Komputer for Alle 1998 #6/1998 CD 6 (Gul).iso/web/ffa/wwwenv~1.org/arrs/digest/news69~3.htm/text0000.txt

Text File | 1998-04-02 | 78.4 KB | 1,918 lines

Sir Richard Southward chaired the " Working Party on Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy,  which first met in May, 1988 and issued its report in
February, 1989. Although the working party was called an "expert group" by
the government, all its members told the BSE inquiry that they were not
experts in BSE, nor in any other TSE's.

Again, Mr Walker is Paul Walker, counsel for the inquiry.

David J Knowles
Animal Voices

[Please note: While it is my intention to post this information as quickly
as possible, there will inevitably be occasional delays as other things
take precedence.I will try to be a little more timely in future]


>From the transcripts of March 11th, 1998

MR WALKER:   Thank you.  I would like to just have a quick look at the Royal
Commission on Environmental Pollution Report, dealing with agriculture,
which we have
in our bundle M3.  This was at a time when Sir Hans Kornberg was the
Chairman of the
Royal Commission.  I think it is the seventh report of the Royal
Commission, which is
dated September 1979.

SIR RICHARD SOUTHWOOD:  That is correct.  We refer to this in our report.
I also
referred to it in the evidence I gave to the Parliamentary Select
Committee, but I cannot
remember off-hand exactly the paragraph.

MR WALKER:   I hope that I will be able to find it for you.  Before I do, I
would like to
ask you just to turn to page 225, because I think that at page 225, we find
set out the
membership of the Royal Commission.

SIR RICHARD SOUTHWOOD:  Correct.

MR WALKER:   Hans Kornberg, the Chairman. Then we see your name, Richard
Southwood, fifth from the end.

A.   All in order of precedence, marchionesses coming first.

MR WALKER:   The paragraph I think we find at I would like just to read it
out.  It is
paragraph 5.63.  You were talking about some other uses for animal wastes.
You say:
"In addition to its use as a fertiliser ...",  which is what you have
discussed earlier in the
report, "... some animal wastes may also be recycled as an animal feedstuff."

This is something that the working party on BSE had to look at, but some
eight or nine
years earlier, in September 1979, the Royal Commission said: "The use of
poultry manure
as a feedstuff component is well recognised, although there are obstacles
to its full
development.  Poultry manure from intensive hen houses, which is virtually
neat faeces,
can be dried to provide protein which can be added to animal feedstuffs.
Poultry and pig
manures are used in some parts of the world for fish food, either directly
or through
detritivores such as worms.  The recycling of poultry manure, however, has
been beset
with economic and environmental problems.  Energy used for drying may
increase costs to
the point where bought-in protein is cheaper.  The elimination of the
unpleasant smell
produced during the drying process may require the use of an afterburner in
the dryer
exhaust, which further increases cost.  For this reason, poultry houses
designed for natural
drying may prove increasingly beneficial if energy costs continue to rise."

Then, over the page, this paragraph continued: "Poultry litter from broiler
houses can be
ensiled by relatively simple means, such as clamping, to provide protein
material that can
be used in the diet of ruminants.  The major problem encountered in this
recycling process
is the risk of transmitting disease-bearing pathogens to stock and thence
to humans."

Then the paragraph concludes: "This may occur, for example, when the
ensiling process
takes place on the farm and inadequate precautions are taken to ensure that
pathogens are
not carried to the clamp, perhaps on the wheels of vehicles."

Sir Richard, you are right to say you referred to this paragraph in your
report.  Why did
you do that?

SIR RICHARD SOUTHWOOD:  Well, this was a statement that a major problem
encountered in the recycling process was the risk of transmitting
disease-bearing
pathogens to stock, and thence to humans.  You will recollect some of the
end paragraphs
of our report about the developments which were occurring in agriculture,
modern
develops which appear to have been great benefits, but which were also, in
our view,
unnatural practices.  There had been a warning bell, not a very strong
warning bell, indeed
it is mixed up with some measure of commendation on this particular
paragraph of the
Royal Commission Report.

