Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news51~8.htm/text0008.txt

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Humans threaten primates, study finds

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (August 29, 1997 11:16 a.m. EDT) -- Human action threatens to
make extinct half of the world's 235 primates -- including the
chimpanzee -- while the human species continues to increase, a report
says.

Hunting and the steady loss of forests have made primates the most
imperiled group of mammals on the planet. Half are at risk of
extinction, while another 20 percent are approaching threatened status,
Worldwatch Institute said in a report published Thursday.

"In general, the reasons for the declines are no mystery: they all
relate directly or indirectly to human actions," said the report titled
"Death in the Family Tree."

It spotlights a number of "hot spots" where forest loss has resulted in
high concentrations of endangered primates. These include southeast
Asia, equatorial Africa, Madagascar and southeastern Brazil.

"The fate of these forests will largely determine the fate of most
primates, and more and more of these forests are losing their ecological
integrity as they are logged, colonized and cleared for
agriculture," the article said.

Nine-tenths of the primates of south and east Asia face extinction. In
Indonesia and Malaysia, orangutans, the great ape most dependent on
trees, have lost 80 percent of their trees in two decades.

With only 200 individuals left after the loss of much of its rain forest
environment, Vietnam's Tonkin snub-nose monkey has become the world's
rarest primate.

The macaques of Japan are steadily losing living space to urbanization.
Deprived of natural foods, desperate macaques turn to raiding orchards
and fields, prompting farmers to kill about 10 percent of the 50,000
surviving macaques each year.

Primates also still face heavy "hunting pressure" in various places.
Some, especially the big apes orangutans, gibbons, chimps and gorillas,
are being trapped for the pet trade. "They are so much
like us that there is a virtually insatiable demand for them," the
report said.

"There's certainly a problem with certain species, and a lot of this is
due to the increase of human population," said researcher Harold McClure
of Emory University's Yerkes Primate Center.

McClure said he has seen no figures that confirm primates are more
endangered than other mammals, but "I would feel comfortable with that"
assertion.

Worldwatch, an independent research institute financed by private grants
and sale of its publications, monitors environmental and social issues.
A spokeswoman for World Wildlife Fund, which seeks to protect animals
around the globe, echoed the report.

"There are few species that are as good an indicator of the overall
health of an ecosystem as primates," said Jinette Hemley, the fund's
director of wildlife policy. "The new pressures are spelling
potential disaster for them."

While the world's human population has grown steadily to above 5.7
billion people, great apes are declining and now number fewer than
400,000.

Despite a generally gloomy outlook for most species, the report
contained snippets of encouraging conservation news.

Biomedical research once consumed up to 90,000 chimpanzees a year but
now relies on captive-bred animals. In Rwanda, the social pact with the
famed mountain gorillas weathered even the recent ethnic conflict that
killed at least 500,000 people. Only two of the 320 remaining gorillas
died.
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:43:22 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (CN) Rare type of horse to roam wild
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
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>South China Morning Post
                            Internet Edition
                             Saturday  August 30  1997

     Rare type of horse to roam wild

     ASSOCIATED PRESS

     A rare type of horse that once roamed rugged northwestern China will be
returned to the wild for the first time in more than 20 years.

     The horses, called Equus Przewalski after the Russian adventurer who
first brought   them to the West's attention a century ago, were driven to
extinction in their native     habitat, the rugged hills of Xinjiang, by the
early 1980s, Xinhua (the New China News     Agency) reported.

     About 100 of the horses survived in zoos in the United States and
Europe, some of     them related to animals captured by Colonel Nikolai
Przewalski in 1886.

     China bought 16 horses from Britain, Germany and the US in 1986 to set
up a     breeding centre. Last year, the herd numbered 70.

     The horses will slowly be returned to the Jungar Basin in northern
Xinjiang.


Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:43:31 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (IN) Plague fears as rat-borne fever kills 18
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
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>South China Morning Post
                            Internet Edition
                             Saturday  August 30  1997

     Plague fears as rat-borne fever kills 18

     JOHN ZUBRZYCKI in New Delhi

     A rat-borne disease that is believed to have affected nearly 15,000
people in Gujarat has revived memories of a plague epidemic that ravaged the
state three years ago.

     Local authorities have launched a massive health drive in the cities of
Surat and Bulsar     to prevent panic-stricken citizens from fleeing the
area, as happened in 1994.

     Health authorities have identified the latest disease as leptospirosis,
a bacterial infection     spread by rodents, but point out that it bears no
relationship to the plague other than     having a common carrier.

     The symptoms of leptospirosis begin with fever, which affects the liver
and leads to     jaundice. If no treatment takes place death can occur after
two weeks in severe cases.

     So far 18 people are known to have died of the disease, with a further
970 people     undergoing hospital treatment in Surat.

     Hundreds of thousands of panic-stricken people fled Surat, India's
diamond-cutting capital, when a plague epidemic broke out in 1994. Since
then the city of two million     has undergone a facelift and is now
considered one of the cleanest in India.

     Gujarat Health Minister Anil Joshiara has ordered the deployment of 450
medical     teams to Surat and Bulsar. A rodent-control programme has also
been launched.

     The World Health Organisation last year warned that India was
ill-prepared to cope     with the spread of viral diseases like yellow
fever. The last major epidemic in India     occurred in New Delhi, where
more than 400 people died of mosquito-borne dengue     fever in 1996.

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:43:37 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Humans cited as primates' greatest enemy
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>South China Morning Post
                            Internet Edition
                             Saturday  August 30  1997

     Humans cited as primates' greatest enemy

     AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE in Washington

     Half the world's primate species are threatened with extinction because
they are over-hunted and their natural habitats are disappearing, the World
Watch Institute     journal says.

