migratory
seabirds to extinction," Cristina 
Mormorunni said. "For the last two days we have been watching two  longline
vessels very closely to observe what they are catching.  Yesterday we saw a
Westland black petrel (a native New Zealand seabird) which had been hooked
and drowned during the  setting of the longline. We also spotted four
species of albatross:  Wandering Albatross, Buller's Albatross,
Black-browed Albatross and  the Light-mantled Sooty Albatross following the
New Zealand-chartered  Japanese longline vessel."

The Greenpeace vessel MV Arctic Sunrise is currently off the coast of  New
Zealand documenting  the longline fishery for the critically  endangered
Southern Bluefin Tuna. Greenpeace is calling  on all  governments of the
world to immediately suspend the fishery. 





Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 23:32:23 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: PVC/VINYL THE  "WORST PLASTIC" FOR ENVIRONMENT
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970422233300.1bd7d4bc@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From the Greenpeace media release list (Greenbase)

PVC/VINYL THE  "WORST PLASTIC" FOR ENVIRONMENT

2 YEAR INVESTIGATION FINDS A COMMON PLASTIC IS LINKED TO DIOXIN
"FALLOUT"
CONTAMINATING FOOD, HUMAN BREAST MILK 

April 22, 1997 (GP) The international environmental group Greenpeace has
concluded that PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) plastic, commonly  known as "vinyl"
or by its # 3 symbol  is the worst
plastic for the environment, after a 2 year investigation. Greenpeace
released a series of reports today as evidence that the production, use and
disposal of PVC or vinyl, is a leading
source of dioxin fallout in the environment.   The group also released
never before seen video footage of activists entering vinyl factories at
night and obtaining  waste samples. 

Dioxin is the most thoroughly studied toxin in the world, and is found in
all Americans at levels that pose a health risk.  The primary routes of
human contamination are food and human breast milk.  Dioxin causes cancer in
humans, according to the World Health Organization.  It is also linked to
numerous non-cancer health impacts including: reproductive disorders, birth
defects, impaired neurological development, immune suppression, diabetes and
numerous other disorders.   

In addition to evidence linking PVC to global dioxin contamination,
Greenpeace predicted that studies to be released later this year will prove
that PVC cannot be recycled, and that 
additives in PVC pose imminent risk to humans, especially children.  The
group has also declared  U.S. PVC production to be " a case study in
environmental racism" because production facilities have a disproportionate
impact on African American communities.  EPA is currently investigating
those charges in one case in Louisiana.

"Greenpeace has no doubt:  PVC is the worst plastic for the environment.
People should not buy it.  From production , throughout its product life,
and once it is thrown away, PVC is
an environmental menace and a human health risk." said  Rick Hind of the
Greenpeace toxics campaign. 

Greenpeace released three new reports on the PVC industry.  One report
entitled Dioxin Factories detailed the results of a two year undercover
sampling project in which Greenpeace campaigners, video taped with a special
"night vision" camera, sneaked into vinyl facilities to obtain samples of
toxic waste. The groups analysis shows these wastes to be contaminated with
dioxin that will  be released to the environment.

In a companion report, Chlorine & Dioxin: The Burning Question, Pat Costner
of the Greenpeace Science Unit  of Exeter, UK, challenged the validity of
the vinyl industry's self-styled "premier" analysis of the relationship
between chlorine bearing wastes (such as PVC) and dioxin outputs of
incinerators.  The Greenpeace report shows that the industry analysis uses
bad data, poor methodology and reaches conclusions unsupported by
the cited data sources.  

 A third report entitled The PVC Lifecycle: Dioxin from Cradle to  Grave
identifies the multitude of points in the PVC lifecycle where  carcinogenic
dioxin is produced and released in
the environment.


Contacts: Charles Miller / Diane Saenz April 22, 1997          
                   Fenton Communications        202-822-5200
                   Rick Hind, Greenpeace         202-319-2505

All Materials Available at the GP Website: http://www.greenpeace.org

Photos, Video, Graphics Jay Townsend , Greenpeace 202-319-2486

Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 00:19:35 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Two cloned sheep are pregnant
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970423002012.1bd7e32c@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


>From The Electronic Telegraph - Wednesday, April 23rd, 1997

Two cloned sheep are pregnant
By Roger Highfield 

THE first sheep to be cloned from laboratory-grown cells are to become
mothers, confirming that the technique does not produce abnormal offspring.

Megan and Morag, Welsh mountain sheep cloned by taking a cell from an early
embryo, mass-producing it in the laboratory and using the cells to
"re-program" two emptied eggs, were unveiled last year by the Roslin
Institute. The work was an important precursor to the
cloning of a Finn Dorset lamb called Dolly when Dr Ian Wilmut and his team
used cells from an adult.

Yesterday, the Edinburgh-based institute said that Morag and Megan were both
pregnant, answering fears that the sheep, who share a pen with Dolly, might
not be able to conceive as a result of being cloned.

"This is a further demonstration of their normality," said Dr Harry Griffin,
assistant director of the institute.

Both ewes had conceived by normal means, he said. Morag is due to give birth
next month while Megan's lamb is expected in July. 

Concern that the cloning might have damaged the sheep rests on the
difficulty of the technique. Only six in every 10 attempts made in the
Megan/Morag experiments worked. After much effort, five clones were
produced, but three sisters died - two within minutes of birth and the third
within 10 days.

Post-mortem examinations revealed abnormalities in their kidneys and
cardiovascular system. The lambs tended to be large for their breed and one
had to be delivered by caesarean section.

 © Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997. 

Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 08:36:00 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Fwd: Boys Town Facilities put on Alert After
  Animal-Rights Bomb Threat
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970424083557.006a6494@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

posted for Vyvyan5@aol.com:
-----------------------------

Forwarded message:
 >From:AOLNewsProfiles@aol.net
Date: 97-04-22 20:26:17 EDT

    OMAHA, Neb., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The following was released today by
Boys Town USA:
          Boys Town's child-care programs in Los Angeles and Orange Counties
in
California were alerted Sunday night (April 20) after an animal-rights
activist, mentioning the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA), which is a radical animal-rights group, threatened a Boys Town
telephone operator by saying: "What if I told you I was going to blow the
place up."
          Boys Town has an emergency crisis shelter in Long Beach, and
long-term
residential homes in Orange County.  Both are residences for troubled boys
and
girls.  Long Beach police increased their patrols around the shelter.
          The Boys Town National Hotline identified the source by Caller ID.
 When
police from Orange County went to the male caller's home to investigate the
matter, his sister told them that he had made the call and then abruptly left
for San Diego.
          Boys Town Vice President Tom Gregory said the Boys Town National
Research
Hospital had been accused by PETA of cruelty and "torture" of research
animals, and that these allegations were found to be without merit by the
National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  He
also
said that in the wake of PETA's repudiated allegations, animal-rights
supporters have staged screaming protests at Boys Town facilities, phoned
employees at work and home -- some very late at night -- and passed out
purposefully wrong and misleading pamphlets and information.  He said there
have been letters and calls threatening death to researchers and employees.
          "To quote a recent statement from the Catholic League for Religious
Civil
Rights: `Just what the bigots at PETA will do for an encore is anyone's
guess'," Gregory said.
      CO:  Boys Town USA; People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
      ST:  Nebraska, California
      IN:
      SU:

To edit your profile, go to keyword NewsProfiles. 
For all of today's news, go to keyword News.


Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 21:29:55 -0700
>From: Andrew Gach 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Manufacturer of Premarin promotes drugs
Message-ID: <335D9043.34B9@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Study finds women don't get enough treatment for 'bad' cholesterol

CHICAGO (April 22, 1997 4:13 p.m. EDT) -- Women with heart disease are
getting far too little treatment for dangerously high levels of
so-called "bad" cholesterol, which can lead to early death, researchers
found.

The study in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association
found that fewer than one of every 10 female heart patients had received
treatment that lowered their bad cholesterol to a safe level.

With proper treatment, researchers said 80 percent of them could have
achieved safe levels of LDL, the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
that promotes fatty deposits in arteries that can cause a heart attack
or stroke.

Treatment usually requires cholesterol-lowering drugs, controlling high
blood pressure and diabetes, and lifestyle changes including quitting
smoking, losing weight, eating properly and exercising.

Dr. Helmut G. Schrott, the lead author and an associate professor of
preventive and internal medicine at the University of Iowa, said the
findings suggest that either doctors aren't treating women aggressively
enough, or women aren't taking the drugs prescribed for them.

"I suspect it is the first one," he said.

Almost half of the 2,763 women in the nationwide study were on
cholesterol-lowering drugs, but only 9 percent of the total had LDL
levels at or below 100 milligrams per tenth of a liter of blood, the
federally recommended maximum for heart patients.

Part of the problem, said an accompanying editorial by experts not
involved in the study, is that women are often believed to be less
threatened by heart disease or less responsive to treatment -- both
erroneous assumptions.

Heart disease is the leading killer of women. Some 233,000 women die
annually from heart attacks, 87,000 more from strokes. The total is more
than sevenfold the annual toll from breast cancer.

Dr. Dean Ornish, a heart disease prevention expert not involved in the
study, disagreed with Schrott's view that inadequate treatment was
behind the high levels of bad cholesterol in women.

"This study clearly shows that most people don't take their pills," said
Ornish, adding that most patients aren't motivated long-term to take
drugs that don't improve the way they feel for "some hoped-for future
benefit."

Ornish advocates using drugs to lower cholesterol only as a last resort.
Patients can feel vastly better and reach safe LDL levels with an
extremely low-fat vegetarian diet, exercise and stress reduction, said
Ornish, director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in
Sausalito, Calif.

Most women studied were overweight and sedentary; almost one in every
eight still smoked. Excess weight and lack of exercise promote higher
LDL levels; smoking hastens the damage that excess blood cholesterol can
cause, previous studies have indicated.

The study was funded by Wyeth-Ayerst, the manufacturer of Premarin, a
hormone-replacement drug taken by millions of postmenopausal women.
Subjects included women taking hormones and those not taking hormones.

--By BRENDA C. COLEMAN, The Associated Press
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 10:54:20 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (Fwd) Tony hearing canceled; Release Set Saturday
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423105416.006bb12c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from private e-mail:
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
List, Tony is EXPECTED to be released at shortly after midnight Friday
night, or early Saturday morning - IF AUTHORITIES DO WHAT THEY PROMISE. If
so, it will mean Tony has done 62 days on a hunger-strike -- 32 days being
forcefed. I will be in Atlanta beginning Thursday, but please be in touch
with Seth for more information. I talked to Tony 3 times today. He is
feeling all right and looking forward to a DEMO Saturday in Indy. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 1997





Wednesday Hearing for Teen Hungerstriker Canceled;
Judge  To Decide Without Open Testimony 
     
INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- A hearing originally scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday
morning in U.S. District Court here to decide the fate of a jailed teen
animal rights advocate has been canceled.

In a decision made late Tuesday, lawyers for 16-year-old Tony Wong -- who
has been hunger striking for 59 days, as of Wednesday -- and the state of
Indiana agreed to allow Judge S. Hugh Dillin decide the merits of the case
without oral testimony.

The judge is to decide whether the forced-feeding of Mr. Wong is unethical,
and whether feeding him potential animals products -- Mr. Wong is a "Vegan"
- a strict vegetarian -- violates his "deeply held spiritual, ethical and
moral beliefs."

The motion for preliminary injunction alleges that the state of Indiana has
violated the first, eighth and 14th amendments to the U.S. Constitution and
the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" by force-feeding Mr. Wong.

"The defendants (the boys school and dept of corrections) are committing a
series of batteries upon Anthony B. Wong," asserted the motion filed in
federal court, according to Mr. Wong's Indianapolis attorney, Stephen Laudig.

"We are directing the defendants to cease force-feeding Anthony B. Wong and
to cease force-feeding (him) animal products and/or animal by-products
and/or animal tested products," said Mr. Laudig in his brief to the federal
court.  Mr. Wong is a strict vegetarian and will not consume any products
produced by animals, or tested on them. 

Mr. Laudig argues that the force-feeding was done "over" the objection of
Mr. Wong and his parents, and was "not medically necessary." Mr. Wong was on
his 31st day of the hunger strike, still going to classes, housed in a
cottage, not an infirmary, and suffering no ill effects from the strike when
officials decided to force-feed him.
-30-
Contact: Cres Vellucci (916) 452-7179 (the complaint is available upon
request)





Activist Civil Liberties Committee
PO Box 19515, Sacramento, CA 95819 (916) 452-7179

***************************
*  FREE TONY WONG!        *
*  FREE STACY SCHIERHOLZ! *
*  FREE JEFF WATKINS!     *
***************************

_________________________________________________
"TV or Not TV?"   You'll never know until you try.
 International TV Turn-Off Week is April 24--30, 1997. 
 Give it a try. Spread the word!
_______________________________________________


Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 16:18:01 GMT
>From: alathome@clark.net (allen schubert)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: UK Protestors Occupy Monsanto HQ to Kick-off Global Protests
Message-ID: <335e3625.1431478@mail.clark.net>

On Wed, 23 Apr 1997 15:45:45 +0100, in rec.food.veg
"http://www.mcspotlight.org/"  wrote:

>
>LONDON, April 21 (Reuter) - More than fifty activists protesting against
>genetic crop engineering have occupied part of the British headquarters
>of U.S. chemicals giant Monsanto Co , a spokeswoman for the
>protesters said on Monday.
>
>The spokeswoman told Reuters that the activists had hung banners from
>the roof of Monsanto's offices in High Wycombe, north of London. They
>had gained access to the second floor of the building and were occupying
>the board room.
>
>"They are asking for a meeting to discuss the implications of genetic
>engineering," she said. 
>
>No-one from Monsanto was immediately available for comment, but a police
>spokesman said the demonstration was "all entirely peaceful" and that
>only four police officers were in attendance.
>
>"It is on private land and they have not committed any crime, so it is
>very low key," the spokesman added.
>
>The invasion of Monsanto's offices is the latest in a string of protests
>against the company over its development of genetically-altered crops,
>which include soyabean and corn.
>
>Opponents claim that genetically-altered crops could introduce novel
>toxins and spark food allergies. However, most regulatory bodies in
>Europe, Japan and the U.S. have approved the crops as safe for
>consumers.
>
>Last month environmental group Greenpeace said it had filed a legal
>challenge against a European patent given to Monsanto for
>genetically-altereed soyabeans.
>
>Mark Lynas, a spokesman for the environmental lobby group Corporate
>Watch, said genetically-engineered food had not been proved safe and was
>not labelled in supermarkets.
>
>"It is an outrage that consumers are denied the right of choice and that
>big corporations like Monsanto and Novartis  can just get away
>with contaminating our food supply,"
>
>Lynas said in a statement.
>
>Activists, including the Women's Environmental Network, said Monday's
>protest was the start of a week of protests in 30 different countries
>against genetically-engineered food, animal and human cloning and
>patenting of parts of the body..
>
>The Women's Environmental Network said the protests would be non-violent
>and centered on handing out leaflets at supermarkets and writing letters
>to the European Parliament
>

Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 12:43:19 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Lining up for the rat race in Louisville, Kentucky
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423124317.006a2338@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page (travel):
--------------------------------
                          Lining up for the rat
                          race in Louisville,
                          Kentucky

                          April 23, 1997
                          Web posted at: 12:13 a.m. EDT (0413 GMT) 

                          (CNN) -- Before the infamous Run for the Roses,
there's the little-known Frenzy
                          for the Fruit Loops. 

                          Spalding University in Louisville unofficially
kicks off the Kentucky Derby on
                          Wednesday with its 25th annual Running of the
Rodents. Instead of
                          sweet-smelling roses and a hefty helping of prize
money, the rat champion
                          earns a garland of sugary cereal. 

                          "We get rats donated from a pet store, then the
students train them with Fruit
                          Loops," says Gina Parr, of the Catholic college's
public relations department.
                          "The rats really like them [Fruit Loops]; Some
[eat so much, they] won't fit in the
                          starting gate," she says. 

                          Nine rats compete, and betting is heavy. 

                          "Yeah, they wager," says Parr. "25 cents a bet. A
winning bet pays 30 cents." 

                          The Running of the Rodents began as a joke, but
-- befitting its founder -- it's
                          educational too. 

                          "One of the sisters -- she was chair of the math
and sciences department --
                          she overheard a student talking about the rat
race of final exams, so she came
                          up with the idea," explains Parr. "It's also to
teach about animal behavior
                          modification." 

                          There are seven races, modeled after the Kentucky
Derby ("It's been called the
                          most exciting two seconds in sports," Parr points
out), and the rats are given
                          names that rival their horsey comrades. This
year's theme is "Silver
                          Celebration" since it's the 25th year of the race. 

                          "The names are things like Silverado, Silverware,
Gus -- which means 'giddy
                          up, silver' -- Silver Streak, things like that,"
says Parr. 

                          After the race, the rats either become pets of
their trainers or they are donated
                          to grade schools as pets. No mention of champions
being put out to stud.... 
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 03:40:59 +0800
>From: bunny 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [NORWAY]Canine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE}.
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970424033331.1b27d9c8@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

A Norwegian golden retriever may have died of Canine Spongiform
Encephalopathy,  possibly linked to BSE.

Most pet food in Norway is imported, mainly from the UK, and before 1994
there was no quality-control inspection:

"If the dog contracted the brain ailment, it probably was through dog food
in the late 1980s", said Eivind Liven, Director of the National Animal
Health Board.

The 11-year-old dog showed symptoms of psychiatric and neurological illness
a couple of months ago, and died around Easter.  An autopsy at Norway's
Veterinary School showed changes in the brain consistent with those seen in
the brains of cattle with late stage BSE.

Tissue samples from the brain of the dog will be studied by researchers at
MAFF's Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge, UK.

---


http://www.outbreak.org/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kia hora te marino, kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, kia tere ai te karohirohi
i mua tonu i o koutou huarahi.
                              -Maori Prayer

(May the calm be widespread, may the sea be as the smooth surface of the
greenstone and may the rays of sunshine forever dance along your pathway)

Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 00:39:07 +0000
>From: "Jessica Glatzer" 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, ar-views@envirolink.org, ar-dc@waste.org
Subject: Sweet kitty needs human companion to fly to California with her 
Message-ID: <199704231652.JAA14596@igc3.igc.apc.org>

If you or anyone you know is flying to San Francisco or airports 
within a few hours from there from a flight originating in Washington 
D.C. or airports within a few hours from there around the beginning 
of July, and you are willing to take a cat on the plane with you, 
please contact jessica@fund.org.

I am currently an employee at The Fund for Animals, but I will be 
moving to San Francisco in July.  My boyfriend, my dog and I are 
driving across country, and we do not want to subject our cat to a 
long trip in the car.  Our only alternative is to fly her.  Since we 
do not want to put her in the cargo area, we would greatly appreciate 
it if someone could take her on board.  We have friends who have 
volunteered to take her to you if you are within a few hours of 
Washington DC, and we will meet you and the kitty (her name is Lucy) 
at the other end.

Lucy is a sweet, affectionate, wonderful cat and she and I would 
appreciate any help anyone can provide.

I will be happy to discuss this further with anyone who is 
interested.  Thank you!!!!

Jessica Glatzer

jessica@fund.org
(h) 301-587-7782
(w) 301-585-2591
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 08:58:27 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Markarian 
To: ar-dc@waste.org, ar-news@envirolink.org,
        seac+announce@ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu, en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: Montgomery County (MD) Refuses Money for Deer Reflectors
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970423115652.54e7ac1c@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, April 23, 1997

CONTACT: Michael Markarian, (301) 585-2591

COUNTY REFUSES MONEY FOR DEER REFLECTORS
Park Officials Want to Promote Hunting as the Only "Solution"

SILVER SPRING -- The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission
(M-NCPPC) has refused $5,000 offered by The Fund for Animals toward the
installation of Strieter-Lite wildlife reflectors on Montgomery County
roads. The Fund proposed donating the money to the project if the M-NCPPC
agreed that there would be no future deer hunts in Little Bennett Regional
Park, Agricultural History Farm Park, or any other Montgomery County park.