If I could refer you to my statement to the House of Commons Select
Committee?  I do
not expect you to find this at the moment, but you might wish to make a
note of it,
paragraph 200 on page 66 of the minutes taken as evidence, you will see
that I discussed
this there and said: "As far as poultry are concerned, one is  crossing an
enormous
zoological divide between a bird and a mammal.  No bird has ever been shown
to suffer
from a spongiform encephalopathy.  Secondly, in relation to these cases
...", et cetera, et
cetera. So there is a further comment on the zoological aspect of sheep to
poultry, or
poultry to sheep -- or poultry to cattle is a greater zoological divide,
and in my view, a
priori -- we do not know until it is tested experimentally -- is less
likely to cause infection
than if you go from one ruminant to another.  Is that helpful?

MR WALKER:   It is helpful.  I was wondering to what extent we should regard
paragraph 5.63 as a warning sign?

SIR RICHARD SOUTHWOOD:  I think it was a warning sign.  It was not held up
as a
great beacon, "This should never be done", but it said that there are
various good aspects
of this, but beware.

MR WALKER:   Did you know, in 1988, what, if anything, had been done in
relation to
this warning within the Government?

SIR RICHARD SOUTHWOOD:  No, the Government -- you would have to give me
notice of that question.  The Government -- I certainly did not know in
1988.  That is
what you ask me, if I knew then.  The Government responded to the
agriculture report at
the time.  As I stated in the House of Commons' evidence, the Government
was not very
warm at the time to our response, to this report, although years later,
many of its
recommendations have been taken up by the Minister of Agriculture.


Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 01:05:38
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] Appeal for information on dog-killers
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

>From the BBC Website - Saturday, March 14, 1998 Published at 22:04 GMT

UK

Appeal for information on dog-killers

An outraged animal-lover has offered a ú5,000 reward for information
leading to the arrest of burglars who strangled a guard dog and strung up
its body from a fence at a West Midlands builders' yard.

The body of the four-year-old Rottweiler bitch called Sheba was discovered
by workers at Darlaston Builders' Yard, in Darlaston on Friday.

Another Rottweiler at the site was struck in the face, shattering its
teeth, after the gang raided the yard and stole a 10-ton lorry worth about
ú30,000.

The reward is being offered by a  woman who wishes to remain anonymous.
West Midlands Police said the woman, who lives near London, had decided to
offer the reward because she had been so upset by the story.

Inspector Peter Rattenbury of Willenhall Police said: "It is a very
substantial amount and we are hopeful it will encourage people to come
forward. Someone knows who did this, and perhaps now  they will come
forward."

He said police and RSPCA officers were sickened by the attack on the dog.

The dog's owner, who asked not to be named, said:  "They could have just
opened the gates and she would have run out - they didn't have to go to
this extreme."

Workers at the firm, which also offered a ú500 reward, had frantically
searched the three-and-a-half acre site looking for the animal, and had
even appealed in the local paper, before the grim discovery was made.

The man who found her had to go home, and is said to be in a state of shock.

Copyright 1998 BBC
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 01:05:49
From: David J Knowles <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [UK] Bowel cancer could be  prevented
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

>From the BBC Website -Monday, March 16, 1998 Published at 07:29 GMT

Special Report

Bowel cancer could be  prevented

An alliance of health experts and MPs is to call for bowel cancer to be
given a higher priority on the health agenda.

Bowel cancer kills an average of 49 people in Britain every day and is the
second most common form of cancer.

 According to the alliance, half the 31,000 cases of the disease in the UK
each year could be prevented by people eating a diet high in cereal fibre,
fruit and vegetables.

But an NOP poll to be published by the Cancer Research Campaign and
Kellogg's indicates that 84% of people are unaware that bowel cancer is a
significant health threat and fewer than 30% know it is preventable.

The Cancer Research Campaign claims that thousands of lives could be saved
and ú84m could be cut from the annual budget of the National Health Service
if more people were told about the dangers of bowel cancer.