     An article in the journal's September issue also says monkeys are
particularly
vulnerable because poachers have to kill the mother in order to get their
hands on the     highly sought-after babies.

     Orang-utans, native to Indonesia, have lost 80 per cent of their jungle
habitat over the     past 20 years, while in Japan, macaques are driven to
raid orchards and farms for     food.

     The macaque population is down to 50,000, in part because enraged rural
dwellers kill     the animals to try to prevent the incursions.

     In Madagascar, 20 of the 30 species of lemurs, one of the oldest types
of primates on     the planet, face extinction with 80 per cent of the
forest cover cut down in the 1,000 years since humans came to the Indian
Ocean island.

     In Brazil and sub-Saharan Africa, roads built to transport logs from
the rainforest make     it easier for primate hunters to reach their game,
the article says.

     In the West African country of Gabon, the 1.4 million population
consumes an     estimated 3,600 tonnes of game annually. Butchers habitually
supplement their stores     with game meat.

     John Tuxill, who wrote the article, acknowledges strides made in Rwanda
towards     protecting gorillas, as well as the drop in the number of
monkeys, especially     chimpanzees, used in medical research.

     Because Rwanda's Government has decided to cash in on eco-tourism, the
article     notes, the gorilla population has risen from 250 to 320 since
the early 1980s.
The number of monkeys used in medical research has dropped from some 100,000
in     the 1950s to about 40,000 today, most of which are raised in captivity.



Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:43:43 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Rubbish-fed gulls turn to attacking whales
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>South China Morning Post
                            Internet Edition
                             Saturday  August 30  1997

     Rubbish-fed gulls turn to attacking whales

     REUTER in Buenos Aires

     Giant seagulls, swollen beyond their normal size by a diet of rubbish
in southern     Argentina, have taken to swooping down on top of whales and
pecking pieces of their     flesh, a whale-watching group said.
The whales of the Peninsula Valdes "are being savagely attacked by seagulls,
which     cause wounds in the animals' skin up to seven centimetres deep",
whale-watcher     Carlos Bottazzi said.

     "The whales feel such intense pain that they twist around to try to
escape from the birds     and swim underwater," Mr Bottazzi, of the Green
Fleet of whale-watching boats, said.

     The seagulls' behaviour has changed owing to years on a diet of rubbish
and fish     dumped by local fleets, which has allowed them to grow bigger
than ever before.

     "That diet has made the seagulls astonishingly big and heavy.

     "And if you add that to the bird's quick wits and strength, you have a
dangerous     customer," Mr Bottazzi said, adding that the seagulls also
attacked whale calves Peninsula Valdes is a world-famous spot for observing
right whales, which swim close     to shore to give birth to their calves.

     Tourists who come from around the world to visit the whales on boat
trips have     included Princess Diana.


Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:43:54 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Watch out, here comes Big King
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>The Straits Times
30 Aug 97

Watch out, here comes Big King


     MIAMI (Florida) -- Fast-food chain Burger King announced on Thursday
the creation     of the "Big King", designed to take down McDonald's
universally known -- and eaten     -- Big Mac.

     "With more meat than the other guys' sandwich, the Big King clearly
outsizes the     competition, and that's why we think it's a bigger, better
Big Mac," said Mr Jim     Watkins, Senior Vice-President of North America
Marketing for Burger King     Corporation.

     The Big King, Burger King's newest "signature sandwich", contains 75
per cent more     beef than a Big Mac and is garnished with two slices of
cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles     and "King Sauce", he said.

     It will make its debut here on the upcoming three-day Labour Day
weekend in the     United States, amid television commercials and college
football tie-ins featuring head     coaches like Bobby Bowden from Florida
State University and Joe Paterno of Penn     State University.

     "Our strategy to promote the Big King alongside college football is a
natural," Mr     Watkins said, adding:

     "The competition between the two rival sandwiches this season will be
as fierce as     Penn State against Michigan, Notre Dame against USC,
Nebraska against Colorado     or Florida against Florida State."

     The Big King will cost 99 US cents (S$1.50) until Sept 14, but the
price after that has     not been announced. A Big Mac costs US$2.99 in
Manhattan, New York. -- AFP.


Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:43:49 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (HK) Samples head for US in flu inquiry
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
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>Hong Kong Standard
30 Aug 97
Samples head for US in flu inquiry

By Ceri Williams

ABOUT 500 samples from relatives and farm workers will be flown to a leading
US research facility for further examination in the inquiry into the
influenza A (H5N1) strain.

Dr Daniel Lavanchy, head of the World Health Organisation's influenza
surveillance program, said that scientists at the Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention in Atlanta would take about a month to examine the
samples collected in the probe on the virus dubbed ``Hong Kong 1997''.

Dr Lavanchy said that the three-year-old boy who died in Queen Elizabeth
Hospital after contracting the virus was still being treated as an isolated
case.

He also denied the investigation had been hampered because health
authorities had failed to carry out an autopsy on the child who died in May.

``We had already separated the specimens and isolated the virus so there was
no need to conduct an autopsy.''

A team of international and local experts are checking to find out exactly
when the child caught the virus and they have drawn up a strategy plan in
their investigation.

The Agriculture and Fisheries Department (AFD) said on Friday it was now
halfway through its investigation into the flu virus.

Officials say they have collected samples from only half of the 25 chicken
farms in their bid to find out more about the virus.

Dr Thomas Sit Hon-chung, senior veterinary officer with the AFD, said: ``We
still have to collect samples from half of the 25 chicken farms before the
inquiry is finished.''


Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:44:01 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (Colombia) Horse Bomb
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>The Straits Times
30 Aug 97

HORSE BOMB: A soldier was killed and three others were hurt when guerillas
blew     up a horse laden with dynamite outside a military base in
north-west Colombia, the     authorities said.

     The attack occurred on Wednesday evening on the southern outskirts of
Medellin,     capital of Antioquia province. General Carlos Alberto Ospina,
commander of the 4th     Army Brigade, said the assailants stashed about 15
kg of dynamite inside two milk     containers strapped to the horse's back
before sending it off towards the main entrance     of the military base. --
Reuter.


Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:44:07 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (TW-MY) Orangutans sent back to Malaysia
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>CNA Daily English News Wire
ORANGUTANS SENT BACK TO MALAYSIA


Taipei, Aug. 26 (CNA) Three orangutans were sent from a wildlife reception
center species at a university in southern Taiwan to their homeland,
Malaysia, on Tuesday.

The wildlife reception center at National Pingtung University of Science and
Technology held a farewell party for the three red hair apes, one male and
two females, Monday night.

According to an agreement reached between the university and two Malaysian
zoos during an annual meeting of the Southeastern Asia Zoo Association in
Malaysia last October, the zoos agreed to accept five orangutans from the
university for their breeding programs.

The three orangutans had similar histories -- all were smuggled into Taiwan
from Malaysia and then deserted by their owners after growing up. Each was
found wandering free on streets before being caught and sent to the center
at Pingtung.

The male orangutan, nicknamed "Monk," weighed only 25 kg when he was sent to
the center in November 1994. Since then, Monk has gradually put on weight.
Now he weighs 53.1 kg.

"Paradise" was eight years old when she was transferred to the center in
March this year. The good care received at the center has brought her weight
up from 28 kg to 36.5 kg in five months.

When "DuBee" was sent to the university in July 1995, she was six years old,
very shy and weighed only 13.5 kg. She now weighs 18.7 kg and gets along
well with her companions.

An official at the wildlife reception center, which presently keeps some 200
endangered species including Taiwan black bears, said that two more red hair
orangutans, both female, will be sent to Malaysia by the end of this year.
(By Lin Wen-fen)

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:44:14 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (TW) Turtle farmers protest cholera report
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>CNA Daily English News Wire

TURTLE FARMERS PROTEST CHOLERA REPORT

Taipei, Aug. 29 (CNA) Local fresh-water turtle farmers have been telephoning
their indignation to the government since a report on Thursday said a turtle
feast is suspected of causing the first cholera case in Taiwan in 35 years.

Calling the accusation hasty and reckless, the turtle farm owners complained
that the report, released by the Department of Health (DOH), has caused the
price of live cultivated fresh-water turtles to plummet from NT$300
(US$10.40) to NT$150 per 600 grams.

The DOH held a press conference Thursday announcing that an elderly man was
confirmed as having the acute 0139 cholera virus. The 71-year-old was
diagnosed with the disease after being admitted to the Kaohsiung Veterans
General Hospital suffering from serious diarrhea and dehydration.

The patient, surnamed Yang, told doctors that the symptoms appeared one day
after he participated in a feast of turtle meat and turtle blood organized
by a tourist agency. An estimated 340 tourists from different parts of the
island were present at the turtle feast. The meal featured cooked turtle
meat, turtle eggs and raw turtle blood, the latter considered "good for
men," according to DOH officials.

The DOH suspects the patient contracted the infectious disease from a
turtle, although it noted other foods could also be responsible. Yang also
ate cold bamboo shoots, watermelon and other dishes.

Although turtles are cultivated domestically, some of those he ingested may
have been imported illegally from Southeast Asia, the officials noted.

Cholera last struck Taiwan in 1962, when it killed 24 of the 383 people here
who contracted the disease and brought immeasurable losses to the island's
aquaculture farms.

The DOH officials warned that Taiwan risks being declared a new cholera
infection area if it fails to prove that no second such case is reported in
12 days.

They estimated that the island's aquaculture industry may incur losses as
high as NT$30 billion (US$1.04 billion) a year if Taiwan is indeed declared
a cholera infection area. (By Debbie Kuo)

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 14:44:22 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (TH) Green and stinking sea is natural, says  mayor of Pattaya
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>Bangkok Post
29 Aug 97

Green and
              stinking sea is
              natural, says
              mayor of Pattaya

              Pattaya

              The sea here has turned a sickly dark green, emits a foul stench,
              has killed large numbers of fish and other aquatic creatures, and
              has caused bathers to suffer rashes and severe itching.

              But according to the mayor, "there's nothing to worry about".

              Tourists and locals shouldn't panic about this "natural
              phenomenon", said Phairat Sutthithamrongsawat.

              Everything will return to normal in a few weeks, said Mr Phairat.

              "This happened three or four years ago on Si Racha and Sattahip
              beaches. It disappeared in a few days," he said.

              But according to Piamsak Menasveta, head of Chulalongkorn
              University's aquatic resources research institute, the situation
              reflects a failure of pollution control in this country.

              Large quantities of waste water remain untreated. In Pattaya
              alone, about 50,000 cubic metres of untreated waste water are
              discharged into the sea daily.

              Mr Piamsak said the phenomenon at South Pattaya and Jomtien
              is "plankton bloom." The plankton noc tiluca sp. is causing the
              sea to turn green because of its big green cell.

              Plankton consumes oxygen in sea water and depletes oxygen,
              especially at night, killing other aquatic creatures. After a
week,
              the plankton dies and discharges ammonia, which causes
              allergies.

