Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news37~5.htm/text0000.txt

INI File | 1998-04-03 | 113.0 KB | 2,596 lines

[Fwd: SETH ARRESTED IN INDY AFTER GOV MEETING] (fwd)

URGENT NEWS ADVISORY
April 14, 1997

Police Arrest Animal Rights Leader Only
Minutes After Meeting At Gov's Office

        INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- State police early Monday afternoon yanked the
leader
of a prisoner support group out of his car, and arrested him only minutes
after he had met with an aide to Gov. Frank O'Bannon about the release of
teen hunger striker Tony Wong.

        The calculated move -- timed to occur after news media had cleared
out of
the area -- resulted in the arrest of Seth Stevens, an Indiana University
student and leader of a contingent of student activists who traveled to the
Capitol Monday morning. The governor's aide said the state's top elected
official could not pardon Wong, but would look into abuses of the youth.

        However, now it seems that Wong's chief supporter is being harassed
and
punished because he is exercising his first amendment rights.

        Stevens is being held on $1,500 bond in Hendricks County Jail on
charges of
criminal mischief and trespassing. He is refusing to cooperate with jail
authorities, and has begun a hunger strike, according to jail officials.

        "This is an outrage, and an attempt to intimidate peaceful
activists who
only care about the safety about their jailed and abused friend, Tony Wong,
and a further example how people's rights are being violated in the
Indianapolis area," said Crescenzo Vellucci, executive director of the
Activist Civil Liberties Committee, a California-based legal aide
organization.

        Vellucci said the trespass charges apparently stemmed from last
week's mass
protest at the Boys School at Plainfield, where 16-year-old Tony Wong (now
on his 50th day of a hunger strike) is jailed. But, he said the charges are
bogus.

        "I was there. The police threatened to arrest Mr. Stevens, and then
changed
their minds, telling him to 'go ahead' in to the protest at the front gates
of the facility," charged Vellucci. "Any warrant issued since is faulty, and
we will beat this in court," he said.

        The criminal mischief charge, according to authorities, relates to
another
protest at the Boys School on March 29, when an effigy of the judge who
jailed Wong, Judge James Payne, was burned in effigy.

        "Political activists can burn, legally, a U.S. flag in this
country. If
they can burn the flag -- and many believe that is not right -- then they
can sure as hell burn, as part of a protest, an effigy of a symbol of
oppression such Judge Payne who sent an honors student like Tony Wong to
jail for at least 60 days for doing nothing more than protesting animal
cruelty," said Vellucci.

Contact: Cres Vellucci 916/452-7179 /  NOTE: Supporters of Stevens are
currently at the Hendricks County Jail. The pay phone number is 317/745-9131.



Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 21:58:17 PDT
>From: "Frank DeGiacomo" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Call phone companies to help get support for the US ban on leghold
    traps
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Content-Type: text/plain

Two progressive phone companies are able to generate thousands of calls to
lawmakers by issuing appeals to their costomers to call the lawmakers for free.
If they take on our cause it should give the current legislation in Congress a
big boost.  So call them and tell them that HR 1176, which would ban the use of
leghold traps needs THEIR help.  Also, tell them that their customers need to
call President Clinton and urge him to support the European Union's ban on the
leghold trap in Europe.

-Call Working Assets Long Distance at 1(800)463-6735 (8-6 EST?), then press 6,
and leave a messege.

-Call Earth Tones at 1(800)466-1550 (8-7 EST) and leave a messege.


Below is some more info about HR.1176.



       >The following is a list of the prime sponsors of HR.1176 and the
       >committees/ subcomittees to which it has been assigned.

       >History of Bill:
       >
       >105th CONGRESS
       >    1st Session
       >    H. R. 1176
       >       To end the use of steel jaw leghold traps on animals in the
United
       >States.
       >
       >IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
       >
       >March 20, 1997
       >
       >PRIME SPONSORS:  (The bill has 41 co-sponsors)
       >Mrs. LOWEY (for herself, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. HYDE, Mrs. MALONEY of New York,
Ms.
       >PELOSI, Mr. MEEHAN, Mr. TRAFICANT, Mr. CLAY, Mr. TORRES,
       >Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. GOSS, Mr. FILNER, Mr. MANTON,
       >Mr. MARTINEZ, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. PORTER, Ms. SLAUGHTER,
       >Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. YATES, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. GEJDENSON,
       >Mr. MARKEY, Mr. FARR of California, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. ANDREWS,
       >Mr. FOGLIETTA, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mrs. KENNELLY of
       >Connecticut, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. GALLEGLY,
       >Mr. MATSUI, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. OLVER, Mr. LEVIN,
       >Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. SKAGGS, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, and
       >Mr. LANTOS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
       >Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and
Means,
       >International Relations, and the Judiciary, for a period to be
subsequently
       >determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
       >provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
       >
       >NOTE:  The web sites listed provide links to obtain names and addresses
of
       >members of the each particular committee.  The main site for this
       >information: http://www.capweb.net/housecom.html
       >
       >COMMITTEE(S) OF REFERRAL for HR.1176:
       >     House Commerce Committee
       >            http://www.capweb.net/House/Committees/commerce.html
       >
       >     House Ways and Means
       >            http://www.capweb.net/House/Committees/ways.html
       >
       >     House International Relations Committee
       >        http://www.capweb.net/House/Committees/international.html
       >
       >        Subcommittee to which HR.1176 has been referred to:
       >                International Economic Policy and Trade
       >                http://www.house.gov/international_relations/iept.htm
       >
       >     House Judiciary
       >        http://www.capweb.net/House/Committees/judiciary.html
       >
       >        Subcommittee to which HR.1176 has been referred to:
       >                Crime
       >                http://www.house.gov/judiciary/sub105.htm
       >
       >Additional Legislative links for more information:
       >http://lcweb.loc.gov/global/legislative/congress.html
       >http://thomas.loc.gov/#comm
       >http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d105query.html
       >
       >Introductory remarks about the bill:
       >http://thomas.loc.gov/
       >You must do a search through this, as it is only kept temporarily.
       >


       Frank De Giacomo
       P.O. Box 6174
       Oceanside, CA
               92058
       [phone]
       [e-mail]
       http://www-personal.umich.edu/~cvesei/lsara.html


                                ,    ,
                               ("\''/").____. .- -' ' " `-._
                               `9_ 9  )     `-.   (       ). `- . __ ')
                               (_Y_.)' .__     )___`._    . ``-.._ --'
                             _..`--'__.. /   /      __.' .
                            (l).-' '   ((l).'     ((l.-'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~

       *NOTE TO UNINTENDED RECEIPIENTS - THIS MESSAGE IS INTENDED ONLY
FOR THE
USE
       OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY TO WHICH IT IS ADDRESSED, AND MAY
CONTAIN
       INFORMATION THAT IS PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL AND EXEMPT FROM
DISCLOSURE
       UNDER APPLICABLE LAW. ANY OTHER DISTRIBUTION, COPYING OR
DISCLOSURE IS
       STRICTLY PROHIBITED. ALL THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE SOLEY THOSE OF
THE
AUTHOR.
       ANY LEGAL OPINIONS ARE ONLY THOSE OF A LAYPERSON, NOT AN
ATTORNEY.  AND
       NOTHING WITHIN THIS MESSEGE SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS ENDORSING,
PROMOTING,
OR
       ABEITING IN ANY ILLEGAL OR UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR.



---------------------------------------------------------
Get Your *Web-Based* Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 01:10:28 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Reminder- ADC TAX REVOLT IN CA- APRIL 15
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>


                                             *****ACTION ALERT*****

ADC TAX REVOLT PLANNED FOR APRIL 15TH  IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

The Animal Protection Institute is assisting Friends of Animals in northern
California with its Animal DamageControl (ADC) Tax Revolt scheduled for tax
day, April 15th. This will be the largest national effort to date calling for
the abolition of the federal ADC program. On that day, as millions of
Americans visit post offices across the
nation to file their tax returns, animal advocates will be there to inform
the public that their tax dollars ($37 million annually) are funding the
slaughter of millions of animals.

Activists are needed to help by handing out "receipts" leaflets that inform
the taxpayer about the devastating toll on wildlife funded by their tax money
through the ADC program. We will also be distributing information to the
public and the media about Compound 1080, an extremely toxic, slow-acting
poison that causes a prolonged and painful death to its victims. Compound
1080 was recently approved for use in livestock protection collars to kill
coyotes in California (see below for more information).*

The Animal Protection Institute will coordinate four ADC Tax Revolt events in
northern California.

******** PLEASE JOIN US!*********

Date/Time: Tuesday, April 15th, 4PM to 7PM

Locations:

Sacramento Main Post Office
 2000 Royal Oaks Drive

San Francisco Main Post Office
1300 Evans Avenue (at 3rd St.)

 San Rafael Main Post Office
 40 Belham Blvd (at Francisco Blvd.)

Santa Rosa Post Office
730 Second Street

For more information, please call Camilla Fox for the Bay area and Sonoma
County
(415-945-9309) or  Dena Jones for Sacramento (916-731-5521).

Additional Note:  Friends of Animals (FOA) is organizing ADC Tax Revolt
events in 65 cities on April 15th between 4-7pm.  For more information about
locations of these events, please contact the FOA Washington D.C. office at
 [phone].

* Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties are the first areas in California
to use this highly toxic poison. If you live in one of these counties (or if
you have members that live in this area) pleasecall and/or write the county
Board of Supervisors and request that they place a moratorium on issuing
permits for livestock protection collars because of the threat Compound 1080
poses to wildlife, humans, companion animals and the environment.

   Marin Board of SupervisorsSonoma Board of Supervisors
   Mr. Harry J. Moore, ChairMr. Jim Harberson, Chair
   Marin County Civic Center575 Administrative Drive, Room 100 A
   San Rafael, CA 94903        Santa Rosa, CA 95403
   415-499-7331                        707-527-2241

Mendocino Board of Supervisors
Mr. Charles Peterson, Chair
501 Low Gap Road, Room 1070
Ukiah, CA 95482
707-463-4221





Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 00:05:08 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [CA] Antibiotic resistance linked to animal feed
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

>From The Discovery Channel (Canada) web site - www.exn.net

Canadian farmers are using an estimated 20,000 tones of antibiotics each
year to increase animal production. These drugs, delivered to the animals in
grain and other animal feed, are contributing to the development of
drug-resistant bacteria which pose a threat to human
health. Joseph Losos, an expert on infectious diseases, recently made this
startling assessment at a symposium on emerging diseases.

Antibiotics are often mixed with animal feed because they have been found to
promote growth and productivity. The drugs work to eliminate low-level bacteria
colonies in animal intestines, so that a lesser amount of food is metabolized
more efficiently. Crowded and industrial-style production techniques
mean that farmers use antibiotics intensively to raise chicken, pigs,
cattle, honeybees and fish - including catfish and salmon. According to The
Globe and Mail, pharmaceutical companies state that such drug use reduces
meat costs for consumers by 10 to 20 per cent, however these practices have
been the subject of intense debate within the scientific
community.

"That kind of an exposure puts a pressure...to allow for resistant organisms
to evolve," said Losos, director general of the Laboratory Centre for
Disease Control.