Rob Gibbs of the M-NCPPC wrote in a letter that The Fund for Animals
received today, "It is obvious that The Fund for Animals is much more
interested in promoting its own philosophy than in working with the county
in an honest attempt to reduce deer-auto collisions."

Says Michael Markarian, Director of Campaigns for The Fund, "While our
philosophies may differ, we want to work with county officials to implement
real and long-term solutions to our county's deer problems. The deer who
were killed by hunters in December and January will inevitably be replaced
during this spring's birthing season. The fact is that hunting simply
doesn't work, and nothing has been done yet to address the problem of
deer-auto collisions."

The Strieter-Lite reflectors, when posted at intervals on a road or highway
and maintained properly, deter deer from crossing roads. Washington state
officials recorded an 88 percent reduction in deer-auto collisions after
installing the reflectors, and Minnesota officials recorded a 91 percent
reduction in deer-auto collisions. Communities in Illinois, Iowa, Oregon,
Wisconsin, Alberta, and British Columbia have all reported similar success
stories with the reflectors.

Adds Markarian, "Our public officials are supposed to represent us, but they
want to promote hunting as the only solution. It is costing us our tax
dollars, our parks, and our deer."

-- 30 --

Date: Thu, 24 Apr 1997 05:07:21 +0800
>From: bunny 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [NZ]Anti-RD/RHD letters published in Science(4.4.97)
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970424045951.35c7d796@wantree.com.au>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

In "Letters to the editor - Science Magazine Volume 276 4th April 1997",
Trevor Duston wrote : 

Rabbit Control in New Zealand 

In view of the conflicting scientific views relating to rabbit viral
hemorrhagic disease (RHD) [or rabbit calicivirus disease (RCD) as it is
called in Australia and New Zealand] and the general lack of sound data
relating to the virus (it has not been successfully grown in cell culture),
the so-called "scientific testing" program conducted by the Australians for
the purpose of detecting cross species transmission (D.Drollette,News &
Comment 10 Jan, p 154) is highly suspect. Fortunately, the New Zealand
Department of Agriculture has instituted a further discussion period and is
requiring interested parties to put forward their views. It is important
that discussions are based on sound science, with the least possible bias.
It is hoped that wise counsel in New Zealand will decide not to introduce
the disease, but to watch the Australian experience with interest over the
next 10 years. At the end of that time, perhaps claims can be made with some
degree of certainty, on the basis of scientific fact. 


Trevor H. Duston 
Director, 
Rabbit Harvesting New Zealand 
Post Office Box 36-101, 
Christchurch, New Zealand 

End 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------- 


Letter from Professor Yvonne Van Roy (also published on page 20 of Science.
4.4.97) 

Drollette states that most "most scientists do not see any drawbacks to the
use of RHD." This ignores the
concerns expressed by international experts and the strong opposition
expressed by many New Zealand scientists,
including the New Zealand Association of Scientists. In his submission to
the decision making process, the
president of the later association, C.H. Sissons states "The reason for the
Association's concern is that we believe that the application to import RCD
virus preparations and use them as a biocontrol agent promotes premature
action...where scientific knowledge for necessary safety and effectiveness
is lacking and the controversial and compromising process of evaluating it
threatens the credibility of all scientific input into crucial issues." 

He warns 

The liability which the [New Zealand] government faces from possible
catastrophic consequences of unknown risk
level if it authorises an ill-defined, exotic lethal virus in the face of
strong opposition and warnings, may be extremely high... 


Yvonne van Roy 
Commercial Law Group 
Faculty of Commerce and Administration, 
Victoria University, 
Post Office Box 600, 
Wellington, New Zealand 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kia hora te marino, kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, kia tere ai te karohirohi
i mua tonu i o koutou huarahi.
                              -Maori Prayer

(May the calm be widespread, may the sea be as the smooth surface of the
greenstone and may the rays of sunshine forever dance along your pathway)

Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 12:29:53 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Markarian 
To: ar-dc@waste.org, ar-news@envirolink.org,
        seac+announce@ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu, en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: Job Opening: Marketing Administrator
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970423152810.51f78c94@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

TITLE: Marketing Administrator - to work in The Fund for Animals' Silver
Spring, Maryland office

QUALIFICATIONS:

Strong organizational skills; self motivated; mature and professional
demeanor; ability to  communicate effectively with vendors, fundraising
organization personnel, and Fund for Animals' members and office personnel.
Some merchandising, fundraising, and accounting experience would be helpful.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

* Research and procure merchandise.

* Develop merchandise brochure and promotional ads.

* Receive and process all merchandise orders which include cash, check and
credit card transactions.  Coordinate volunteers to help with shipping and
handling during busy season.

* Track merchandise sales and file states' sales taxes on a timely basis.

* Work with Outreach Coordinator to promote merchandise through expos,
tabling events, retail outlets, etc.

* Maintain and promote our Credit Card Program.

* Maintain and promote our Check Program.

* Ability to complete and timely file fundraising applications - including
but not limited to the Combined Federal Campaign, National Capital Area
United Way Campaign and State Campaigns.

* Perform other duties on an as needed basis.

INTERESTED APPLICANTS:

Please send resume to the attention of Vicki Stevens or Brenda Domyan:

The Fund for Animals
850 Sligo Avenue, Suite 300
Silver Spring, MD 20910

FAX: 301-585-2595

Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 17:14:56 -0600
>From: "Alliance for Animals" 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: update on cruelty case/Barry Herbeck
Message-ID: <199704232222.RAA05609@mendota.terracom.net>


Barry Herbeck has decided to plea bargain tomorrow at the Rock Co. 
Court House. 
Supposedly, it means that he (Herbeck) doesn't  want the statements 
made by the Humane Society staff or his daughter to be used against 
him.  The case is still open however, so the Assist. DA, Scott Dirks 
still needs info on Herbeck to help with the prosecution.  Please 
contact him if you or someone you know can help.

Writing, and calling the Judge will put pressure on him to get 
Herbeck off the streets.  He is a repeat offender...and so the cycle 
continues.  We need to keep the pressure on.  Maybe the Judge needs 
to be reminded that if it were HIS child, or HIS grandchild, he might 
think twice about letting this man walk the streets.

As we hear more, we will put the news up today and tomorrow.  Thanks 
to all who have written and called, faxed..etc... it's essential.