              The bloom in this plankton has been caused by an increase in
              pollutant nutrients flushed from main rivers into the inner Gulf,
              especially during the beginning of the monsoon.

              Mr Piamsak said plankton bloom often happens at Bang Saen,
              Pattaya, and Si Racha, since the current at this time of year
              brings nutrients from the Chao Phraya and other rivers.

              Officials inspected the beaches yesterday and sent samples of
              water to a lab for testing. The results will be ready in a few
days.

              Preeda Vairojpan, head of the Pattaya environmental health
              office, said the plankton is growing quickly and fish have died
              because of the reduction of oxygen in the sea water.

              Mr Preeda claimed the plankton is not dangerous and will cause
              only skin irritations.

              "Those who suffer from rashes and itching are allergic to the
              seaweed. But they are not harmful or deadly. They cause only
              skin irritations," he said.



Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 09:55:19 +0000
From: "Miggi" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Barry Horne update.
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT

Several updates have been sent out by Barry Hornes Hunger Strike
Support Campaign. I am sorry but I haven't got time to forward all to
the list, but for the latest news (and a letter from Barry) please
go to:
http://village.vossnet.co.uk/m/miggi/barry.htm
-
 Miggi
Type Bits/KeyID    Date       User ID
pub  1024/BBFB4A25 1997/08/01 Mark Ridley <[e-mail]>

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Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 07:09:05 -0400
From: Greg Thomisee <[e-mail]>
To: AR News <[e-mail]>
Subject: beating duck to death
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0

Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Disposition: inline

Updated: Thursday, Aug. 28, 1997 at 22:13 CDT
⌐ 1997 Fort Worth Star-Telegram -- send us your Feedback.
Send comments on any of today's Metroplex stories to the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram News Desk:
INTERNET:[e-mail]

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 [phone] or metro [phone], ext.á905.
****************************************

11-year-old didn't violate law requirement in beating duck to death

By Gabrielle Crist
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

FORT WORTH -- Efforts to have an 11-year-old boy punished for beating a
duck to death didn't fly in juvenile court yesterday because prosecutors
could not prove that the fowl was domesticated.

The boy had faced a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals in a hearing
before State District Judge Jean Hudson Boyd. Had the sixth-grader been
found delinquent -- the equivalent of conviction in adult court -- he could
have been placed on probation, removed from his home or placed in Texas
Youth Commission custody.

The boy was so unfamiliar with court proceedings that Boyd had to explain
what a trial was and what it meant to testify.

The child told Boyd that he was planning to fish at a pond in White
Settlement's City Park on July 14 when he approached a duck to pet it. When
the duck bit him and ran away, the boy got mad, he testified.

"I threw a net over it and I hit it with a stick," said the boy, who was 10
at the time. He said he didn't mean to kill the duck.

"It didn't deserve to lose its life like that," said the boy, whose name is
not being published because he is a juvenile.

Shawna Provence, 20, of White Settlement, testified that she and a friend
were driving by the pond when they saw the boy hit the duck at least 10
times.

"He is just whaling on this duck," Provence testified, adding that the duck
was motionless. "He was bleeding out of the eye. It was sad. It was
horrible."

White Settlement animal control officer Fernando Molinar said the duck,
which was born at the pond, was taken to an animal shelter for medical
care. When it had not recovered a week later, it was euthanized, he said.

Defense attorney Marilyn Belew told Boyd in her closing argument that no
law had been violated because the duck was not domesticated, an element
required by law.

"This was a wild creature owned by no one," Belew said.

But prosecutor Joetta Keene argued that the city and its residents owned
the duck because city employees fed and cared for it.

After the hearing, Provence and her friend, Laura Littlefield, said the boy
should have been punished for his actions, perhaps by being ordered to work
in an animal shelter. Now, they said, the child has been given the message
that what he did is acceptable.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
⌐ 1997 Fort Worth Star-Telegram -- send us your Feedback.
Send comments on any of today's Metroplex stories to the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram News Desk:
INTERNET:[e-mail]

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 [phone] or metro [phone], ext.á905.
****************************************

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 19:29:36 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (NZ) Super beef
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>The Straits Times
AUG 27 1997

     Hey, beef-cake!

     WELLINGTON -- New Zealand scientists said yesterday they had made a
breakthrough that could pave the way for the breeding of super stock.

     A husband-and-wife team has discovered a gene that causes a mutation in
cattle,     prompting double muscle growth, the scientists said.

     The discovery by Madam Mridula Sharma and Mr Ravi Kambadur could have
far-reaching implications for meat production and wider implications for
science and     medicine, team leader John Bass said.

     The discovery relates to the gene myostatin, an inhibiting regulator of
muscle growth.

     The pair, working at the government Ruakura Agriculture Research Centre
in the heart     of New Zealand's dairy country in the central North Island,
showed that a mutation in     myostatin produced a 40-per-cent increase in
muscle mass in certain breeds of cattle,     notably Belgian Blue.
"The discovery opens the flood gates for further work on the effects of
myostatin and     the factors which control muscle growth," Mr Bass said.

     Until now, the only way of increasing meat production in cattle was
through selective     breeding and diet.

     The discovery gives the first specific genetic information on the
inheritance of     agriculturally desirable traits in cattle and could lead
to the development of breeds with     improved yield and quality, Mr Bass said.

     Mr Kambadur said he was also attempting to repeat the experiment on sheep.

     The gene, which is present in humans, may have applications in
medicine, including the     treatment of musculo-degenerative diseases or in
tissue repair, Mr Bass said.
Madam Sharma and Mr Kambadur followed up a report in the scientific journal
Nature in May, which described the double-sized muscles of mice that lacked
myostatin.