Antibiotic resistance is an amazing study in evolution. It began with the
introduction of the first antibiotics during the Second World War. Common
bacteria was threatened by extinction due to the use of "miracle drugs", and
in response started to exchange and spread over 100 drug-resistant genes.
These genes allow bacteria to manufacture proteins that
neutralize different classes of antibiotics.

Half of the world's antibiotics are consumed on farms, where a substantial
part of this genetic resistance has evolved. It was in the 1950s that
scientists discovered that low levels of antibiotics dramatically improve
growing times for chickens, and since this
discovery drugs like penicillin have become common place in most animal
feeds. Unfortunately, what has also become common place on most farms, is
drug-resistant bacteria.

This controversial practice is now being said to come with high costs to
human health, particularly when humans and animals are treated with the same
class of antibiotics - which is common in Canada and the U.S. According to
Losos, "Although it's very difficult to quantify some of these influences
it's clear the use of antibiotics in animal feeds is a major factor
in the development of resistance." Robert Hancock, a professor of
microbiology at the University of British Columbia and one of the world's
few antibiotic researchers told The Globe and Mail, "We have documented
cases of bacterial resistance in animals being transferred to humans, " and
asserted, "We are on the verge of a significant health
crisis in which the poor utilization of antibiotics with animals is a
substantial contributor."

In Canada, farmers have easy access to human antibiotics - such as
tetracycline - which can be purchased from any co-op. The government has an
inventory of antibiotics used in both human and veterinarian medicine which
can only be prescribed by a vet, but any regulations in this area are widely
ignored. It is common knowledge among veterinarians that most of the
estimated 20,000 tons of antibiotics used in animal production annually
never enters into their practices.

Canada permits the use of antibiotics in animal feed for growth promotion
and feed efficiency. According to Monique Renaud-Gagne, a spokeswoman for
the Health Department, the department is aware of the antibiotic resistance
issue and is monitoring it. Manufacturers are not required to report annual
sales by product, so there are no available
Canadian statistics on antibiotics. According to Health Department briefing
notes, antibiotics have been used in animals for more than 50 years without
catastrophic effects on humans. However, there is evidence that
gastro-intestinal bacteria in farmers tending a herd of animals, such as
swine, can assume the same pattern as bacteria in the animals they are
tending, Renuad-Gagne added.

Recent studies have found that while antibiotic use to promote growth makes
a difference on dirty farms, there is no economic benefit for clean,
well-run farms. This is an important factor to note in these times, when it
is taking 50 to 100 times more antibiotics to enhance growth than it did 30
years ago.

Health Canada is sponsoring a national conference in late May on bacterial
resistance, at which many scientists will lobby for a complete ban on the
use of human antibiotics to promote growth, and for better education for
farmers. The antibiotic resistance crisis is considered one of the most
serious issues facing modern medicine.

[Dr Hancock was interviewed on tonight's edition of @Discovery.ca  When
asked how often, and how much antibiotic was fed to food animals, he replied
that, on a daily basis, antibiotics were given at a level of  250 mg of drug
per 1 Kg of the animal's weight. (In humans, the usual dose for an adult is
1 - 2 grams per day divided into three or four doses, for a period of 7 - 14
days).

Dr Hancock also said that antibiotics that were used to treat an acute
infection usually had a resistance built up against them within a few
months, with a corresponding human bacterial-resistance developing within a
two year period. The most likely to first develop resistance were those who
worked in a meat processing plant or farm workers, but the general public
were also likely to develop a resistance through handling and eating meat,
Dr Hancock said. He noted that some antibiotics, such as gentomycin,
streptomycin and tobromycin were exclusively used in humans, but a similar
medication, avromycin(sp?), was used in animals. This had caused a resistant
strain of bacteria to develop, which was also resitant to the three
medications used in humans.]

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 00:05:24 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [CA] Mining company asked for $25 million
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

VANCOUVER, BC - A Vancouver-based mining group, Prime Resources Group, is
being sued for $25 million after a company hovercraft, used to transport
workers in and out of a site in northern BC, was found responsible for
killing off up to 100,000 fish - mainly salmon - in the Skeena River system
between 1990 and 1996.

The company was subject to an investigation by the federal Department of
Fisheries & Oceans, and found to be responsible, but a report by the federal
Justice Department found that, although DFO had found them responsible, and
there was some evidence to suggest the wash from the hovercraft was the
cause of the fish deaths, there was insufficient evidence to stand up in
court, and as such, there charges would be stayed.

The Friends of the Skeena Valley said they would use any money they received
to restore the habitat destroyed by the hovercraft.

[This story appeared on CBC-TV's 'Braodcast One']

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 00:05:26 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [CA] Protesters give logging company eviction notice
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

VANCOUVER, BC - Protesters from Greenpeace, People's Action for Threatened
Habitat (PATH), Bear Watch and other local groups, took part in an action in
downtown Vancouver earlier today.

They participated  in street theatre, with some dressed in bear, deer and
tree costumes, and also posted eviction notices to the doors of the
corporate offices of BC's largest logging company. McMillan Bloedel.

The protesters accused McBlo of destroying bear habitat.

This was the first joint action since the groups took part in a four-day
training camp last week.

David

[Source - CBC-TV's 'Broadcast One']




Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 07:37:52 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) (Fwd) SUPPORT PHONE ## FOR SETH
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from private e-mail:
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
UPDATE ON SETH:

As of 8 p.m. (PDT), Seth was still being held on $1,500 bail or $500 cash
bond.
He is due to be arraigned at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The County is REFUSING to give any details out about seth because, as they
put it, "all the media." So, they are referring calls t the state police -
who know nothing, except they arrested him on a country warrant.

So, although they are nice guys, the phone # of the County is 317/745 9332
Phone # of the state is 317/745 2127.

For the record, seth's arrest stems from an effigy of the judge that was
burned 3/29. He is not being charged for the torching, but for some scorch
damage on the chain link fence (!).  He is also being charged with
trespassing for going back to the boys school last week with all ofus.
That's nice, but the state cop in charge told him (I'm a witness) that he
could go ahead "join your friends" at the main gate after we convinced the
police that if they arrested seth they'd have to take us all.

I call that approval for seth to be there. That charge is going nowhere.
this is all designed to harass an obvious spokesperson for the movement in
the Indy area, and a spokesperson for Tony Wong and Stacy Schierholz.

BTW, I understand the guv's office meeting garnered live eye coverage for
all the stations, and other media.

Seth did a good job - now he's in jail. Figures.

Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 08:04:21 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Unser, Nugent To Talk on Wilderness
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
------------------------------
04/15/1997 03:08 EST

 Unser, Nugent To Talk on Wilderness

 By SCOTT SONNER
 Associated Press Writer

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Getting lost in a blizzard was only half of racing
champion
 Bobby Unser's troubles. When he was rescued, he got into trouble with federal
 authorities for snowmobiling in a wilderness area.

 Now the three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and another celebrity, rock
star Ted
 Nugent, an avid bow hunter, are appealing to Congress to ease up on the
 restrictions for hunters and snowmobilers who venture into the wilderness.

 The pair were testifying today before a joint congressional panel examining
 problems with management of federal wilderness areas.

 Unser is awaiting trial June 11 in Denver on a federal misdemeanor charge of
 driving a snowmobile in a wilderness area, a violation of the Wilderness
Act of 1964.
 He faces a possible six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

 Unser, 63, and a friend were the target of a two-day search by county
sheriffs
 deputies and Forest Service officials after they were reported missing on
Dec. 20.

 Unser said they were lost in a blizzard while snowmobiling near the
Colorado-New
 Mexico border. He said they nearly died after their snowmobiles broke down
and they
 trudged through deep snow for two days.

 The Forest Service claims Unser and his friend intentionally drove into
the San Juan
 Wilderness in southern Colorado. Forest Service officials said they found the
 snowmobiles inside the wilderness area.

 Forest Service law agent Chris Ortiz warned Unser in 1993 that he was headed
 toward the South San Juan Wilderness and that it was illegal to snowmobile
there,
 according to an arrest warrant the Forest Service issued on Jan. 8, 1997.

 ``Unser stated to Ortiz that he was aware where the wilderness was and was
not
 planning on traveling in that area, but if he did nobody would be able to
catch him,''
 Forest Service special agent Brenda Schultz wrote in the warrant.

 Last year, the Forest Service reported 1,387 violations of the ban on
motorized
 equipment in wilderness areas nationwide.

 ``We are the agency charged with upholding the Wilderness Act and take this
 seriously,'' Jerry Stokes, the Forest Service's assistant director for
wilderness, said
 Monday.

 But Rep. Helen Chenoweth, R-Idaho, chairman of the House Resources
 subcommittee on forests and forest health, said, ``We all understand the
importance
 of conserving those pristine and primitive areas, but the implementation
of the act by
 some in the federal agencies is disturbing.''

 Environmentalists said the congressional hearing was part of an effort by
western
 Republicans in Congress to open up federally protected lands to logging,
livestock
 grazing and other commercial activities.

 ``I think what they are doing is setting the stage for an attack on the
Wilderness Act,''
 said Bill Worf, president of the conservation group Wilderness Watch.

 ``They've got these high-level celebrities leading it all. Only two people
from the
 witness list I've seen are going to speak out for wilderness. The rest are
on the other
 side,'' he said Monday from Missoula, Mont.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 08:09:10 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) N.Carolina May Get New Hog Rules
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
------------------------------
 04/15/1997 01:19 EST

 N.Carolina May Get New Hog Rules

 By EMERY P. DALESIO
 Associated Press Writer

 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina state lawmaker Richard Morgan didn't
even
 have a hog in the fight until N.G. Purvis Farms proposed a mega-farm next
to a
 country club in his area.

 Now that proposal may have jeopardized the growth of North Carolina's
entire swine
 industry.

 Purvis Farms created a local uproar with its expansion attempt in Moore
County. That
 got the attention of Morgan, a state legislator who volunteers that he's
the antithesis
 of the environmentally mindful liberals or advocates for the poor who have
been
 demanding restrictions for years.

 ``However it happened, the time was right for it to happen,'' Morgan, a
Republican,
 now says. ``The time for the legislation is now, not later.''

 In the face of the billion-dollar industry's determined resistance to any new
 conditions, Morgan said he's determined to throw his weight behind tighter
controls.

 ``I can read a poll,'' Morgan said, ``and I know the issue cuts across
gender. I know it
 cuts across age. I know it cuts across race. It cuts across party.''

 About eight out of 10 residents in eastern North Carolina's hog country
said in a poll
 released last week they favored stricter regulation of the swine industry.
About an
 equal number wanted wider roads to handle more traffic, according to the
survey
 conducted last summer by researchers at East Carolina University.

 Tourism officials worry that the nation's perception of North Carolina as
a vacation
 destination is threatened by the swine industry's growth.

 And neighbors are shouting for attention. Some vow they'll vote for
whoever helps
 restore property values they say have been degraded by newly arrived hog
farms.

 ``There's no difference out there between a Republican and a Democrat,'' Joe
 Laughinghouse, a Republican, said during a rally at the General Assembly last
 week. ``All we want is to be treated fairly.''