Launching an awareness campaign, Professor Gordon McVie, the Director
General of the Cancer Research Campaign (CRC), will say:   "ú84m of the NHS
spent on bowel cancer treatment and diagnosis and the incalculable cost of
human suffering could be saved each year if only more people knew about the
prevention."

Although around two thirds of the people who are diagnosed with bowel
cancer will eventually die from it, it is one of the cancers which responds
best to treatment.

The CRC is calling for more public education about bowel cancer,
highlighting the need for a healthy diet, rich in fruit and vegetables and
low in high fat snacks like crisps and cakes.

Supporting the campaign, Liberal Democrat President Robert Maclennan said:
"When we consider that bowel cancer is one of the most preventable cancers
through simple step changes in diet, there is an obvious need for public
education to achieve the government's targets set out in 'Our Healthier
Nation'."

Our Healthier Nation pledges to reduce the cancer rate for people under 65
years old from 81 per 100,000 to 64.8 per 100,000 by 2010.

The Health Minister, Baroness Jay of Paddington, said: "We are committed to
reducing cancer deaths in this country and we wholeheartedly endorse this
campaign to encourage     people to help themselves with simple dietary
measures."

Bowel Cancer Awareness Day is on April 27, 1998

Copyright 1998 BBC
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 09:23:22 -0800
From: "Linda J. Howard" <[e-mail]>
To: "AR NEWS" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Vilas Zoo stumptail macaque colony
Message-ID: <01bd5100$3859c8e0$1127accf@default>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
     charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

The below is being posted for Pongsagdi Vejjajiva in Thailand (originally
posted on Primate Talk):

(from [e-mail] [ Wild Animal Rescue Foundation ])

Hello, This is the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand a new
subscriber.We are a small grassroots NGO assisting all kinds of wild
animals, but especially primates, who are in trouble. Perhaps some of you
know about the Bangkok Six orangutans in 1990, we took care of them while
they were in Thailand.

We are one of the 3 NGOs trying to bring the 51 Wisconsin stumptailed
macaques to Thailand so that they will not be killed or sold into any kind
of research. They are a Thai species. Most everyone concerned has been kind
and understanding and cooperative, both in America and Thailand. You can
read from other messages on PT what has been going on.

Unfortunately our good work is being interfered with by a new NGO Thai
Society for the Conservation of Wild Animals (TSCWA) who consist of two
foreigners, a Brit zookeeper and an Australian free lance journalist. For an
unknown reason they are trying to stop the macaques coming here. They wrote
to Senator Baucus trying to persuade him not to assist these poor animals,
and they insinuated themselves into a Government/NGO meeting held on 11
March to decide what to do. They claim that the macaques have been used in
invasive research and will bring disease into Thailand. Unfortunately there
are some officials listening to them. Please can anyone interested in the
fate of these macaques help by asking this NGO to mind their own business.

They represent Care for the Wild UK and Libearty/WSPA, both organizations
set up to help not kill animals.                email [e-mail]

Thanks,
Pongsagdi Vejjajiva



Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 23:05:41 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Chinese medicine post - clarification
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit


On 6 Mar 98, there was a China Daily article on the abstract of traditional
chinese medicine posted to AR-News. It is appended below.

I think that post largely came across as meaning that the pharmacopoeia will
only list herbal abstracts. The Straits Times, 16 Mar 98, reports that drugs
made from animals will be included:-

~The modern age sinseh~
(With picture)

It looks like a case of East meets West as a man gets diagnosed for possible
illnesses, not by the usual methods used in Chinese medicine but with an
electronic device, at a shopping centre in Beijing yesterday.  China will
next year publish a 30-volume guide on the use of traditional Chinese
medicine, with information on more than 8,000 herbal medicines and drugs
made from animals or minerals - AFP picture.