Tina Kaske
Alliance for Animals



Judge Richard Werner
Rock County Courthouse
51 South Main St. 
Janesville, WI  53545
PHONE:  608 757-5625

Assistant District Attorney
Scott Dirks
Office of the Rock Co. District Attorney
51 South Main St.
Janesville, WI  
53545
PHONE: 608 757-5615
FAX:  608 757-5725

Janesville Police
PHONE  608 757-2244


Please e-mail me if you have updates on this at:  
Alliance@AllAnimals.Org

Thank you!

Tina
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 19:14:50 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) APHIS Press Release USDA Amends Regulations for
  Genetically Engineered 
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423191448.006cc3b0@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from USDA e-mail list:
------------------------------------
                                   Ed Curlett        (301) 734-3256
                                            ecurlett@aphis.usda.gov
                                   Jerry Redding  (202) 720-6959
                                                     jredding@usda.gov


USDA AMENDS REGULATIONS FOR GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
ORGANISMS

     WASHINGTON, April 23, 1997--The U.S. Department of Agriculture is
amending its regulations pertaining to genetically engineered plants
introduced under USDA's notification and petition regulatory processes.

     "The amendment will simplify procedures for the introduction of
certain genetically engineered organisms, expedite review for certain
determinations of nonregulated status, and adjust procedures for the
reporting of field tests conducted under notification to the biology of the
test organisms," said John Payne, director for biotechnology and
scientific services with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a
part of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs mission area.

     Developing and commercializing new genetically engineered plant
varieties most often involves field testing under APHIS oversight,
followed by submission of a petition for determination of nonregulated
status by the agency.

     APHIS grants nonregulated status to a new plant variety when it
determines that the new variety has no potential to pose a plant pest risk
and is as safe to grow as any other variety of the same plant. 

     The amended regulations will allow a broader application of existing
simplified procedures for requests for movement or field testing of
genetically engineered plants.  They will also streamline the determination
of nonregulated status for plant varieties that closely resemble other
varieties that have already been through the determination process.  This
will enable APHIS, when appropriate, to extend the existing determination
of nonregulated status for new products that do not raise new risk
issues.

     For plants that are being evaluated in field tests, reporting
requirements have been made more consistent.  For example, for trees
and other long lived plants field data reports will only need to be provided
upon the conclusion of the trial.  However, applicants must apply to
APHIS for yearly renewal to ensure appropriate measures are taken
when plants become reproductively mature.

     APHIS will also use appropriate guidelines to provide additional
information to developers of regulated articles and other interested
persons regarding procedures, methods, scientific principles, and other
factors that could be considered for various aspects of its regulations. 
The first guidelines will provide information to help applicants on requests
for extension of a determination of nonregulated status.

     Payne added that USDA has the responsibility to ensure that, in
releasing any bioengineered plant, no plant pest risk is presented.  APHIS
reviewers focus on the biology, propagation, and cultivation of the plant. 
The reviewers also consider the source of the engineered genes, the
vector used to transfer them, and the stability of the insertion. 

     For further information on the regulatory changes, contact John
Payne, director, biotechnology and scientific services, 4700 River Road,
Unit 98, Riverdale, Md. 20737-1237; (301) 734-7602.  For technical
information, contact Michael Schechtman, biotechnology and scientific
services, plant protection and quarantine, Unit 146, Riverdale, Md.
20737-1237, (301) 734-7601.

     Notice of this action is scheduled for publication in the April 24
Federal Register.

                                #

NOTE:  USDA news releases, program announcements, and media
advisories are available on the Internet.  Access the APHIS Home Page
by pointing your Web browser to
http://www.aphis.usda.gov and clicking on "APHIS Press Releases." 
Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press
releases automatically.  Send an e-mail message to
majordomo@info.aphis.usda.gov
and leave the subject blank.  In the message, type
subscribe press_releases


Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 19:14:34 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) APHIS Press Release USDA to Hold Public Meeting on
  Genetically Engineered 
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423191432.006a0be8@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from USDA e-mail list:
-----------------------------------
                                   Ed Curlett         (301) 734-8563
                                            ecurlett@aphis.usda.gov
                                   Jerry Redding  (202) 720-6959
                                                     jredding@usda.gov


USDA TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
ORGANISMS

     WASHINGTON, April 23, 1997--The U.S. Department of Agriculture is
holding a public meeting on May 28 and 29 to discuss the introduction of
genetically engineered plants under recently amended regulations
pertaining to notification and to the petition process for determination of
nonregulated status.

     The meeting will address amendments made to regulations that
simplified procedures for the introduction of certain genetically
engineered organisms, expedited review for certain determinations of
nonregulated status, and adjusted procedures for the reporting of field
tests.

     "The meeting will be operated as a workshop, and we request that
interested persons register and submit agenda items two weeks before
the meeting date," said John Payne, director for biotechnology and
scientific services with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, a
part of USDA's marketing and regulatory programs mission area.

     The meeting is in the Conference Center at the USDA Center at
Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, Md., from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May
28 and from 8 a.m. from 12:30 p.m. on May 29.

     A revised user's guide and guidelines are available as background
materials for the meeting.  For a copy of this material and to register and
submit agenda items for the meeting, contact Kay Peterson by calling
(301) 734-4885 or faxing (301) 734-8669, or e-mail at
mkpeterson@aphis.usda.gov.  Documents are also available on the
internet at the APHIS World Wide Web site:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/biotech.

     For further information about the agenda, contact James White, BSS,
PPQ, APHIS, Suite 5B05, 4700 River Road, Unit 147, Riverdale, Md.
20737-1237; (301) 734-5940.

                                #

NOTE:  USDA news releases, program announcements, and media
advisories are available on the Internet.  Access the APHIS Home Page
by pointing your Web browser to
http://www.aphis.usda.gov and clicking on "APHIS Press Releases." 
Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press
releases automatically.  Send an e-mail message to
majordomo@info.aphis.usda.gov
and leave the subject blank.  In the message, type
subscribe press_releases


Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 19:15:57 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: tjm57086@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu
Subject: injured bobcat needs funds for vet care (fwd)
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423191554.00687abc@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

posted for  tjm57086@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu :

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 17:19:05 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Timothy J Mallow 
To: listproc@envirolink.org
Subject: injured bobcat needs funds for vet care

Please give this the widest distribution possible:

Recently a 14 month old juvenile male Florida bobcat in my masters thesis
study suffered a broken leg when he fell from a tree in the wild. He
will recover and be released back into the wild, but the costs of his
treatment was $1018.00. There are no funds in my project to cover these
cost, so I have set up a fund with Coryi Foundation. Any amount donated is
appreciated. If anyone donates $5.00 or more, I will send them a color
action photograph of his return to the wild. Please make all checks
payable to Coryi Foundation, Inc. and forward to Tim Mallow at 3715 Felda
Street, Cocoa, Florida 32926. For further information, I may be reached at
(407)
636-2827.




Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 14:16:12 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mike Markarian 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, seac+announce@ecosys.drdr.virginia.edu,
        en.alerts@conf.igc.apc.org
Subject: WI Alert: Trapping and Hound Hunting
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970423171458.55ffc40e@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

WISCONSIN ALERT

Two pro-animal bills are now before the Wisconsin Legislature. Please ask
your elected officials to support:

AB-282 -- A BILL TO RESTRICT THE USE OF STEEL-JAW LEGHOLD TRAPS AND
SNARES.
Last month in the town of Rushford, a springer spaniel was found in a
steel-jaw leghold trap meant for raccoons. Such tragedies are common across
Wisconsin, and these traps pose a danger not only to wildlife, but also to
children, companion animals, and endangered species. AB-282, introduced by
Representative Rebecca Young, would limit the sale of traps, prohibit
trapping in cities or villages, prohibit trapping along highways, and
require posting warning signs at the trap site. This bill will save
thousands of animals from suffering prolonged deaths.

AB-182 -- A BILL TO BAN THE HOUND HUNTING OF BEARS. Trophy hunters in
Wisconsin unleash packs of radio-collared dogs to track and chase a bear
into a tree, and then follow the radio signal and shoot the bear at
point-blank range. Dogs are often mauled or killed in these chases, which
can last up to 20 miles and trespass on private property. This unsporting
practice was recently banned in Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and
Massachusetts. AB-182, introduced by Representative Frank Boyle, would make
Wisconsin the next state to ban hound hunting of bears.

Both of these bills are currently in the Assembly's Natural Resources
Committee. Please write to the Chairman and ask him to support AB-282 and
AB-182 (write a separate letter or postcard for each bill):

Representative DuWayne Johnsrud
State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702

Also write to your own State Representative and State Senator at:

Representative or Senator __________
State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702

Or call 1-800-362-9472 to be connected to their offices.

If you do not know who your State Representative and State Senator are,
contact your local library, town or city hall, or League of Women Voters for
assistance.

Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 19:57:31 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Gov't Moves To Protect Wild Horses 
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423195728.006d029c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


from AP Wire page:
------------------------------
04/23/1997 19:07 EST 

 Gov't Moves To Protect Wild Horses 

 By MARTHA MENDOZA 
 Associated Press Writer 

 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- The federal government announced tougher
 regulations Wednesday aimed at keeping wild horses and burros out of the
 slaughterhouse. The crackdown came 3½ months after The Associated Press
 revealed abuses in a program designed to find homes for the animals. 

 ``There were allegations made, we checked into those allegations, we
decided a
 number of changes needed to be made and we're making them,'' said Bob
Johns, a
 spokesman with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. 

 The BLM manages about 42,000 wild horses and burros on public lands in 10
 Western states. During the past 25 years, more than 175,000 of the animals
have
 been rounded up and placed with adopters for about $125 each. 

 Earlier this year, the AP found out that thousands of the animals were being
 slaughtered and that BLM employees were profiting. The AP also discovered
that the
 BLM had lost track of about 32,000 animals placed with adopters. 

 Under the new guidelines, new adopters will be contacted within six
months, home
 inspections will increase and BLM employees will no longer be allowed to
adopt at
 reduced prices. 

 ``We're going to be checking in on more adopters to make sure horses are
properly
 cared for, we're going to spot-check slaughterhouses to make sure they
comply with
 the law, and we're going to keep better track of horses and adopters,''
said BLM
 acting director Sylvia Baca. 

 Also, adopters who care for an animal for one year can apply for title of
ownership to
 the animal, and those who don't apply after 15 months will be contacted by
the BLM. 

 ``These changes will result in better management of wild horses and greater
 assurance of successful adoptions by caring and qualified individuals,`'
said Ms.
 Baca. 

 Ms. Baca said the agency will work to ensure that no untitled wild horse
or burro is
 slaughtered and processed for human consumption. 

 However, Johns said in Washington that the agency will not end it's policy
of allowing
 titled horses to be sold to slaughter -- often for profit. Animal rights
groups have
 argued that federal law prohibits selling an adopted horse for slaughter
even after
 the adopter obtains a title. 

 ``We are confident of our interpretation of the law which essentially says
once
 horses become titled they are private property and are no longer
protected,'` he said. 

 Several horse slaughterhouse managers have said they routinely kill wild
horses
 without checking whether the government still has legal title to the
animals. The
 horses are recognizable by distinct federal freeze brands on their necks. 

 On Wednesday, Jack Bond, manager of the Central Nebraska Packing horse
 slaughterhouse, said BLM spot checks ``wouldn't bother me a bit.`' 

 ``Whatever I get I have a title for,`' he said. ``I just don't take the
untitled horses.'` 

 Ms. Baca also announced that complaints about alleged criminal activity in
the horse
 adoption program would now be referred to the Justice Department's Public
Integrity
 Section, which investigates charges of public corruption. 

 Justice Department spokesman Joe Krovisky said referring such complaints
to the
 Public Integrity Section is unusual. 

 ``On this particular case there have been a lot of allegations about internal
 misconduct by some BLM employees,`' he said. ``They're taking this special
step to
 protect the integrity of an investigation.'` 

 Karen Sussman, who rescues wild horses and burros from slaughterhouse
 auctions in Arizona, said she was encouraged the BLM is looking at the
program but
 doesn't think the new rules will make much difference. 

 ``Unless they're going to tighten up their screening process of who gets
horses in
 the first place, they're just going to have the same old problems,`' Ms.
Sussman
 said. 
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 18:06:33 -0600
>From: Joyce Briggs 
To: "'ar-news@envirolink.org'" 
Subject: Animal Rescue in ND Floods
Message-ID: <01BC5011.17250720@joyceb.amerhumane2.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


For Immediate Release - 
       April 221997
Contacts: Joyce Briggs or Doug Trowbridge at the
American Humane Association 303-792-9900 
call for up to date contacts at the disaster site

American Humane Association's Project HEART rescues animals in 
Flood-stricken Grand Forks, North Dakota

Englewood, CO --  The American Humane Association's (AHA's) new 75 foot long animal rescue
command vehicle arrived yesterday in Grand Forks, North Dakota to rescue animals who are
injured, separated from their owners, or abandoned with homes destroyed by flood waters.   

The Project HEART (Humane Emergency Animal Relief Team) command vehicle is manned by
experienced disaster relief workers trained in flood-water rescue of animals. The AHA team of 5
have come as far as California and Maine.  Said Nicholas Gilman, heading up the effort for
Denver based AHA,  "We are working closely with the office of emergency management here and
taking all calls coming in from people with animals affected by the disaster.  We are fortunate that
our disaster designees here on the scene are specially certified in swift-water rescue for animals.
That helps us go right to work for the animals."