 As historically the predominant party, Democrats have benefited from
pork-related
 campaign contributions, while also being aligned with environmental
causes. They,
 like all legislators, don't want to kill the jobs the industry provides.
Like all
 lawmakers, they say the water pollution that concerns voters comes from many
 sources.

 But they also recognize pressure is mounting to do something.

 ``The problem is we have an environmental problem the swine industry is
part of,''
 said Democratic Rep. Jim Black, the House minority leader. ``If 85 percent
of the
 people are in favor of something, maybe we better listen.''

 Black is confident Morgan's bill will pass the House.

 Then the ball would be in the Senate's court, where the Democrats in
charge last
 year devoted millions of dollars to clean up fouled wetlands and waterways.

 Gov. Jim Hunt then would have to decide whether to sign new regulations
into law.

 Morgan's bill would stop the construction of new, large-scale hog
operations for one
 year, allow county commissioners to decide where the big farms could open and
 triple the distance required between a waste-holding cesspool and neighboring
 property.

 Hunt said last week he supports a two-year moratorium on new and expanding
pork
 operations, but stopped short of endorsing zoning authority for counties
to regulate
 intensive hog operations.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 08:12:29 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (CN) China Lifts Ban on U.S. Poultry
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
----------------------------
 04/15/1997 04:05 EST

 China Lifts Ban on U.S. Poultry

 BEIJING (AP) -- China has lifted a temporary ban on importing live poultry
and related
 products from the United States.

 A U.S. Embassy official said today that China's Administration of Animal
and Plant
 Quarantine dropped the ban April 4, after a four-month break in imports.

 Chinese officials suspended imports Dec. 3 after cases of New Castle disease
 were discovered last September in poultry from Oklahoma and Missouri.

 The disease, which has a high mortality rate, infects chickens, ducks and
geese.
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:38:41 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Cancer study praises pasta, canes sugar
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>South China Morning Post
Internet Edition
15 Apr  97


     Cancer study praises pasta, canes sugar
     UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL in San Diego

     Researchers have added pasta to their list of foods that can ward off
cancer, but warned that people with a sweet tooth may be treating themselves
to an early grave.


 "Pasta slows down the process of colon cancer," said Piero Dolara, a
professor of toxicology at the University of Florence, Italy, who is
presenting his findings to the annual meeting of the American Association of
Cancer Research here this week. But sucrose, the simple carbohydrates found
in most cakes, biscuits and sweets was "dangerous for cancer of the colon",
he said.

 In the study, rats were given a cancer-causing chemical, and then fed diets
composed of sucrose, pasta or glucose, another form of carbohydrate.

 Pasta-fed animals developed about half the number of intestinal tumours,
compared to those on sugary diets.

 Professor Dolara said because the pasta, and other complex carbohydrates,
were absorbed more slowly than simple sugars they were "more gentle to the
intestines".

 The study, he said, pointed to a serious health threat posed by the Western
diet, which is based on large amounts of sugary foods. He said that
increased consumption of sugar, which has soared tenfold over the past
half-century, may be a big contributor to the relatively high rates of colon
cancer in Western countries.

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:38:47 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (NZ) NZ minister says cattle board could count people
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


> Hong Kong Standard, 15 Apr 97
NZ minister says cattle board could count people


WELLINGTON: New Zealand's commerce minister has proposed the agency that
keeps track of the nation's millions of dairy cattle by computer could also
keep tabs on its human population.

In a speech on Tuesday John Luxton, whose zeal for cutting central
government costs has earned him the informal title of ``Minister for
Deregulation'', said it was a matter of efficiency.

The national register of births, deaths and marriages among New Zealand's
3.66 million population is currently handled by a manual, paper-based
system but its automation is being planned.

``Each year the Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) records over
800,000 new calf births. Our requirement for the human population is only
about 50,000 births per year, which is quite simple relatively'', Mr Luxton
said. ``Perhaps the LIC could add an additional breed, the humans, to the
existing database.''

A Livestock Corporation spokesman told New Zealand Television news the
minister's idea did not initially strike it as a good one. - Reuter


Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:38:58 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (TH)  Phuket's last swamp forest under threa
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

                               April 15, 1997

                               [BANGKOK POST]
     ENVIRONMENT

             Phuket's last swamp forest under threat

             It has been dying since start of year

             Kanittha Inchukul
             Phuket

             Despite Phuket having been declared an
             environment protection zone for six years,
             environmental officials may fail to save the
             last remaining swamp forest on this resort
             island.

             Environmental officials said that the swamp
             forest called Phru Maikhao,has been gradually
             dying since the start of this year because of a
             discharge from shrimp hatcheries.

             An environment official at the Science,
             Technology and Environment said: "The hatchery
             business which started three years ago has
             pumped sea water to feed shrimps but the
             discharge onto land nearby including Phru
             Maikhao has harmed the area which is a
             freshwater site."

             Environmental officials noticed the degradation
             three years ago but nobody bothered to tackle
             the problem until the entire forest rotted and
             died.

             The wetland benefits local villagers as grazing
             grounds and a source of fish while it contains a
             biodiversity of flora and fauna.

             The official said: "There used to be ten swamp
             forests along the coastline but eight of them
             have been destroyed to make reservoirs and
             recreational parks. The two remaining swamps are
             Phru Maikhao where pollution is taking its tolls
             and the Phru Jik swamp which is been threatened
             by a planned park project."

             Phuket fishery official Singha Boonkul said his
             office did not know that shrimp hatcheries
             discharged waste water because no one informed
             his office about the situation. However, he
             claimed that most of the shrimp hatchery
             business went out of business many months ago
             though some shrimp farms still remain, he
             claimed.

             It is possible that someone wants to occupy the
             land in this swamp so they tried to kill the
             forest, Mr Singha said.

             In order to protect the swamp forest, the Office
             of Environmental Policy and Planning is to
             propose a measure to prevent it from development
             projects such as reserviors and public parks
             which will be included in the regulation for
             Phuket's environment protection zone.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article copyright Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd 1997
Reprinted for non-commercial use only.
Website: http://www.bangkokpost.net


Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:39:05 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (MY) Destruction of lake
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


> The Star Online

                   Tuesday, April 15, 1997

                   Environment
                   Tasik Chini's revenge

                   By Andrew Sia

                   TASIK Chini. Also called the Lake of the Lost City, the
                   lake of Malaysia's Loch Ness monster, the Sacred Lake,
                   and the Lotus Lake - from the many fables and legends
                   surrounding this lake in Pahang.

                   Yet today, thousands of trees there have been laid waste
                   all because of a dam built in the almighty name of
                   Tourist Convenience.

                   The high water level has inundated and suffocated the
                   roots of thousands of trees for the past two years. And
                   as the roots rotted away, the trees around the lake
                   died; many tumbled into the water, becoming an eyesore
                   and worse, obstructing boats.

                   In fact, before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir
                   Mohamad visited the lake on March 17, many dead trees
                   were sawn off and cleared for fear that they might
                   topple on him and other dignitaries, say boatmen at
                   Tasik Chini. Two weeks after the PM's visit, I visited
                   the site and found that more trees had fallen and been
                   left uncleared.

                   "Takut pokok hempak pelancung," said the boatman who
                   brought us to the area, expressing his fears that dead
                   trees might crash down on future visitors to the lake.
                   Are the dead trees cleared only when VIPs visit?

                   To exacerbate the situation, the dam has turned Tasik
                   Chini into a vast, almost stagnant pond. And with the
                   innumerable dead leaves, twigs and branches in the
                   water, the lake has become a giant bowl of decaying
                   organic matter.

                   Ominously perhaps, the water has turned darker as oxygen
                   levels plunge while acid levels climb. Some fish are
                   either dying or getting skin sores; other fish have
                   become less palatable, say recent reports.

                   Why was the dam built?

                   The whole saga began when some boatmen ferrying tourists
                   to Tasik Chini complained that it was difficult to
                   cruise upstream via Sungai Chini in the dry months of
                   August and September.

                   They said the river was too shallow then, thus they had
                   to ask tourists to get off at various points and walk
                   along the banks for a bit, while they pushed their boats
                   over the shallow stretches.

                   The main route to Tasik Chini used to be from Kampung
                   Belimbing along Sungai Pahang up through the small but
                   magnificent Sungai Chini tributary.

                   The trees lining the riverbanks form a wondrous canopy
                   of greenery, through which golden rays of sunshine
                   filter down to dance on the water.

                   While the jungle orchestra of innumerable insects hums
                   on, kingfishers, monkeys, iguanas and the occasional
                   snake might be seen. No exaggeration.

                   Fortunately, this riverine wonderland has not been
                   severely jeopardised by the dam yet, except at a large
                   swamp forest where the river starts from the lake.

                   In the dry season, this nature-appreciation boat
                   trip-cum-jungle trek used to take about an hour. But
                   when the water is high, it takes only 30 minutes to
                   cruise through the short 4.8km-long river.
                   Notwithstanding, certain boatmen requested that a dam be
                   built to raise the water level permanently.

                   In short, the hard truth is that the dam of destruction
                   was built just so that pseudo "eco-tourists" could go on
                   a rush-cruise to the lake without having to get their
                   feet wet.

                   The worst part is that the current fiasco was not
                   unanticipated. Three years ago, biologists, several
                   boatmen and "overly sentimental" environmentalists had
                   warned that the dam was not just unnecessary but also a
                   threat to the lake's environment.

                   The Star had highlighted these warnings in September
                   1994. In our article, Dr George Ong, a professor of
                   botany at Universiti Malaya, had predicted: "Some trees
                   can withstand seasonal flooding. But with permanent
                   inundation, trees will most probably die. ... This is
                   because the trees' roots cannot breathe when submerged."

                   Haji Mahusin Md Taib, a boatman from nearby Kampung
                   Rambai, had said then: "The dam will jeopardise the
                   environment. When the water rises, the soil on the banks
                   will become soft. The trees will then collapse because
                   there is no support for the roots."

                   In spite of the warnings, the EIA consultants for the
                   dam Erinco Sdn Bhd, gave an assurance: "Please don't
                   call it a dam. It's just a low impoundment structure. We
                   engineers call it a weir. The weir will not harm the
                   trees. The trees only collapse during the monsoon
                   season."

                   But Erinco general manager A. Sekarajasekaran now
                   maintains that his firm was merely the "environmental
                   consultant" responsible for the dam's EIA, and not the
                   "engineering consultant." Sekarajasekaran claims that
                   the responsibility of ensuring that the dam's
                   engineering specifications were properly followed
                   belonged to "someone else."

                   "We are engineers, yes. But we are also environmental
                   consultants. In fact, we are one of the biggest EIA
                   consultancies. If only they followed everything that we
                   recommended, things would have been fine."

                   He declines to identify who "they" were.

                   "It's not proper for me to give the name. As
                   consultants, we have a code of ethics to follow.
                   Besides, the matter is under investigation."

                   Since last September when The Star began highlighting
                   the fact that the dam had caused thousands of trees to
                   be drowned in a "watery grave", one "shadowy" contractor
                   had been bearing much of the blame for failing to adhere
                   to the dam's engineering specifications, thus resulting
                   in the dam being built too high. But what does a mere
                   contractor layman know about engineering specs?