     They showed that part of the gene was missing in Belgian Blue cattle,
allowing muscle     mass to continue to develop well beyond normal.

     "We have cloned the gene and isolated the mutation that is responsible
for this     condition," said Mr Kambadur.

     The advantage of double muscles is that they yield more meat that is
also more tender     than normal breeds. Farmer returns would be higher.

     Mr Kambadur said they had taken the first step in cloning the same gene
from sheep     and were attempting to make mutations in the gene to bring
about the same double-muscling condition. -- Reuter.

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 19:31:58 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (IN) Snake control
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>The Straits Times
27 Aug 97

SNAKE TRAIL: The authorities in Madhya Pradesh state plan to raise mongooses
and peacocks to kill snakes, following 40 deaths due to snake bites in the
last three     months, the United News of India said in New Delhi yesterday.

     The incidence of bites was reported to have increased during the
monsoon, when     snakes were washed into villages by flood waters. -- AFP.

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 19:34:34 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (CN) Jailed for selling fur
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>The Straits Times
28 Aug 97

FUR TRADE: A Chinese court has jailed five men for up to 14 years each for
selling     the coat of an endangered giant panda, court officials said
yesterday. An official said     that the five were convicted by the Tongxian
District People's Court outside Beijing on  Aug 15 for peddling the fur. --
Reuter.


Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 19:38:08 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Only bullfighting school in US
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>The Straits Times
29 Aug 97

No bull but fight is passion-charged

     SUPPORTERS and detractors of the only bullfighting school in the United
States are     facing off in the public arena to determine the fate of the
fledgling California Academy     of Tauromaquia.

     The school was founded recently in the southern California city of San
Diego, which     boasts a rich Latin culture and has always provided
enthusiastic fans for the bullfights in     nearby Tijuana, Mexico.

     For US$500 (S$740), Mr Peter Romboldt and Mr Coleman Cooney, the
academy's     founders, teach students the use of the cape, brandishing
horns on their heads and     playing the bulls in the city's public parks.
The academy aims to convert its students into eager fans, deepening their
knowledge of     bullfighting through physical training, videos and trips to
Mexico to attend corridas     (bullfights).

     But bullfighting and promoting the sport are illegal in California,
where it stirs strong     passions.

     The academy's founders and students claim the US Constitution protects
their freedom     of expression.

     Mr Romboldt, whose torero alias in Tijuana is Pedro Romero, has killed
39 bulls over     29 years of bullfighting and does not hide that he would
enjoy it if one of his students     were to follow in his footsteps.
His most promising student is Tricia Slane, 23, an actress with a part in
Hollywood's     much anticipated film Titanic.

     She has already faced a young bull but dreams of someday facing a
bigger challenge,     saying the object of the sport is to honour the life
of the bull ... and that you can always     give the meat to a good cause.
-- AFP


Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 20:21:05 +0800
From: bunny <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: NZ Considering legalising deadly rabbit virus
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Channel One News 6pm 30/8/97 (New Zealand)

MAF have just suspended and employee
for aiding South Island farmers in the spread
of RHD.
MAF believe the virus is now widespread in
the South Island. All containment measures have
now ceased and eradication of the disease may not
be possible. There have been no confirmed reports
of rabbits dying of RHD in the North Island but farmers
are saying it has already made its way up to the North
Island.
On Monday cabinet will decide whether or not to legalise
RHD as a biocontrol.

===========================================

Rabbit Information Service,
P.O.Box 30,
Riverton,
Western Australia 6148

Email>  [e-mail]

http://www.wantree.com.au/~rabbit/rabbit.htm
(Rabbit Information Service website updated frequently)

     /`\   /`\
    (/\ \-/ /\)
       )6 6(
     >{= Y =}<
      /'-^-'\
     (_)   (_)
      |  .  |
      |     |}
 jgs  \_/^\_/













Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 09:23:53 -0700
From: Sean Thomas <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Animal Action EMAIL Address Change
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

The new contact email address for Animal Action (Ottawa, Canada) is

[e-mail]

Our snail mail address remains the same
Box 64284
Ottawa, Canada
K1Y 4V2

Sean Thomas
Co-Director, Animal Action
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 11:08:56 -0400
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Six-year-old recovers from E. coli contamination
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

more on the e-coli thing...also, check out the last paragraph (kids learn
more quickly than adults)
from Mercury Center web page:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted at 8:30 p.m. PDT Friday, August 29, 1997

Six-year-old recovers from E. coli contamination

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A 6-year-old San Luis Obispo
girl was recovering Friday from a nearly fatal bout
of food poisoning she may have contracted from
eating a Burger King hamburger during a Utah
vacation, her father said.

Jessica was in stable condition at Sierra Vista
Regional Medical Center, sleeping peacefully in a
room decorated with flowers, balloons, pictures and
cards from well-wishers.

``She's being a champ,'' said her father, Robert,
who asked the family's last name not be used.

Jessica, who was hospitalized Aug. 17, could be
released in the next few days, her father said in a
telephone interview from the medical center, where
family members have remained around the clock.

``It's basically day to day. But the last few days
she's shown improvements,'' he said. ``She's very
alert and in very good spirits.''

Her father said tests showed that Jessica was
sickened by E. coli, a potentially deadly bacteria
that can cause diarrhea and dehydration. It can be
ingested in contaminated, undercooked beef.

A wave of E. coli infections prompted Hudson Foods
Inc. last week to recall 25 million pounds of
potentially contaminated beef from a Nebraska
facility.

Burger King was Hudson's largest customer but
pulled meat supplied by the company from its
stores, including those in Utah.