As of this morning, Gilman and another disaster designee were braving floodwaters to search for
stranded animals.  " We have offered our help to the Humane Society of Grand Forks to assist
with their efforts on behalf of community animals ," said Gilman. "This can be an incredibly taxing
time for animal shelters -- as Red Cross hunan shelters will not allow people to bring their pets."

Project HEART is the first of its kind in the nation. It is a huge, self-sufficient, mobile,
disaster-relief tractor trailer. It carries a 4-wheel drive rescue vehicle, two boats, animal rescue
equipment, flotation devices, animal feed and water and kennels to house rescued animals.The
American Humane Association has been helping animals in disasters since World War I. Project
HEART is a major advance to help AHA bring needed resources to the site of disasters. Anyone
interested in finding out more about or donating to Project HEART can call  800-227-4645 or
write to: American Humane Association , 63 Inverness Drive East, Englewood, CO 80112
     
     #####
Photos of Project HEART available on request


Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 20:31:00 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (ZA) No More Hormones For Elephants 
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423203058.0068a9a4@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
04/23/1997 13:13 EST 

 No More Hormones For Elephants 

 By PAUL ALEXANDER 
 Associated Press Writer 

 JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) -- It seemed like a good idea: Use
hormones to
 keep elephants from getting pregnant. 

 But South Africa's largest game park has dropped that experiment in
jumbo-size
 birth control after a seven-month trial run, appalled to find the hormones
put female
 elephants' sex drive in overdrive. 

 Instead of keeping the elephants from going into heat, the estrogen
patches kept
 them in constant heat. The result: torrid scenes on the grounds of Kruger
National
 Park. 

 ``The bulls were following them around all the time, hassling them,'' park
 veterinarian Douw Grobler said Wednesday. 

 Traditionally, wildlife managers control the size of elephant herds by
simply selecting
 some of the animals for killing. The culling invariably prompts protests. 

 The experiment at Kruger -- home to about 9,000 elephants -- was part of a
 two-pronged effort to see if it was possible and practical to control the
herds' size
 pharmaceutically. 

 In one of the two methods tried, park workers administered a vaccine that
prevents
 sperm from penetrating the females' eggs. 

 That program, funded by the U.S. Humane Society, continues without
problems on
 22 elephants, Grobler said. They will be re-examined after the experiment
hits the
 one-year mark. 

 Then there was the effort to use estrogen -- the female hormone used in
birth control
 pills for women, as well as to lessen some of the symptoms of menopause. 

 Park workers picked 10 elephants for the estrogen experiment --
tranquilizing them
 via darts fired from helicopters, running ultrasounds to make sure they
weren't
 already pregnant, and fitting slow-release patches behind their ears. 

 Questions arose about the results ``as soon as the thing started,''
Grobler said. 

 Still, the veterinarians tried to give it one more shot by giving the
elephants a second
 round of implants. 

 When that seemed to only make things even worse, Kruger dropped the estrogen
 experiment last week. 

 None of the elephants got pregnant, but ``this was not the kind of
behavior we were
 looking for,'' Grobler said. 
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 20:39:39 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) House Votes To Help Elephants 
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423203936.006bf2e8@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------------
04/23/1997 20:09 EST 

 House Votes To Help Elephants 

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House voted Wednesday to extend for five years a
 program to help African nations with elephant conservation efforts and impose
 sanctions on countries that don't protect their elephant populations. 

 The legislation, approved by a voice vote, reauthorizes the African Elephant
 Conservation Act, which was enacted in 1988 and was due to expire at the
end of
 fiscal 1998. 

 The law requires the secretary of the interior to review conservation
programs in
 ivory-producing countries and impose an ivory import moratorium on those
that don't
 maintain adequate programs. It provides $5 million a year to help African
states with
 their elephant conservation efforts. 

 The bill still requires Senate consideration. 

 ---- 

 The bill is HR 39. 
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 20:54:22 -0400
>From: "Zoocheck Canada Inc." 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: SEX ABUSE CHARGES AGAINST ANIMAL SHELTER OWNER
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423205336.0069aa1c@idirect.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Toronto, Ontario (Canada)

>From The Toronto Star, Tuesday, April 22, 1997

ANIMAL SHELTER OWNER CHARGED OVER SEX ABUSE.
Roseneath man owned Leaside sanctuary

By Luke Hendry, Staff Reporter

Metro police have laid more sex charges against the owner of a well-known
animal shelter related to the shelter's years in Leaside.

The suspect, who now lives in Roseneath, ran the endangered Animal
Sanctuary on Millwood Rd. from 1963 to 1986. He also ran the Age of
Aquarius Pet Store in the same location until 1979.

He was arrested and charged March 20 with one count each of indecent
assault on a male and gross indecency. He now faces one more count of each
charge.

The case involving the first victim, who said he was assaulted once during
the 1970s, came to light during a police investigation, Detective Chris
Buck said yesterday.

The 35-year-old man alleged that at the age of 12 he had been lured to the
back of the store and assaulted, Buck added.

The second complainant came forward as a result of coverage of the arrest
by a small newspaper outside of Metro.

"He'd tucked it (the memory of the assault) away and was trying to forget
about it, and saw it in the media and came forward," Buck said.

The man, now 41, had been employed at the shelter from 1967 to 1970. He
told police he was sexually assaulted numerous times between ages 12 and 15.

Buck said investigators believe there may be more victims.

During its years in the Toronto neighborhood, the sanctuary was home to a
wide range of abandoned and exotic animals, from boa constrictors to lions.
The suspect still operates a shelter in Roseneath, roughly 20 kilometres
north of Cobourg.

William (Bill) Charles Valliere, 56, will appear in court May 21.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at  808-5305.

+++++++

Zoocheck Canada Inc.                              
3266 Yonge Street, Suite 1729
Toronto, ON M4N 3P6
(416) 696-0241  Ph    (416) 696-0370  Fax
E-Mail:  zoocheck@idirect.com
Web Site:  http://web.idirect.com/~zoocheck
Registered Charity No. 0828459-54
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 21:22:26 -0400 (EDT)
>From: CFOXAPI@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: EU FUR BAN- ACTION NEEDED
Message-ID: <970423212136_482382911@emout20.mail.aol.com>



                                  ACTION ALERT  ***** APRIL-JUNE 1997

          LETTERS NEEDED IN SUPPORT OF EUROPEAN FUR IMPORT BAN

In 1991, the European Union (EU) passed precedent-setting legislation to
reduce pain and suffering to furbearing animals worldwide.  The ban was
adopted with two explicit purposes:  first, to prohibit use of leghold traps
within the EU; second, to ban fur imports from countries still using leghold
traps, or not complying with "internationally agreed humane trapping
standards" (no such standards exist today).  The first provision of
Regulation 3254/91 has already gone into effect-the leghold trap is now
banned in all 15 EU member countries.  Phase two of the ban, however, has yet
to be implemented.  