                   This contractor was the fall guy until last week when
                   Pahang Mentri Besar Tan Sri Mohd Khalil Yaakob said, in
                   a report in the New Straits Time, that the implementing
                   agency was the State Economic Planning Unit (EPU) which
                   did not have technical staff, therefore supervision was
                   lacking.

                   "It is not the time for us to find who is at fault," he
                   was quoted as saying.

                   Is the dam necessary?

                   Apart from "softie sentimental" and "western-greenie"
                   environmental issues, hard economic and marketing
                   arguments had also been raised; the Press had carried
                   conflicting reports of the cost of the dam project,
                   which ranged from RM1 million to RM7 million.

                   A question raised before the dam was built was: Will the
                   multi-million ringgit dam project really bring in more
                   tourist revenue?

                   The Eco-tourism Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
                   for Tasik Chini states that only five per cent of the
                   35,834 visitors to Tasik Chini for 1991/92 stayed
                   overnight.

                   The EIA also concedes that it is a sub-destination of
                   Kuantan. That means people stay in Kuantan and hop over
                   to the lake for a day trip. The dam makes it easier for
                   visitors to whiz in and out of the lake on speedboats.
                   Still, will this encourage visitors to stay overnight?

                   The root problem was a bad marketing recipe. Why hype up
                   tourists to expect a speedboat ride through Sungai Chini
                   only to let them down (literally) when the boat has to
                   be pushed across shallow waters?

                   Perhaps a better serving suggestion would have been: "An
                   adventurous boat ride-cum-water trek along Sungai Chini
                   - the ultimate nature hike!" And the speedboat
                   experience doesn't have to be sacrificed either, as
                   there is plenty of space on the lake itself for whizzing
                   around. It would have been the best of both worlds.

                   Even if busloads of pre-packaged karoake-squealing
                   tourists insist on zipping through the lake at a
                   frenetic "Seven Asean countries in 15 days!" pace, the
                   dam was still not necessary.

                   One can drive on good and uncongested roads - turn-off
                   from the Kuantan-Segamat highway - right up to the
                   water's edge at the Tasik Chini Resort and hop onto the
                   many tourist boats waiting for customers there.

                   For Singaporean tourists, this land route is some 45km
                   shorter compared with driving up to the Kampung
                   Belimbing jetty. As for tourists from Kuala Lumpur, an
                   additional 50km of driving is required (but even this
                   can be shortened if a Felda scheme laterite road from
                   Temerloh to the lake is tarred over).

                   And the irony of ironies now?

                   Since the dam's completion, most tourists are using the
                   land route instead of the Kampung Belimbing water route,
                   says the village headman, Abdul Aziz Aji.

                   "The Belimbing jetty almost seems dead," laments Wan
                   Mohd Nawi Abdullah, 65, a lifelong Kampung Belimbing
                   resident.

                   While formerly boats could go straight from Sungai
                   Pahang to Sungai Chini and on up to the lake, the dam
                   has now blocked such traffic. Instead, after crossing
                   Sungai Pahang, tourists from Belimbing now have to
                   disembark at a transit jetty, then walk some 400m before
                   reaching the main jetty near the mouth of Sungai Chini.
                   From there they have to take another boat to get to the
                   lake.

                   Because of this boat changeover hassle, pampered and
                   foot-lazy tourists have decided to bypass Belimbing and
                   instead drive right up to the Tasik Chini Resort or to
                   the Kuala Sungai Chini transit complex.

                   "For the tourists, tak syok for them to change boats,"
                   says boatman Mahusin from nearby Kampung Rambai.

                   Wan Mat Amin Wan Ali, another Belimbing boatman,
                   complains that the village has only 10 per cent of the
                   old business left. "Semua terus highway sekarang."
                   (Everybody goes through the highway now.)

                   Indeed the village is a forlorn scene. Two large
                   concrete starfruits, paint peeling from neglect, usher
                   visitors into the usually empty carpark while the
                   toilets are cobweb-ridden.


                   An old Selamat Datang ke Tasik Chini billboard built for
                   the glorious Pacific Area Tourist Association (PATA)
                   conference of 1986 stands forlorn, a monument of decay
                   silently mocking the folly of building the dam.

                   It is thus obvious that the dam's sacred mantra of "more
                   convenient for tourists-lah" was highly dubious. With
                   good road access, it was quite pointless to create a
                   fast water-access route through Sungai Chini, especially
                   when that is one of the trip's highlights meant to be
                   enjoyed at leisure.

                   In short, without even bothering to consider "emotional"
                   environmental problems, the dam was simply not necessary
                   for tourism. With potentially disastrous environmental
                   consequences factored into the equation, it seemed
                   entirely foolhardy to have risked killing the goose that
                   laid the golden egg.

                   Why was the project steamrolled through anyway?

                   Back in 1994, there were two factions of boatmen in the
                   area, with different political alignments. Tension was
                   such that according to one boatman then, "I put up a
                   signboard to attract tourists but they (the other
                   faction) came at night to tear it down."

                   This boatman said that his faction opposed the dam,
                   fearing that they might be barred from using the transit
                   complex, hence severely jeopardising their livelihood.

                   But the other faction owned orchard land at the Kuala
                   Sungai Chini area. It seems that the idea of developing
                   an expensive transit complex there was just too
                   tempting. The dam project package includes a RM660,000
                   tourist transit complex complete with restaurant,
                   handicraft shop and well-kept toilets, completed in 1995
                   at Kuala Sungai Chini.

                   Resident Wan Mohd Nawi candidly reveals that those
                   villagers with land there benefitted from the project.
                   Unlike land acquisition elsewhere, he says, "Pampasan
                   bagus, tak ada cerita kerajaan zalim." (Good
                   compensation, no talk of government cruelty.)

                   Kampung Belimbing headman Abdul Aziz is even more frank.
                   "I had 0.6 hectares (of land here at Kuala Sungai Chini)
                   formerly. The State EPU compensated me for it when they
                   built the tourist complex."

                   Was the compensation generous?

                   "Kira okay-lah," he smiles.

                   Abdul Aziz still owns land behind the complex and is
                   looking for a developer to build a dewan mesyuarat
                   (meeting hall) and mini-hostel so that the classic
                   activity of kursus (courses) can be held. Meanwhile his
                   son runs the handicraft shop and is building some
                   chalets nearby.

                   But to be fair to these real estate beneficiaries, while
                   they wanted the dam project to materialise, they may not
                   have foreseen just how widespread the dam's destruction
                   would be. After all, it was in their interest too that
                   Tasik Chini remains an attraction.

                   Apart from these "lucky" landowners, the 20-odd boatmen
                   too cannot be blamed for wanting to lighten their
                   boat-pushing work. After all, it was not their fault
                   that the river and lake had become shallower.

                   The root of the evil

                   And how did that happen? Unfortunately, the
                   all-too-familiar answer is: development, erosion and
                   siltation.

                   "When the Felda oil palm plantations were opened up
                   around the lake more than 10 years ago, a lot of mud
                   flowed into the lake," recalls Wan Mohd Nawi.

                   Abdul Aziz remembers: "There used to be many small
                   rivers flowing into Tasik Chini. But when the oil palm
                   plantations started, there was a lot of erosion."

                   The situation was so bad that at one point, the Press
                   reported that a part of Laut Gumum - one of the 12
                   sub-lakes of Tasik Chini - was kering kontang (bone
                   dry).

                   Even the EIA on the dam stresses that Tasik Chini needs
                   to be protected from encroachment by the surrounding
                   (Felda-managed) oil palm estates.

                   Apart from soil erosion, another major problem is
                   chemical pollution from the estates.

                   "When fertilisers, pesticides and weedicides are used in
                   plantations next to a lake, some will end up in the
                   water. This chemical residue is then consumed by fish,
                   which are in turn eaten by humans," cautions Abdul Wahid
                   Ghazali, a lecturer in Universiti Putra Malaysia's
                   (formerly Universiti Pertanian Malaysia) department of
                   environmental science.

                   In June 1989, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Mohd Khalil Yaakob
                   had announced that Tasik Chini would be gazetted as part
                   of the proposed Pahang Reserve Park covering 4,598
                   hectares - to preserve the natural habitat against
                   logging and pollution.

                   Khalil admitted then that logging and mining activities
                   around the lake had polluted the waters. "Once the area
                   has been declared a State park, no development will be
                   allowed," he had said.

                   However, since the Mentri Besar's announcement, there
                   has been no further mention in the Press about the
                   Pahang Reserve Park.

                   Instead, in the euphoric economic boomtimes of the 90s,
                   and despite the current environmental destruction, the
                   Pahang Tenggara Development Authority (DARA) which has
                   Tasik Chini under its administration, appointed a
                   private company to develop a luxury resort on a 54
                   hectare-site in the area, in addition to the present
                   Tasik Chini Resort.

                   Although the Pahang Reserve Park did not quite take off,
                   in 1993 there was renewed hope.

                   When Dr Mahathir visited Tasik Chini then, he commented
                   that the lake was shallow. In response, Khalil announced
                   that the State government had agreed to gazette a
                   3km-zone around the lake where logging, mining and land
                   clearing would be banned, to prevent erosion and
                   sedimentation.

                   But on a boat trip around the lake recently, this writer
                   saw that the oil palm plantations had, in some areas,
                   crept right up to the very edge of the lake.

                   As for the road leading to the resort, tall oil palm
                   trees form a monotonous scene. Only the last 1km
                   (clocked on the writer's car odometer) winds through
                   secondary (logged over) forest. This means that the
                   forest fringe at the lake's edge is actually less than
                   1km, even at the "eco-tourism" resort. If only a
                   3km-fringe of real virgin forest had been spared by
                   loggers and Felda's oil palms, Tasik Chini could have
                   been a second (aquatic) Taman Negara.

                   Following the Prime Minister's comments on the lake's
                   shallow waters, Pahang responded by buying a RM1 million
                   machine to dredge the lake bottom. And they decided to
                   build the fateful dam.

                   The Mentri Besar said then that both measures would
                   raise the water level of Sungai Chini to 3.7 metres, and
                   of the lake, to 1.8 metres at their shallowest points,
                   according to a Business Times report. But boatmen who
                   initially opposed the dam project had relented when DARA
                   assured them that the water level would not go beyond
                   1.5m. The water level is now at 2.8m.

                   Universiti Malaya professor of botany Dr George Ong, in
                   a recent interview, said: "It's hard to say how long the
                   dam will improve water for boating. With the development
                   of estates around the lake, the river will become
                   shallow again. This is because when soil is exposed, the
                   water run-off will carry silt into the lake and the
                   river."

                   It is a cautionary tale of the times. Just as the
                   symptom of "nightspot culture" is currently being blamed
                   as the root of social ills, the symptom of Tasik Chini's
                   shallow waters was tackled instead of the root causes of
                   innappropriate development.

                   Meanwhile, the Utusan Malaysia reported recently that
                   DARA is to be closed down at the end of this year.