No E. coli illnesses have been tied to Burger King
hamburgers but Robert said he suspects a link to
his daughter's illness.

Jessica ate at a Burger King restaurant near a Utah
interstate during the family's vacation trip
through Utah, Wyoming and Idaho, her father said.

``She only ate one hamburger in a two-week
period,'' he said. ``Twelve days later, she's in
the hospital fighting for her life.''

The girl had diarrhea, cramping, and became pale.
Her mother, a nurse, felt the girl had something
more serious than a ``bug.''

It was.

Jessica was hospitalized in critical condition.

She underwent a blood transfusion and may need
another to dilute toxins from the bacteria in her
bloodstream. Further testing will determine whether
she may have permanent kidney damage, her father
said.

Health agencies in San Luis Obispo and Utah will
conduct DNA tests to determine if Jessica's E. coli
contamination is linked to Hudson beef, he said.

Meanwhile, Jessica's illness has made her a picky
eater.

``She definitely doesn't want any meat. She's been
asking for all veggie trays,'' her father said.

-------------------------------------
Date: 30 Aug 97 17:26:55 EDT
From: 0  <[e-mail]>
To: Ian Lance Taylor <[e-mail]>
Subject: ISRAELI KIBBUTZ PLANS TO BREED BABOONS FOR CHEMICAL WARFARE
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

ISRAELI KIBBUTZ PLANS TO OPEN BABOON BREEDING FACILITY TO SUPPLY
SUBJECTS FOR U.S. MILITARY CHEMICAL WEAPONS TESTING.  PROTEST FAXES
REQUESTED.

Animal activists in Israel have notified us that Kibbutz (farm
settlement) Or Haner plans to open a baboon breeding facility to
breed and subsequently ship baboons to the U.S. military for
chemical warfare experiments.  Many of you may have seen the story
on the Associated Press wire.

Sources in Israel believe American animal dealer Matthew Block is
behind the contract with the Kibbutz that provides baboons for
breeding purposes will be supplied to the kibbutz, which will breed
them for 2 years and then sell the offspring to the U.S. armed
forces for chemical warfare testing.

The International Primate Protection League (IPPL) secured Matthew
Block's felony conviction, with a sentence of 13 months in jail and
a fine $30,000, after he plead guilty to conspiring to violate the
U.S. Endangered Species Act and an international treaty barring the
trade of protected animals.  Six starving baby orangutans were
found stuffed in a crate marked "live birds" at the Bangkok,
Thailand airport.  They were stuffed so tightly that one was upside
down.  Four of them died in transit.  In January, 1994, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture revoked the import/export license of
Worldwide Primates, the company owned by Matthew Block, for failing
to provide food, water, adequate housing and veterinary care.

Animal activists in Israel are conducting an investigation to
determine whether Matthew Block or his company Worldwide Primates
or any company owned by Matthew Block or Worldwide Primates are
involved in the deal with Kibbutz Or Haner.  A meeting is scheduled
with the Director of the kibbutz this coming Wednesday, September
3rd.  Israeli animal activists are hoping to bring pressure on the
Kibbutz Director by showing him a large number protest faxes from
animal groups worldwide.

The final vote as to whether the kibbutz will go ahead with plans
to undertake the baboon breeding facility or whether they will
break the contract will be up to all the members of the kibbutz,
based on the facts presented to them by kibbutz's Director.  The
facts are being provided by U.S. animal groups, including a great
deal of information from IPPL.  Faxes urging the Kibbutz' Director
to abandon plans to launch the breeding facility have already been
sent by Concern for Helping Animals in Israel (CHAI), In Defense of
Animals, ISAR, Jews for Animal Rights (JAR), the Medical Research
Modernization Committee (MRMC), NEAVS, and PETA.

FAXES PROTESTING THE OPENING OF A BABOON BREEDING FACILITY ARE
REQUESTED FROM INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS.  Please try to send the
faxes ASAP.  The fax number in Israel is 011 972 7 680-2602.  011
is the code for an international call.  972 is the country code for
Israel.  7 is the city code.  The rest is the fax number.

If you have trouble sending your fax directly to Israel, fax it to
CHAI in the U.S. on [phone] and we will fax it over.

Dr. Shirley MaGreal, President of IPPL, recommends omitting Matthew
Block's name from your letter until we have documentation proving
he and/or a company he owns is, in fact, behind this deal.

Arguments you can make in your fax:

1.  The moral, ethical arguments to be made against experimenting
on animals in general, and on primates, in particular because they
are so close to us genetically.

2.  This investment will prove to be economically unsound.  The
number of animals used in laboratories is dwindling as better
methodologies become available and as people increasingly realize
the immorality of experimenting on sentient beings.  The U.S.
government already has about 1,000 "surplus" chimpanzees that are
costing $5 million per year to house and care for.

3.  Housing primates presents a public health threat to the
community since primates can transmit many deadly viruses to
humans.

4.  It would be harmful to Israel's image for the country to be
involved in promoting chemical warfare, which will ultimately
result in the destruction of human life, or to be involved in
deliberately inflicting horrific suffering from nerve toxins, for
example, on innocent animals, which would violate the Jewish
mandate of "tsaar ba'alei chayyim".

If you have questions or need additional information, please call
Nina Natelson at CHAI, e-mail:74754,654.compuserve.com or (703)
658-9650 tel., [phone] fax.

THANK YOU!!!