Originally due to take effect January 1, 1995, the fur import ban provision
of this regulation has been delayed four times and is now in jeopardy of
being weakened by an "international trade agreement."  This spurious
agreement would classify some leghold devices as "humane" and would allow
major fur-producing countries to continue using leghold traps for at least
four more years and to continue selling leghold-trapped fur to Europe.

Although more than 80 countries prohibit the use of leghold traps, including
all EU member countries, millions of animals continue to suffer in these
cruel traps in North America, their pelts still sold to European and other
foreign fur buyers.  The US and Canadian governments, working with North
American fur and trapping industries, have spent thousands of taxpayer
dollars lobbying European Union to circumvent this ban.  They have threatened
international trade sanctions under the World Trade Organization's (WTO)
trade rules and delayed implementation of the ban four times.  The
Netherlands, however, refused to delay the ban another year and enacted the
regulation at its borders in January 1996.

The Netherlands is currently serving as President of the Council of
Ministers, a sixth month rotating position they will hold until the end of
June.  The Dutch Presidency has indicated that the final decision on the ban
is to be made by the Environment Council by the end of June.  It is vital
that we convey, loud and clear to EU decision makers, that the majority of
Americans oppose use of leghold traps and support implementation of the ban
immediately.

Your help is needed to encourage Dutch officials, Minister-President W. Kok
and Minister of Agriculture Jozias J. van Aartsen to implement the ban, in
its original form, as soon as possible.  Please write to them:

   His Excellency W. KokMinister Jozias J. van Aartsen
    Minister-PresidentMinister of Agriculture, Nature Management and
Fisheries
     P.O. Box 2001Postbus 20401
    2500 E.A. The Hague2500 EK's Gravenhage
    The NetherlandsThe Netherlands

Points to include in your letters:

*Urge Minister-President Kok and Minister van Aartsen to reject the so-called
humane trapping agreement with Canada and Russia which completely undermines
the original Regulation 3254/91 and provides enormous loopholes for countries
still using leghold traps. 

*Let them know that the majority of Americans support a ban on leghold traps
as evidenced by the results of a recent national poll that shows that 74% of
Americans believe leghold traps should be outlawed entirely and by the 1996
passage of public ballot initiatives in Colorado and Massachusetts that ban
leghold traps statewide.  Remind them that close to 50 U.S. members of
congress are co-sponsoring a federal bill to ban leghold traps nationwide and
support for this legislation is growing.

*Commend the Dutch Ministers for taking a strong stance against animal
cruelty by implementing the ban within the Netherlands and urge them to
ensure that Regulation 3254/91 is implemented by the entire EU as soon as
possible! 

LETTERS SHOULD BE SENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Please send API copies of any responses you receive (to the attention of
Camilla Fox).    Thank you!

Animal Protection Institute
P.O. Box 22505
Sacramento, CA  95822

Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 22:54:18 -0400
>From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Admin note...subscription options
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970423225416.006cb5f4@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Routine posting........

Here are some items of general information (found in the "welcome letter"
sent when people subscribe--but often lose!)...included:  how to post and
how to change your subscription status (useful if you are going on
vacation--either by "unsubscribe" or "postpone").
---------------------------------------------------------------

To post messages to the list, send mail to ar-news@envirolink.org
POSTING

To post a *news-related item* (no discussions), send your message to:

     ar-news@envirolink.org

Appropriate postings to AR-News include: posting a news item, requesting
information on some event, or responding to a request for information. 
Discussions on AR-News will NOT be allowed and we ask that any
commentary either be taken to AR-Views or to private E-mail. 
------------------------------------------

***General Subscription Information***
ALL THE FOLLOWING SHOULD NOT be sent to ar-news !!!
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For all commands, use a blank Subject line.
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To request a digest version, send mail to listproc@envirolink.org
with the following single line:

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To switch back to immediate mail, and to get copies of *your* postings
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or the following to not get your own postings:

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To re-enable it, use ack, noack, or digest as above.

To unsubscribe, use:

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or:

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If you have to subscribe again, use:

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If you have problems, please contact:

     Allen Schubert
     alathome@clark.net
     

Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 21:11:52 -0600
>From: stop-the-slaughter@wildrockies.org (buffalo people)
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: May 1st DEADline!...take a second please!
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This is an entirely volunteer efort!
we appreciate any help in spreading the word...
Thanks for helping to get the word out!!



MAY 1 DEADline
  "It is imperative to stop the slaughter" said Interior Secretary Bruce
Babbitt.  But the killing of buffalo goes on.

On May 1, all bison still outside of Yellowstone National Park, including
those tested, marked and tagged as being brucellosis-free, must either
return to the park or be shot.

Why? Because soon the cattle will be trucked in to stock Forest Service
grazing allotments. Bison killing has slowed in recent weeks as the
winter's snowpack melted to expose forage, and bison have not needed to
move so far.
But when the May 1st deadline arrives, we expect a full-on massacre of the
remaining animals.


Join us letting public officials know that the public is outraged!
Sign on to this simple statement....

I am outraged about the slaughter of the Yellowstone bison.
On May 1st, I will be wearing a black arm band to show solidarity with the
last wild buffalo herd in the United States!
The world will be watching Montana on May 1st to see if the massacre stops!
Signed,


to sign on send your name and state to stop-the-slaughter@wildrockies.org
by April 28th


We will compile the letter and names and forward it appropriate officials.
We will inform the press just how many folks are outraged across the nation!
We need at least two names for each bison that was murdered!

Montana Department of Livestock refuses Park Service offers to haze buffalo
back into park boundaries.  Bulls that couldn't possibly transmit
brucellosis
(through the placenta or milk) are being killed. So the Tokala Society of the
Oglala Lakota Nation is helping to patrol the border and keep the state of
Montana from killing any more bison..  They will be working on the
1st...keep them in your thoughts.

Please pass this on! It only takes a sec!!!

Thank you,
For the Earth,
su



Quotable QUOTES:

Audubon article: "By late March more than 2,000 bison - nearly two-thirds
of the park herd - had died, caught in a political crossfire of a dispute
about a disease called brucellosis and about who should decide the fate of
America's last wild bison herd."


Rosalie Little Thunder, Lakota elder says, "The killing ... and the
laughing of the killers...its the Phil Sheridan nightmare all over again".
(Note: Phil Sheridan ordered and participated in the 1800's slaughter of
millions of buffalo to bring the Indian people to their knees.)  "This
slaughter is the result of that same mentality,  combined with political
paralysis. Common sense and direct action is desperately needed to save
what's left of the herd."

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)





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