                   "It will leave behind a Tasik Chini which has hilang
                   dara (lost its virginity)," quipped the paper.

                   While legends of Tasik Chini's dragons and ancient lost
                   cities have yet to be proven, the pantang (taboo) of
                   respecting the lake and refraining from wanton
                   destruction might be more than mere myths. Perhaps in
                   some strange mystical way, in response to the violation
                   of its virginal habitat, the lake has somehow avenged
                   itself ...

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:39:15 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (MY) 273 football fields of coral reefs gone in 15 years
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


> The Star online,
Tuesday, April 15, 1997


                   273 football fields of coral reefs gone in 15 years

                   The Coral Reef Management Workshop

                   KOTA KINABALU: An estimated 1.6 million sq metres or the
                   equivalent of 273 football fields of coral reefs in
                   Sabah have been destroyed in the past 15 years.

                   Prof Dr Ridwan Abdul Rahman of the Borneo marine
                   research unit at Universiti Malaysia Sabah gave the
                   figure based on a conservative estimate of 30 fish-bomb
                   explosions every hour for two-hour days in the state
                   during that period.

                   "A fish bomb can destroy between three and 10 sq metres
                   of coral reefs," he said in his paper on the state of
                   coral reefs and the effects of fish bombing and use of
                   poisonous chemicals in the areas.

                   He said that what was of greater concern was that fish
                   bombing occurred repeatedly thereby not enabling the
                   reefs to regenerate. "Corals take years to form into a
                   reef which can be destroyed in a matter of seconds
                   because of these bombs," he said.

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:39:21 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (MY) Council mulls proposal to banish fish bombers
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>The Star Online

                   Tuesday, April 15, 1997

                   Council mulls proposal to banish fish bombers

                   The Coral Reef Management Workshop

                   KOTA KINABALU: A proposal to banish fish bombers may be
                   reconsidered by the National Security Council if the
                   situation deteriorates.

                   NSC deputy director-general Mohd Sidek Sheikh Osman said
                   this was among measures being considered to check
                   fish-bombing activities which was widespread in Sabah,
                   Labuan and Sarawak.

                   Other measures include reviewing existing legislations,
                   some of which may have to be amended so that prosecutors
                   would not encounter difficulties when taking legal
                   action against fish bombers.

                   Mohd Sidek told participants at a coral reef workshop
                   yesterday that there was also a need to gather
                   intelligence reports about the offenders.

                   "Relevant agencies must have a comprehensive
                   intelligence gathering system so that they know how the
                   syndicates operate and the quick action that can be
                   taken against them," he said.

                   He added that there should be an integrated approach
                   taken on land and at sea to crackdown on the culprits.

                   "The operations on land would require full co-operation
                   between the Fisheries Department, the police and local
                   authorities," Mohd Sidek said.

                   He said Sabah had the worst record in terms of
                   destruction of coral reefs and fish bombing in the
                   country.

                   From 1991 to 1996 alone, there were 563 cases of fish
                   bombing. More than three tonnes of bombed fish were
                   confiscated last year involving 53 cases for which 35
                   people were prosecuted and fined a total RM8,800.

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:39:26 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (MY) Tracking encroachers at marine park
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


> The Star Online


                   Tuesday, April 15, 1997

                   Dept to use radar to track encroachers

                   ALOR STAR: The Fisheries Department, alarmed over the
                   spate of encroachment at the Pulau Payar Marine Park off
                   Langkawi, will be using radar to detect offenders.

                   Kedah Fisheries Department head Ismail Abu Hassan said
                   the radar would be installed on the island soon to help
                   enforcement officers track such illegal activities.

                   He said the radar would enable the department to reduce
                   the number of encroachment on the four islands which had
                   been gazetted as a national marine park.

                   The other islands are Pulau Kaca, Pulau Lembu and Pulau
                   Sigantang.

                   Ismail said the four islands are popular with fishermen
                   and anglers.

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:39:31 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (IN) Eco-friendly transport at zoo
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

                             [THE HINDU]

                      Tuesday, April 15, 1997
                          SECTION: Regional

              Now battery-driven cars at Vandalur

              Date: 15-04-1997 :: Pg: 03 :: Col: d

              By P. Oppili

              CHENNAI, April 14.

              Three `mini battery-operated cars' have been introduced
              at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, as part
              of the effort to find a wider range of eco-friendly
              transport options within the zoo complex.

              At present the newly inducted vehicles are being used by
              the Park officials, with the prospect of offering them
              to the public later. The small, two-seater battery
              operated cars have been designed and manufactured by a
              private company at Chalakudi, Kerala and were purchased
              at a cost of Rs. 4.25 lakhs a few months ago, according
              to Mr. S. Ramanathan, Park Director.

              The chassis for two vehicles has been built, while the
              third one is designed as an open car. Once the battery
              is charged for 12 hours the vehicle can cover over 35
              km. The battery has to be replaced after four years.

              Plans are afoot to introduce an eight-seater vehicle for
              the visitors on similar lines and a proposal to this
              effect has been forwarded to the officials concerned,
              Mr. Ramanathan said.

              As the vehicle is small and moves without much noise, it
              has become an attraction for the visitors and many say
              they would prefer to go round the zoo using it. But as
              the three vehicles are run on a trial basis, the
              officials politely turn down the requests of the
              visitors.

              ``It would be ideal if an hourly tariff is fixed for
              such a family-type vehicle. The visitors can use it to
              see the major attractions of the zoo lying in far-flung
              enclosures requiring a long walk,'' a visitor points
              out.

              Already four battery-operated trains are being run for
              the visitors inside the zoo complex. This vehicle can
              carry nearly 30 persons at a time, for which a fee of
              Rs. 6 per head for adults and Rs. 3 for children is
              being collected by the Park.

              This is more in the nature of a ``package tour'' which
              means that the time spent at a particular point watching
              an animal is restricted to what the tour allows. The
              facility to ``hire'' individual battery cars could help
              plan a more flexible itinerary for the visitor, it is
              felt.

              Also, the battery-operated van available to tour the
              Lion Safari is under repair and is not being operated
              for the past six months. The vehicle has been got ready
              now and could be re- introduced in a few days, say
              officials.

              A proposal to acquire a few more battery-operated
              vehicles which are lying idle with Pallavan Transport
              Corporations is hanging fire for months now. The PTC had
              donated two such vans to the Indira Gandhi National
              Park, Mudumalai. If such vehicles are made available to
              the Vandalur zoo more visitors could see the lions in a
              safari environment, the officials point out.

              The safari remains one of the attractions of the
              Vandalur complex which have not been promoted in a big
              way and suffers for want of infrastructure.

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:39:38 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (JP) Campaign for marine life lost as bay closes
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


> The Japan Times

       (April 14)

Campaign for marine life lost as bay closes

     NAGASAKI -- The agriculture ministry began working April 14 to
     close off the inside of Isahaya Bay in Nagasaki Prefecture -- a
     move that will consign death to mudskippers and other marine
     creatures on the largest dry beach in Japan.

     The land reclamation project has been meeting increasing
     resistance since environmentalists filed a law suit last July in
     a bid to obtain a court order to stop the project. Insects and
     other indigenous bay life were named as codefendants. But on
     April 14, several hundred steel sheets were inserted to remotely
     close the 1.2-km opening to the 7-km embankment.

     The work to shut the bay and its 3,000 hectare dry beach
     signifies that another battle waged against large development
     projects has failed, as the bid to stop construction of the
     Nagara River dam in central Japan did also. According to the
     ministry, the tide embankment will be essential to flood control
     on the reclaimed area. Water levels in the bay will be controlled
     by two gates to protect the reclaimed land from tides and floods,
     it said. The land reclamation project got under way in 1985.


Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 21:55:55 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Great apes in danger
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


> Hong Kong Standard, 15 Apr 97
Great apes in danger


MAN'S closest genetic relative, the ape, is facing pressures that could
drive it into extinction in the wild, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
has warned.

Driven from their natural habitats, hunted for their meat, poached as
trophies and listed as the plat du jour in fancy Paris restaurants, the
world's great apes have been fighting a losing battle in recent years.

While there are still tens of thousands of great apes left _ from
chimpanzees to orang-utans to gorillas _ their numbers have dropped
precipitously.

The wildlife group warned that the ape could end up extinct, but did not
estimate when that could happen.

The latest threat comes in the form of war. ``The most endangered of all
these apes is the mountain gorilla, whose last stronghold is the troubled _
sometimes war-torn _ zone along the frontiers of Rwanda, Zaire and
Uganda,'' says Elizabeth Kemp, species policy information officer for WWF
International.

``Civil unrest has put the gorilla and chimpanzee in great peril,'' she
notes.

In 1994, hundreds of thousands of refugees fled ethnic violence in Rwanda,
streaming into Zaire and settling near the Virunga National Park, a haven
for mountain gorillas.

The WWF says landmines, firewood collection, random shootings and the
threat of disease is killing chimpanzees and putting gorillas at risk.

Ms Kemp says, though, that Zairian rebels are co-operating with
conservationists to help protect animals.

One of the largest threats to the great ape is loss of habitat.

``Unsustainable logging, agricultural expansion, oil exploration, mining
and human migration into ape habitat are all causing the animals' forest
home to shrink as never before,'' the report says.

The report warns that in 50 to 70 years, the forests in Zaire, Equatorial
Guinea and Cameroon could disappear completely.

In Malaysia and Indonesia, it says, less than 2 per cent of the
orang-utan's forest habitat remains. Suitable habitat for the animal has
declined by 80 per cent in the past 20 years.

Wildlife is also being increasingly hunted for food.

``Bush meat'' has become fashionably exotic, with restaurants as far as
Paris and Brussels offering monkey on the menu._ AP


Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 07:15:17 -0700
>From: [e-mail] (Peter  M. Ligotti)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: April '97 Global 24-Nation Protests Against Gene-Spliced Foods and Cloning
Message-ID: <v01540b07af793cfdb114@[206.149.207.4]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Global Days of Action Against Genetically Engineered Food and Cloning
Campaign Progress Report
April 11, 1997   by Ronnie Cummins, Pure Food Campaign USA
[phone]   Fax [phone] email: <[e-mail]>
world wide web:
<http://www.geocities.com/athens/1527>

As of April 10, activists from 24 nations have committed
themselves to organize actions and press events against
genetic engineering, genetically engineered food, and cloning
during the week of April 20-27. A number of groups have planned
actions as well for the week of April 14-20. These countries
and contact persons include the following:

(1) United States--anti-biotech events in New York, Washington,
D.C., Burlington, Vt., Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Minneapolis, Duluth, Milwaukee, Madison, Detroit, Atlanta, Austin,
San Antonio, Tucson, Norwalk, Ct., Albuquerque, Boulder, and Iowa City;
with anti-biotech activities also being incorporated into Earth Day Week
activities in other cities as well. Among some of the most newsworthy
events will be grain dumps and street protests in San Francisco,
Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. on April 21 and April 23
and teach-ins in Albuquerque April 20 and New York City on April 27.
Contact: Pure Food Campaign (Ronnie Cummins) Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone] e-mail: <[e-mail]>
<http://www.geocities.com/athens/1527>

USA April Events Contacts:

New York City (Mitchell Cohen Tel. [phone]);
(Andy Zimmerman Tel. [phone]); (Asha Golliher Tel. [phone]);
(Greg Todd 718-858-8803). NYC Events Planned: April 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Forum on Biotechnology and Gene Foods at Broooklyn Society for
Ethical Culture 53 Prospect Park West with Dr. Michael Hansen
from the Consumers Union and Mitchell Cohen from Brooklyn Greens.
Also in NYC on April 27 there will be an all-day teach-in
sponsored by the Learning Alliance starting at 10 a.m. at
324 Lafayette St. 7th Floor with speakers including Vandana Shiva,
Debra Harry, Kristen Dawkins, and Ronnie Cummins. After the teach-in
there will be a street protest at Monsanto's headquarters.