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 12:59:33 -0700
From: [e-mail]
To: AR-News <[e-mail]>
Subject: Letters to Editor About E coli
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1


Dear Fellow Activists:
   The bad news is that 50,000 more cattle will have to suffer and die
to replace the 25 million pounds of tainted hamburger meat that has been
recalled and destroyed.  The good news is that the recall provides us
another opportunity to drive home our message.
   To that end, we have provided below the drafts of three letters to
the editor that we ask you to send to your local newspaper(s) at your
very earliest opportunity, while the recall is still in the news. Note
that many newspapers now accept letters by e-mail and/or fax. Send one,
send all three (under different names, of course), change them as you
see fit, but, for the sake of the 50,000 cattle, do it. Please!
   We would appreciate an e-mail ([e-mail]) with the date and
the first word of the letter(s) you sent. Also, let us know if you would
like to join our regular 'Letters From FARM' network. Finally, please
send the full page containing your published letter to FARM, 10101
Ashburton Lane, Bethesda, MD 20817.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Editor
   Last weekÆs headlines have brought alarming news about the sorry
state of our public and planetary health.
╖ The USDA has forced the recall of 25 million pounds of hamburger meat
that may be contaminated with deadly E. coli bacteria and the closure of
the offending plant.
╖ Excessive use of antibiotics in raising farm animals and in medical
practice has forged a Staphylococcus bacterium that is immune to all
these drugs.
╖ Effluents from farm animal waste have nurtured toxic algae that have
killed billions of fish and devastated fisheries throughout the eastern
seaboard, from Delaware to Louisiana.
╖ Cornell University Professor David Pimentel told a national animal
science meeting that our soil, water, and energy resources can not
sustain current levels of animal agriculture.
╖ The Worldwatch Institute has warned that world grain production is
falling behind meat consumption, leading to higher grain and meat prices
and widespread famines in developing countries.
   Surely, the time has come for consumers to see the handwriting on the
wall and to adopt a plant-based diet advocated by leading health and
environmental authorities for the past 25 years.
   Sincerely,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Editor:
   Your report that USDA is recalling 1.2 million pounds of hamburger
meat tainted with deadly  E. coli bacteria was shocking, but not
surprising.  This problem first captured public  attention in 1993, when
four people died from eating E. coli-tainted burgers in Washington
state.
   The US Public Health Service estimates that each year several million
Americans have been afflicted and up to 9,000 killed by mostly
meat-borne infectious diseases.  Yet, few of these cases made the news.
Indeed, the current contamination came to light only because of the
alertness of Colorado health officials.
   Nowadays, hardly a week goes by without a report of another public
health or environmental disaster associated with production or
consumption of meat.  Last year, it was the æMad CowÆ disease in beef.
Last month, it was the fish-eating æcell from hell,Æ nurtured by hog and
chicken farming waste.  Last week, it was the Staphylococcus bacterium
rendered resistant to all known antibiotics by excessive use of these
drugs in raising farm animals. Now itÆs the return engagement of E.
coli-tainted hamburgers.
   What ever happened to the good old days, when meat eating was linked
only with heart disease, cancer, stroke, and a host of other chronic
diseases responsible for the deaths of 1.4 million Americans annually?
   ItÆs enough to make one look wistfully to the Garden of Eden and its
governing injunction: ôBehold, I have given you every herb bearing seed
. . . and fruit; to you it shall be for meat.ö
   Sincerely,
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Editor:
   Here are the top ten tricks to avoid contaminated hamburgers:
#10. Get a job at a slaughterhouse, so you know how the stuff gets to
your plate
# 9. Cook the hamburgers at 160F, or till they turn black, whichever
comes first
# 8. Soak them in laundry bleach overnight and add artificial coloring
# 7. Call the Meat and Poultry Hot Line and take down more detailed
instructions
# 6. Stay away from foods that have to carry warning labels
# 5. Try a veggie burger or a veggie hot dog from your local supermarket
# 4. How about a veggie pizza at your favorite hangout?
# 3. Treat yourself to a meatless dinner at a Chinese or Middle Eastern
restaurant
# 2. Crash a dinner party at a vegetarian friendÆs house
# 1. Kick the meat habit - go vegetarian!
   Sincerely,
------------------- end of long, urgent message ----------------------

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 19:40:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Unsuscribe
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Unsuscribe ar-news
Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 19:43:22 -0700
From: [e-mail]
To: Veg-News <[e-mail]>, AR-News <[e-mail]>
Subject: Letters to Fast Food Chains
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1