Washington, D.C. (Foundation on Economic Trends Tel. [phone]).
Protest against biotech foods and cloning on April 22. Chicago street
protest noon April 21 (Jane Alexander Tel. [phone]).
Los Angeles (Steve Urow Tel. [phone]) Student forum and press
conference at noon April 21 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.
Grain dump and press conference at Ralph's Supermarket at
Barrington & Olympic Streets in West L.A. on April 23 at noon.
San Francisco (Michael Phillips Tel. [phone]), street action
and press conference at the Marina Safeway in S.F. on April 21 at noon.
Minneapolis-St. Paul (Pat Kerrigan Tel. [phone]), protest and
press event at headquarters of Pillsbury Corporation in downtown
Minneapolis at noon April 23, followed by a forum that evening at
First Universalist Church (Dupont Ave. S. And 34th Street). Duluth,
Mn. (Jan Conley 715-392-5782) Protest, free food, and literature
distribution on the Duluth Lakewalk near Leif Ericson Park noon
April 26. Milwaukee (Louise Quigley Tel. [phone] or Frances
Bartelt Tel. [phone]) protest in front of FDA offices at
2675 N. Mayfair Road April 22 at 5:30 p.m. Madison (John Peck
Tel. [phone]), protest and press event on steps of the Memorial
Union at Univ. of Wisconsin noon April 25. Detroit (Key Halverson Tel.
810-476-3403). Atlanta (Anne Melfi Tel. [phone]). Austin
(Neil Carmen Tel. [phone]). Tucson (Gwen Cadenhead
Tel. [phone]). Norwalk, Ct. (Lela Florel Tel. [phone])
grain dump and press conference at Pathmark supermarket in Norwalk
at noon on April 22. Albuquerque (Robin Seydel Tel. [phone]),
citywide teach-in on biotechnology with featured speaker
Brian Tokar on April 20 starting at 11:30 a.m at Silver Street
entrance of La Montanita Co-op, Carlisle & Amherst Streets.
Iowa City (Teresa Carbrey Tel. [phone]) citywide teach-in
April 22 featuring Beth Fitzgerald from Greenpeace. Burlington,
Vermont--teach-in and protest at theUniversity of Vermont April 22
(Alice Stokes 802-864-4665). Boulder, Colorado April 24 forum on
genetic engineering with featured speech by Vandana Shiva at the
University of Colorado.

(2) Canada--protest action planned at the GATT Codex Alimentarius
labeling meeting in Ottawa April 14 at 10 a.m. on Parliament Hill.
Also press conference planned the following week for Prince Edward
Island and leafletting in Peterborough, Ontario. Contact: Council
of Canadians (Dave Robinson) Tel. [phone] Fax. [phone]
e-mail <[e-mail]> Also contact: Campaign to Ban Genetically
Engineered Food (Richard Wolfson)
e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(3) U.K.--continuous actions planned April 18-27 in London and a
dozen other cities by Women's Environmental Network and other groups.
National Conference of anti-biotech activists in Herefordshire
April 18-20. Protests against Monsanto and other biotech corporations
April 21-22. Lobbying of government and legislators April 23-24.
Nationwide leafletting of supermarkets on April 25-27. Contact: Women's
Environmental Network (Ricarda Steinbrecher or Zoe Elsord)
Tel. [phone]  Fax. [phone]
e-mail <[e-mail]>

(4) India--actions planned in April. Contact: Research Foundation for
Science, Technology, and Natural Resource Policy (Vandana Shiva) Tel.
[phone]  Fax. [phone]
e-mail <[e-mail]>

(5) Malaysia--actions planned by Third World Network and Consumers
Association of Penang. Contact: Third World Network (Martin Khor) Tel.
[phone]  Fax. [phone]
e-mail <[e-mail]>

(6) Philippines--actions (still tentative) planned by Center for
Alternative Development Initiatives. Contact CADI (Nicky Perlas) Tel.
[phone] Fax. [phone]
e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(7) France--actions planned in Paris by Ecoropa and other groups.
Contact: Ecoropa (Etienne Vernet) Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone]
e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(8) Austria --actions planned by Global 2000 including an important
national referendum on biotech foods April 14. Contact: Global 2000
(Daniel Hausknost) Tel. [phone] Fax. [phone]
e-mail <[e-mail]>

(9) Netherlands--protest action planned by ASEED, the
Amsterdam-headquartered European youth network on April 18 in
Amsterdam. Leafletting by Natuurwetpartij
(e-mail <[e-mail]>) across the country.
Contact: ASEED (Stephanie Howard or Rod Harbinson) Tel.
[phone]  Fax. [phone]
e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(10) Spain--Actions planned by AEDENAT, the Ecological Association
for the Defense of Nature. Simultaneous street actions and petition
gathering in front of government buildings in Madrid, Cordoba, Granada,
Malaga, Sevilla, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Oviedo, Logrono, Santander,
and Burgos. Motions to be introduced in more than 500 city councils and
provincial parliaments, and public speeches and forums in
Gijon (Asturias), Marbella (Malaga), Daganzo (Madrid), Almeria
(University), Ecija (Sevilla), and other cities. Contact: AEDENAT
(Ramon Duran) Tel. [phone]  Fax. [phone]
<http://nodo50.ix.apc.org/aedenat/home.htm>
e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(11) Australia--activities planned by Australian GeneEthics Network
and Australian Consumers Association. Protest at Monsanto's
headquarters in Melbourne at noon April 23. International
videoconference on biotech sponsored by Consumers Association in
Sydney April 16. Contact: GeneEthics Network (Bob Phelps)
Tel. [phone]  Fax. [phone]
e-mail: <[e-mail]>
Australian Consumers Association (Carole Renouf) Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone]
e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(12) Japan--actions planned by Network for Safe and Secure Food and
Environment and Consumers Union. Public protest in Tokyo April 23. Seminars
and forums in a number of Japanese cities April 25-30. Contact: NESSFE
(Mika Iba) Tel.+ 813-3327-6444  Fax. [phone] e-mail: <[e-mail]>
Consumers Union of Japan (Setsuko Yasuda) Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]

(13) Sweden--actions planned, including a protest at the
American Embassy. For further information contact Martin Frid
Tel & Fax. [phone]
e-mai: <[e-mail]>

(14) Norway--actions planned including a march by small farmers
and anti-biotech activists in Oslo April 22. Contact: GATT WTO Campaign
(Helge Christie) Tel. & Fax. [phone]
e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(15) Belgium--actions planned. Contact: Pesticide Action Network
Belgium (Catherine Wattiez) Tel. [phone]  Fax. [phone]
e-mail <[e-mail]>
Also contact: CPAQ (Patrick Vander Linden) Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone]  e-mail <[e-mail]>
Also contact: BRABANT Ecologie (Christian Jacques) Tel. and Fax
[phone]
e-mail: <[e-mail]> (Taty Lauwers)

(16) Denmark--Protest march by Danish environmental organization
Ecotopia starting at Monsanto's headquarters in Copenhagen during
Global Action Week. Contact Ecotopia (Svenning) Tel. [phone]

(17) Germany--actions planned in Bonn, Munich, Dusseldorf (April 26)
Bochum, and Cologne (Teach-in on Genetic Engineering April 26, march
to proposed location of Bio-Genetic Center April 27). Contact
Gen-Ethisches Network (Werner Reisberger) Tel.+ 49-234-540-294
Fax. [phone] e-mail: <[e-mail]> Also contact
AntiGen in Cologne-Kalk (Christiane Niesel) Tel. [phone]

(18) Switzerland--action planned for Basel April 21 at Novartis
corporate office. Contact: No Patents on Life (Florianne Koechlin) Tel.
[phone] Fax. [phone]  e-mail <[e-mail]>

(19) Poland--actions planned. Contact Krakow Green Federation
(Darek Szwed)
e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(20) Hungary--actions planned. Contact Daniel Swartz and Ada Amon
e-mail: <[e-mail]> or <[e-mail]>

(21) New Zealand--ongoing actions. Contact Natural Food Commission
(Guy Hatchard) Tel. [phone]  Fax. [phone]
e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(22) Georgia--activities planned. Contact: Georgia Greens and
Biological Farming Association "Elkana" (Mariam Jordjadze or
Keti Nemsadze) Fax [phone]
e-mail: <[e-mail]> or <[e-mail]>

(23) Ethiopia--activities planned in conjunction with a meeting
on plant genetic resources and food security. Contact: Institute
for Sustainable Development (Sue Edwards and Tewolde Berhan
Gebre Egziabher) e-mail: <[e-mail]>

(24) Brazil--activities planned. Contact: IDEC (Brazilian Institute for
Consumer Protection) (Marilena Lazzarini Tel. [phone] Fax.
[phone]  e-mail: <[e-mail]>
*     *     *

A number of activists have requested a sample press release to make
available to media in their respective countries. The Foundation on
Economic Trends in Washington, D.C. have prepared the following
one-page press release as a model or prototype. Groups may simply
substitute the name of their group, location, time, and event
description (and substitute appropriate polling information and
quotes from their spokesperson) in place of the USA information
included in this prototype.

_________________________________________________________
FIRST GLOBAL PROTESTS OF THE BIOTECH AGE SCHEDULED FOR 25 U.S.
CITIES AND 23 OTHER NATIONS FOR APRIL 20-27

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs) TAKE TO THE STREETS TO
VOICE OPPOSITION TO GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS, ANIMAL AND
HUMAN CLONING AND PATENTS ON LIFE

UNPRECEDENTED "GLOBAL DAYS OF ACTION AGAINST BIOTECH"
MARK THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA OF ACTIVISM

________________________________________________________


(Washington, D.C.) : The Foundation on Economic Trends announced
today the first global protests of the Biotech Age--with
demonstrations, picket lines, and press conferences scheduled
for 25 U.S. cities and 23 other nations. U.S. cities where
anti-biotech actions will take place on the week
of April 20-27 include New York, Washington, D.C.,
Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Milwaukee,
Detroit, Atlanta, Austin, Tucson, Albuquerque, and Iowa City.
Anti-biotech actions are also scheduled during
Earth Day week activities on scores of college campuses.

NGO's in 23 other nations will also be taking to the streets
to protest animal and human cloning, genetically engineered foods
and patents on life. Protests and press conferences are scheduled
for the United Kingdom, Canada, India, Malaysia, The Philippines,
France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Australia,
Japan, Italy, Norway, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary,
New Zealand, Ethiopia, and Georgia.

The global protests are a response to the recent introduction of
genetically engineered foods onto the world market, last month's
revelation of the first cloning of a mammal and the quickened pace
of patents on transgenic plants, animals and human genes.

The first genetically engineered food crops--Monsanto's
controversial herbicide-resistant soybeans and Ciba Geigy's gene-
spliced corn were introduced to Europe and other world markets in
November of last year and ignited a storm of controversy among
angry consumers demanding labeling. According to a recent poll
93% of Americans want all genetically engineered foods clearly
labeled and many consumers say they will not buy foods that
are genetically engineered.

The cloning of a sheep in Scotland last month has raised further
concerns among citizens in countries around the world and led to
calls for legislation to ban all animal and human cloning. A
Feb. 26 Time/CNN poll found 93% of Americans opposed to human
cloning and 66% opposed to animal cloning.

The increased pace of patents on transgenic animals and human
genes has raised similar concerns.  In 1995 more than 200 American
religious leaders--Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist
and Hindu--publicly announced their opposition to the patenting of
transgenic animals and human genes and vowed to mobilize support
within the nation's religious denominations and congregations.

Commenting on the unprecedented international campaign, biotech
critic Jeremy Rifkin said "Civilization stands at the cusp of a
frightening new era of cloning, genetic engineering, and eugenics.
The time has arrived for concerned citizens the world over to stand
up and make their voices heard--to launch a new global movement
dedicated to defending and preserving the Earth's rich genetic
heritage. The first global protests against biotech mark a new era of
international activism" Rifkin concluded.

###

__________________________________________________________

A Campaign Request:

Please email or fax specific information on the events planned in
your area or country if you have not already done so. This will help
the Pure Food Campaign as we talk to media and activists around
the world. Also please keep track of the media who contact you
in your country, and let us know about the success of your activities.
Please have someone take photos of your events and send us a copy
as well. Feel free to call or contact us if you want advice or
information on what types of events are taking place across the world.
For additional background information on the issues, you may wish to
access our world wide web site
<http://www.geocities.com/athens/1527> which in turn is linked to
other web sites around the world such as Greenpeace and the
Third World Network. We congratulate you all for your hard work and
creativity in making these first Global Days of Action Against Genetic
Engineering and Gene-Foods a tremendous success.

Regards,


Ronnie Cummins for the Pure Food Campaign




Bob Phelps
Director
Australian GeneEthics Network
c/- ACF 340 Gore Street, Fitzroy. 3065 Australia
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] {Int Code (613)}
email: [e-mail]
WWW: http://www.peg.apc.org/~acfgenet  (under construction)


Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 11:02:56 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing Charity
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>


According to a local Oklahoma news source:

In Oklahoma bass fishermen and deer hunters can now enjoy their
sports and help others at the same time by participating in two
contests sponsored by a new organization called BBC Charities.
This project is the "brainchild" of Mr. Laryy Stinchcomb, who is
a well-known sportsman in hunting and fishing circles.  He hopes
that proceeds from the statewide big bass and big buck contests
will provide significant assistance to needy individuals and
organizations.
"BBC is an acronym for Big Bass Company and Big Buck Company,
which are the first two projects for BBC Charities," Mr. Stinchcomb
said.  "The only purpose of BBC Charities is to help others thru
promotion of hunting and fishing activities."
The hunting contests run from Jan. 1 thru Dec. 31 each year with
entry feeds for each contest ($20 for one or $35 for each).  The
entry forms are available from BBC Charities, 9401 N. County Line
Road, Yukon, OK. 73099.
The big bass contest is going on now.  The big buck competition
will begin with the archery deer season Oct. 6.  At the end of the
year, the money from the entry fees will be distributed to
appropriate recipients.  "BBC Charities will have a panel of members
who'll consider requests and recommendations for recipiants," a/w
Stinchcomb.  "The objective is put the funds to the best use and in
the right hands without depleting the contributions thru administrative
costs."
The participant who catches the heaviest bass or kills the best
whitetail trophy under the Boone and Crockett scoring system will
receive $1000 in cash, plus a trophy.  Hillman's Taxidermy will
mount the winning bass.  The bass will be weighed on certified
scales and witnessed while the deer entries will be scored by
an Oklahoma Wildlife employee. The entry forms contain complete
details and safeguards against cheating a/w Stinchcomb.
Wildlife Department Director Greg Duffy endorsed the BBC Charities
program.  He agreed to allow the winner's trophy to be displayed at
the department's headquarters in Oklahoma City.
"It's a chance for the sportsman to be involved in his sport and do a
great deal of good for the community at large, " a/w Mr. Duffy.  "We
at the department always promote good sportsmanship, and this is
a way we can do that, and at the same time see outdoorsmen
portrayed as more than just hunters and fishermen."
On May 17 there will be a banquet featuring live and silent auctions
at a location yet to be selected.

                                                For the Animals,

                                                Jana, OKC

Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 11:18:35 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Momentum Building for New Hog Rules
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
04/15/1997 08:41 EST

 Momentum Building for New Hog Rules

 By EMERY P. DALESIO
 Associated Press Writer

 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina state lawmaker Richard Morgan didn't
even
 have a hog in the fight until N.G. Purvis Farms proposed a mega-farm next
to a
 country club in his area.

 Now that proposal may have jeopardized the growth of North Carolina's
entire swine
 industry.

 Purvis Farms created a local uproar with its expansion attempt in Moore
County. That
 got the attention of Morgan, a state legislator who volunteers that he's
the antithesis
 of the environmentally mindful liberals or advocates for the poor who have
been
 demanding restrictions for years.

 ``However it happened, the time was right for it to happen,'' Morgan, a
Republican,
 now says. ``The time for the legislation is now, not later.''

 In the face of the billion-dollar industry's determined resistance to any new
 conditions, Morgan said he's determined to throw his weight behind tighter
controls.

 ``I can read a poll,'' Morgan said, ``and I know the issue cuts across
gender. I know it
 cuts across age. I know it cuts across race. It cuts across party.''

 About eight out of 10 residents in eastern North Carolina's hog country
said in a poll
 released last week they favored stricter regulation of the swine industry.
About an
 equal number wanted wider roads to handle more traffic, according to the
survey
 conducted last summer by researchers at East Carolina University.

 Tourism officials worry that the nation's perception of North Carolina as
a vacation
 destination is threatened by the swine industry's growth.

 And neighbors are shouting for attention. Some vow they'll vote for
whoever helps
 restore property values they say have been degraded by newly arrived hog
farms.

 ``There's no difference out there between a Republican and a Democrat,'' Joe
 Laughinghouse, a Republican, said during a rally at the General Assembly last
 week. ``All we want is to be treated fairly.''

 As historically the predominant party, Democrats have benefited from
pork-related
 campaign contributions, while also being aligned with environmental
causes. They,
 like all legislators, don't want to kill the jobs the industry provides.
Like all
 lawmakers, they say the water pollution that concerns voters comes from many
 sources.

 But they also recognize pressure is mounting to do something.

 ``The problem is we have an environmental problem the swine industry is
part of,''
 said Democratic Rep. Jim Black, the House minority leader. ``If 85 percent
of the
 people are in favor of something, maybe we better listen.''

 Black is confident Morgan's bill will pass the House.

 Then the ball would be in the Senate's court, where the Democrats in
charge last
 year devoted millions of dollars to clean up fouled wetlands and waterways.

 Gov. Jim Hunt then would have to decide whether to sign new regulations
into law.

 Morgan's bill would stop the construction of new, large-scale hog
operations for one
 year, allow county commissioners to decide where the big farms could open and
 triple the distance required between a waste-holding cesspool and neighboring
 property.

 Hunt said last week he supports a two-year moratorium on new and expanding
pork
 operations, but stopped short of endorsing zoning authority for counties
to regulate
 intensive hog operations.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 12:16:02 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Unser, Nugent Testify in Congress
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
--------------------------
04/15/1997 11:55 EST

 Unser, Nugent Testify in Congress

 By SCOTT SONNER
 Associated Press Writer

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- Calling the Forest Service ``worse than the KGB in
Russia,''
 racing champion Bobby Unser appealed to Congress today in a fight over his
arrest
 for snowmobiling in a wilderness area during a blizzard that he says
nearly killed
 him.

 ``At some point, the value of human life has to be worth more than the
enforcement
 of an alleged technical violation of the law,'' Unser said today during a
joint
 congressional hearing. He said he was lost in a storm and didn't know he
was in the
 winterness area.

 The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and another celebrity, rock star
Ted Nugent,
 an avid bow hunter, made an unusual pair of outdoor enthusiasts testifying
today
 before House panels reviewing problems with management of wilderness areas.

 ``I urge all who care about the long overdue upgrade of environmental
awareness,
 tear down the walls to wilderness in North America,'' Nugent said today.
``The
 federal government works for `we the people' and we are not happy.''

 Unser is awaiting trial June 11 in Denver on a federal misdemeanor charge of
 driving a snowmobile in a wilderness area, a violation of the Wilderness
Act of 1964.
 He faces a possible six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

 ``There is something un-American going on at the Forest Service. It's become
 obviously an environmental stronghold,'' Unser told about 100 supporters at a
 breakfast before the hearing.

 Unser, 63, and a friend were the target of a two-day search by county
sheriffs
 deputies and Forest Service officials after they were reported missing on
Dec. 20.

 Unser said they were lost in a blizzard while snowmobiling near the
Colorado-New
 Mexico border. He said they nearly died after their snowmobiles broke down
and they
 trudged through deep snow for two days.

 Expecting they would freeze to death, Unser said they walked 18 hours the
next day
 to a barn where they called for help.

 ``My Lord, I've had so many race car wrecks in my lifetime that death
became kind of
 like an ordinary thing,'' Unser said. ``Being hurt and going to the
hospital, I always
 had a doctor to patch me up, somebody to mend me. But by golly, in a deal
like that, I
 had nobody to mend me. I had to make it out,'' he said.

 The Forest Service claims Unser and his friend intentionally drove into
the San Juan
 Wilderness in southern Colorado. Forest Service officials said they found the
 snowmobiles inside the wilderness area.

 Forest Service law agent Chris Ortiz warned Unser in 1993 that he was headed
 toward the South San Juan Wilderness and that it was illegal to snowmobile
there,
 according to an arrest warrant the Forest Service issued on Jan. 8, 1997.

 ``Unser stated to Ortiz that he was aware where the wilderness was and was
not
 planning on traveling in that area, but if he did nobody would be able to
catch him,''
 Forest Service special agent Brenda Schultz wrote in the warrant.

 Last year, the Forest Service reported 1,387 violations of the ban on
motorized
 equipment in wilderness areas nationwide.

 ``We are the agency charged with upholding the Wilderness Act and take this
 seriously,'' Jerry Stokes, the Forest Service's assistant director for
wilderness, said
 Monday.

 But Rep. Helen Chenoweth, R-Idaho, chairman of the House Resources
 subcommittee on forests and forest health, said, ``We all understand the
importance
 of conserving those pristine and primitive areas, but the implementation
of the act by
 some in the federal agencies is disturbing.''