Dear Friends.
   Preparations for World Farm Animals Day are accelerating. For latest
information check out our web site at http://www.farmusa.org/wfad1997.
To receive a preliminary Action Kit, e-mail us at [e-mail] or
call 1-888-FARM-USA.
   Reproduced below is a letter that we sent to the world headquarters
of McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and KFC (formerly Kentucky Fried
Chicken) to alert them to our World Farm Animals Day actions.
   We would appreciate it if you would send similar letters to the
chains' consumer relations departments, requesting that they provide
more meatless options and that they require suppliers to treat animals
humanely.  The addresses are: McDonaldÆs,  1 Kroc Drive, Oak Brook, IL
60523, 630-623-3000;  Burger King, 17777 Old Cutler Rd, Miami, FL 33157,
305-378-3000;  WendyÆs, PO Box 256, Dublin, OH 43017, 800-243-1846;
KFC, 1900 Col Sanders Lane, Louisville, KY 40213, 800-544-5774.
   Sincere regards, Alex H.
                 ---------------------------------------
Dear ...
   On October 2, thousands of caring people will be conducting public
education events in front of your outlets throughout the world.  They
will be asking that you provide a greater choice of meatless entrees and
that you require your suppliers to treat their animals humanely.
   The occasion is the 15th annual observance of World Farm Animals Day,
dedicated to exposing, memorializing, and ending the needless suffering
and death of billions of cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, and other
innocent, sentient animals raised for food. The events will include
information tables, leafleting, picketing, and vigils.
   Your enormous success in the marketplace is due in large measure to
your responsiveness to public demand.  Consequently, you should be aware
that public demand for meatless meals has grown explosively in the past
two decades.
╖ 33 million American consumers have explored a meatless diet
╖ One in five consumers look for a restaurant that offers vegetarian
items when they dine out, and one in three would order a vegetarian item
on the menu
╖ Over half of American consumers said they would be less likely to eat
fast food hamburgers following the recent recall of HudsonÆs ground beef
╖ One in four teens consider vegetarianism to be æinÆ and one in eight
shun all meat
╖ The American Dietetic Association, American Cancer Society, National
Cancer Institute, and US Dietary Guidelines, have effectively endorsed
vegetarianism
╖ Major food processors and supermarket chains are marketing meatless
entrees
   You should also realize that the public demands humane treatment of
animals.
╖ Nine in ten Americans would base their food choices on how animals are
treated
╖ US veal consumption has dropped by 70 percent because of cruel
practices
╖ The British High Court has ruled that McDonald's (and presumably other
fast food chains) is responsible for cruel practices in raising broiler
chickens, laying hens, and pigs
   We are pleased that some firms have already taken steps in the right
direction.  Dutch and Indian McDonaldÆs, British Burger King, and US
Subway franchises offer meatless burgers.  WendyÆs franchises feature
baked potatoes and a special salad bar.  McDonald's has directed its
suppliers to comply with the Humane Slaughter Act.
   We believe that catering to the health-conscious and humane segments
of the consuming public will only enhance your success and profits.  We
also believe that you need some public prompting to implement the
necessary changes.  This is why we are launching our public education
campaign on World Farm Animals Day.
   Sincerely,

Date: Sat, 30 Aug 1997 19:59:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: USFWS- REPORT ON WILDLIFE-RELATED RECREATION
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>


---------------------
Forwarded message:
From:[e-mail] (Mitch Snow)
 Sender:[e-mail]
 Reply-to:[e-mail]
  To:[e-mail]
Date: 97-08-29 23:55:00 EDT

This message is from the fws-news listserver.  Please DO NOT REPLY (it
just confuses the computers).

Subscribers can't reply or send their own messages to the fws-news
listserver. This listserver is designed mainly as a "one way street" for
the rapid dissemination of information concerning the Service and its
activities, rather than for gathering feedback.  To contact us, see the
explanatory note at bottom of the message.
============================================================

August 27, 1997                        Hugh Vickery  202-208-5634

SERVICE RELEASES PRELIMINARY STATE-BY-STATE REPORT ON
WILDLIFE-RELATED RECREATION

Michigan had the largest number of hunters in the country, Florida led
the country in anglers, and California had the largest number of wildlife
watchers, according to the preliminary state overview from the 1996
National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.

Meanwhile, the survey revealed that residents of the West North Central
region--which includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and
the Dakotas-had the highest participation rates of any region for
hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching.

The survey, which has been conducted every 5 years since 1955, was done
for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by the Census Bureau.  As part of
the survey, the Census Bureau initially screened 80,000 households.  From
this, the bureau chose 28,000 sportsmen and -women and 14,400
wildlife-watching participants 16 years of age and older for detailed
surveys throughout the year.

The preliminary national results released earlier this summer showed that
more than 39 million Americans 16 and older either hunted or fished in
1996 while 63 million enjoyed watching-2- wildlife.  In all, 40 percent
of the adult population enjoyed some form of wildlife-related recreation.

"America's love affair with wildlife continues to be strong," said
Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark.  "Whether they're anglers,
hunters, or wildlife watchers, Americans enjoy wildlife and, equally
importantly, commit their time and resources to its conservation.  Our
economy also benefits from the $100 billion spent on wildlife-related
recreation."

In the state-by-state breakout, Michigan had 934,000 hunters 16 years and
older, edging out Texas and Pennsylvania, which had 913,000 and 879,000
respectively.  Wisconsin was fourth with 665,000 hunters trailed by New
York with 642,000.

Florida led the way with 2.9 million anglers 16 and older, followed
closely by California with 2.7 million.  Texas had 2.6 million, Michigan
1.8 million and New York 1.7 million.

The survey revealed that 5.7 million Californians 16 and older enjoyed
observing, photographing, or feeding wildlife around their homes while
2.4 million took trips away from home to enjoy these activities.  Texas,
Pennsylvania, New York, and Illinois also were home to millions of adults
who enjoy watching wildlife.

>From a regional standpoint, 25 percent of the adults in the West North
Central region fished, 14 percent hunted, and 37 percent participated in
wildlife watching.  That represented the highest participation in each
category for any region in the country.

The final national report will be issued in November.  The 50 state
reports will be issued as they become available starting in November.
Copies of the preliminary report can be obtained by calling the Service's
publications unit at 304-876-7660.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency
responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife
and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
The Service manages 511 national wildlife refuges covering 92 million
acres, as well as 68 national fish hatcheries.

The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory bird
populations, stocks recreational fisheries, conserves and restores
wildlife habitat such as wetlands, administers the Endangered Species
Act, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts.  It
also oversees the Federal Aid program that funnels Federal excise taxes
on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies.  This
program is a cornerstone of the Nation's wildlife management efforts,
funding fish and wildlife restoration, boating access, hunter education,
shooting ranges, and related projects across America.

-FWS-



============================================================
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Questions concerning a particular news release or item of information
should be directed to the person listed as the contact. General comments
or observations concerning the content of the information should be
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