 Environmentalists said the congressional hearing was part of an effort by
western
 Republicans in Congress to open up federally protected lands to logging,
livestock
 grazing and other commercial activities.

 ``I think what they are doing is setting the stage for an attack on the
Wilderness Act,''
 said Bill Worf, president of the conservation group Wilderness Watch.

 ``They've got these high-level celebrities leading it all. Only two people
from the
 witness list I've seen are going to speak out for wilderness. The rest are
on the other
 side,'' he said Monday from Missoula, Mont.
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 13:47:41 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Oklahoma Weekly Hunting News
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>


The Oklahoma Canadian Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited
and Larry Spencer Chevrolet are distributing donated seed for
wildlife plantings.  A semi-load of milo, forage sorghum and corn
seed will be distributed for wildlife plantings on Sat, April 19
from 8 am to 1 pm at the Norman Oklahoma auto dealership at
I-35 and Main Street.  The seed is chemically treated for planting
and cannot be fed to birds or animals.  There will be a $1.50 per
bag charge to cover cost of shipment.  The grain is to be used
as stand for wildlife coverage and not to be harvested.

The Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulfur, Okla.
(which includes the Lake of the Arbuckles) will begin charging
visitors' fees under a new program beginning soon at 93 public land
sites.  Boaters at the Chickasaw areas will be able to buy a
$4 permit good for one day or they can pay $30 for an annual
permit.  The National Park Service said 80 percent of the money
will be used for improvements to the area.
Plans for the area include replacing boat docks, repairing fishing
docks, rennovating Buckhorn Amphitheater, improving roads and
facilities around Veterans Lake and replacing informational
signs.

A bass tournament to benefit the Reba McIntire Center for
Rehabilitation at Lake Texoma Medical Center is scheduled for
May 24 to 25 at Lake Texoma.  A new Nitro boat will go to the
winning pro, and $2,500 will go to the top amateur.  Entry fee
is $600 for pros and $200 for amateurs.  A banquet and Reba
McIntire concert on Memorial Day will be included in the entry
fee.

                                                   For the Animals,

                                                   Jana, OKC

Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 14:08:30 -0400
>From: "H. Morris" <[e-mail]>
To: "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Disgusting
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

 LONDONDERRY, N.H., April 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Show your Mom she's whey cool
on Mother's Day with a moo-velous gift, from the farm: add a new family
member with Stonyfield Farm's "Have-A-Cow!" program.  New Hampshire-based
Stonyfield Farm, makers of moo-licious all natural yogurt, certified
organic ice cream and frozen yogurt offers consumers across the U.S. a
chance to sponsor a real live cow by calling 1-800-PRO-COWS (weekdays, 9-5,
EST).
          Mom will receive a 'Have-A-Cow!" Kit containing: an official
"Have-A- Cow!" certificate signed by Stonyfield Farm President/CEO Gary
Hirshberg; an in-depth personal cow biography; and a full color cow
photograph.  In addition, they will get the Stonyfield Farm Moosletter,
featuring all the moos that's fit to print, including individual updates from
each cow, telling about what's new in her life on the farm.  Kits cost
$6.95 each to cover postage and handling.  MasterCard, Visa, personal checks
and money orders are accepted.
          "We started our 'Have-A-Cow!' program in 1989 to help consumers
connect
with the hard working family farms across our nation and realize the
importance of preserving them," said Hirshberg.  "Signing up Mom to
'Have-A-Cow!' will bring her udder delight, and will help everyone gain a
better understanding of where food actually comes from."
          Cows participating in the, "Have-A-Cow!" program are real, all-brown
Jersey Cows whose milk goes into Stonyfield Form products.  If a cow should
die, it's reported in the Moosletter so people can learn about the realities
of farm life.
          Founded in 1983, Stonyfield Farm Makes premium nonfat and organic
lowfat
refrigerated yogurts and organic ice cream and frozen yogurt that are
distributed nationwide and in the U.K.  Ten percent of the company's profits
fund environmental initiatives through their Profits for the Planet program.
Stonyfield's environmental education projects include a Moosletter, their
"Have-a-Cow!" program, and the Planet Protectors Earth Action program for
kids.  For further information, or to order a "Have-A-Cow!" Kit, please
contact: Stonyfield Farm, Ten Burton Drive, Londonderry, NH 03053;
603-437-4040.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 15:07:08 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (LU) EU Tightens Fishing Restrictions
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
------------------------------
04/15/1997 13:46 EST

 EU Tightens Fishing Restrictions

 LUXEMBOURG (AP) -- Seeking to restore Europe's dwindling fish stocks, the
 European Union on Tuesday set tough new targets that aim to reduce fish
catches
 by almost a third.

 After two days of talks, ministers from the 15 EU nations voted 13-2 to
curtail fishing
 in the group's waters. France and Britain were the only countries voting
against the
 plan.

 The agreement lets nations decide how to achieve fishing reductions of 30
percent
 for endangered species such as cod and herring. Cuts of 20 percent will be
 imposed for some other varieties.

 The targets must be reached within five years -- either by taking ships
out of use or
 by reducing the number of days a ship spends at sea. The agreement affects
boats
 longer than 12 yards.

 Britain's fisheries minister Tony Baldry said his country would ignore the
cuts. He
 complained about what he said was the EU's permissive policy toward ``quota
 hopping'' -- the practice by which foreign boats buy up British fish
licenses.

 In recent years, foreign ships, particularly Spanish and Dutch trawlers,
have claimed
 an ever-increasing share of British catches.

 On Monday, British Prime Minister John Major threatened to block an
upcoming EU
 summit if the quota-hopping problem is not resolved.
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 1997 15:08:33 -0400
>From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) U.S. Extends Food-Safety Deadline
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
------------------------------
 04/15/1997 13:05 EST

 U.S. Extends Food-Safety Deadline

 By JOHN D. McCLAIN
 Associated Press Writer

 WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States has extended until April 30 a
deadline for
 settling a food-safety dispute that threatens a trans-Atlantic trade war
involving meat,
 poultry and dairy products.

 The United States had warned the European Union it would halt imports of
as much
 as $300 million in European meat products if agreement was not reached by
 Tuesday on food hygiene standards.

 The threat was a response to the EU's introduction on April 1 of new
standards that
 would block about $50 million in U.S. poultry exports.

 But Paul Drazek, the Agriculture Department's chief negotiator, said in a
statement
 Tuesday the deadline had been extended ``as a result of discussions
between U.S.
 and European Union negotiators over the weekend.''

 Negotiators are scheduled to meet Wednesday in Washington to explore new
 proposals offered by the EU. Talks on the so-called veterinary equivalency
 agreement have gone on for more than two years.

 The major issue blocking agreement is the EU's demand that U.S. processors
 discontinue use of chlorinated water to decontaminate poultry products.
The EU
 contends the practice is not an adequate protection against contamination.

 When the United States refused, saying the chlorination process is safe,
the EU
 offered a compromise. It would create a scientific panel to review the
best ways to
 decontaminate poultry while U.S. processors used two other liquids other than
 chlorinated water to decontaminate carcasses.

 EU officials have indicated they would be willing to sign an equivalency
agreement
 covering all animal products except poultry. Drazek, however, has said the
United
 States would be willing to accept only an agreement that includes all
elements of the
 food-safety issue.
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 12:26:10 -0700 (PDT)
>From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Activist Released Without Bail
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 15, 1997





Court Relents, Releases Animal Rights
Organizer Without Bail;
Jury Trial Set for July 29

DANVILLE, IN -- The student animal rights organizer arrested Monday after he
left the governor's office where he pleaded for a fellow activists' freedom,
was himself freed about Noon Tuesday from Hendrick's County Jail.

Seth Stevens, an Indiana University student, pleaded not guilty and was
released on his own recognizance, and without bail. Previously, officials
sought $1,500 bail, and Stevens was kept in the Hendrick's County Jail since
Monday at noon when he was arrested on a suspicious warrant by state police.

The court did refuse to appoint an attorney for Stevens, who now has a July
29 date with a jury to fight charges of malicious mischief and trespassing,
both stemming from peaceful protests at the Indiana Boys School this past
month. He cannot afford to hire an attorney and may be forced to represent
himself, he said.

Stevens is the coordinator of a support committee for Tony Wong, who Tuesday
marks his 51st day on a hunger strike. He is being force-fed liquid
supplements by jail authorities.

"I'm glad to be free, but I'll be even happier when Tony is out," said
Stevens upon his release Tuesday. He characterized the warrant, and arrest
as an attempt to "scare" him away from supporting fellow activist Wong

Stevens noted that state police "made sure" the news media had left the
scene before pulling him from a car leaving the Statehouse. He also
suggested the charges are nothing more than harassment. "If they were so
serious, if I was such a big threat that State Police had to be sent out to
get me, then why did they release me without bail," asked Stevens.

"The harassment won't work. We'll be back as many times as it takes to free
Tony," added Stevens, who did not eat during his time in jail in sympathy
with Wong's hunger strike.
-30-
Contact: Seth Stevens [phone] or Cres Vellucci/ACLC [phone]

(( MEDIA ADVISORY: A temporary restraining order demanding that the state
immediately stop force-feeding Tony Wong is expected to filed late today or
early Wednesday. We will inform you when it happens. For a copy of the TRO,
contact Cres Vellucci at ACLC ))





</pre>
                            <!-- END OF PAGE CONTENT -->

    </TD>


    <TD width=50 align=center>

    </TD>
</TR>

                            <!-- THE BOTTOM TOOLBAR -->

<TR>

    <TD colspan=3 align=center fontsize=2>
    <a href="../SUB~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/sub.html">ARRS Tools</a>  |
<a href="../NEWSPA~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/newspage.html">News</a>  |
<a href="../ORGS~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/Orgs.html">Orgs</a>  |
<a href="../SEARCH~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/search.html">Search</a>  |
<a href="../SUPPOR~1.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/Support.html">Support</a>  |
<a href="../ABOUT/INDEX.HTM" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/arrs/about">About the ARRS</a>  |
<a href="mailto:[e-mail]">Contact ARRS</a>
    </TD>
</TR>


                                <!-- END OF MAIN -->

</TABLE></center>




        <!-- THE UNDERWRITERS -->

<table border=0 width=100%>
    <tr><td>

<center>    <hr width=285>
<Font Size=1>THIS SITE UNDERWRITTEN IN PART BY:</FONT>
<BR>


<a href="../../../tppmsgs/msgs22.htm#2209" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/cgi-bin/show_support.pl?id=t891020770&sec=sbn_bottom&url=http%3a//www.outpost.com" target=_top><img src="../../SUPPORT/BANNERS/OTHERS/CYBERIAN/PLAYMORE.GIF" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/support/banners/others/cyberian/Playmore.gif" border=1 alt="Cyberian Outpost"></a>


<hr width=285>

    <br><font size=2>
    <b>The views and opinions expressed within this page are not
necessarily those of the <br>EnviroLink Network nor the Underwriters.  The views
are those of the authors of the work.</b></font>
    </center>
    </td></tr>

</table>

</BODY>

</HTML>