- Vadivu

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

Date: 03/06/98
Author: Shao Zongwei
Copyright⌐ by China Daily

A TWO-VOLUME abstract of the 30-volume Materia Medica of China was released by
Shanghai Science and Technology Publishing House last week in Beijing.
The abstract, which contains information about 535 kinds of commonly-used
herbal medicines, summarizes the main material of the 30-volume work.
The unabridged version of the pharmacopoeia will list more than 8,000 kinds of
traditional Chinese medicines. Under each entry, there will be a
description of
the herb's outward appearance, its chemical composition and functions,
planting
and processing methods, clinical research results and contra-indications.
Over 10,000 illustrations and photographs will be included.
It will also list about 1,500 kinds of medicines which are used by the
Tibetan,
Mongolian, Uygur and Dai peoples.
The pharmacopoeia will be the most complete work of its kind in Chinese
history.
Initiated by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (SATCM),
compilation of the pharmacopoeia started in 1989. So far, work on 27 volumes
has been completed. The remaining three volumes are expected to be finished
before October 1 next year.
Over 400 specialists from more than 60 universities, colleges and research
institutes nationwide are taking part in the compilation.
Materia Medica of China sums up the achievements of traditional Chinese
medicine (TCM) over the past 2,000 years and also details its contemporary
development, said Li Zhengji, a vice-administrator of SATCM.
The pharmacopoeia will be a useful reference work for the country's TCM
practitioners.
TCM has enjoyed an unprecedented boom internationally in recent years as more
and more people in the West start to turn to natural medicines.
It will be the first work of this scale to appear since the compilation of the
Compendium of Materia Medica, which was compiled by Li Shizhen, a Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644) master TCM practitioner. It recorded 1,892 kinds of herbal
medicines and is still a widely-used TCM reference work today.

Poster's note:á the importance of this to AR is that it will help with the
promotion of Herbal Alternatives to animal parts in TCM.





Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 23:05:46 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (UK) Zoo to house poet
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>The Straits Times
16 Mar 98
Zoo to house new species -- a poet

     LONDON -- London Zoo is to house a new endangered species -- a poet.

     The zoo's first poet-in-residence will provide rhyming guides and "help
to interpret the     lives of the animals", according to The Sunday Times
newspaper.

     The successful applicant, who will be chosen next month, will join
other poets at
institutions as diverse as the BBC, Marks & Spencer and Barnsley Football Club.

     Director-general of the zoo Richard Burge said he hoped the poet would
help broaden     the minds of visitors.
Poems could also be fixed to cages and staff and visitors could be
encouraged to write     their own couplets.

     "We are trying to use poetry in a way that gives people a new
understanding and
interpretation of what we do." Poet and professor of creative writing at the
University
of East Anglia Andrew Motion welcomed the decision.

     He said that poets and zoos had a long and fruitful association.
"Writers have quite
deliberately, over the years, gone to inspect animals in zoos and even
worked there to
get inspiration."

     Poet laureate Ted Hughes worked as a night-watchman at the zoo during
the early
stages of his career. Although his early work drew heavily on animal
imagery, he was
not expected to apply, the newspaper said.
For the first six months, the post will be for two days a week. It pays 5,000
     (S$13,000) for the six-month term.

     The Poetry Society wants 100 "poetry placements", to be funded by
450,000 of
lottery money from the Arts Council.

     Director of the society Chris Meade said: "We want to broaden our
appeal and this is     the ideal way to do it." John Agard is
poet-in-residence at the BBC and Ian McMillan     at Barnsley. Both are
consulted for "poetic guidance" by their employers.

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 23:05:51 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (MY) Turtle sanctuaries planned
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>The Star Online
Sunday, March 15, 1998

                   Turtle sanctuaries planned

                   KUALA LUMPUR: The Fisheries Department will organise
activities
throughout the year to garner support and raise awareness among the people
on the plight of marine turtles.

                   Agriculture Minister Datuk Amar Dr Sulaiman Daud said the
activities
included the setting up of a Marine Turtles' Fund, roadshows at state,
district and kampung level, a know-the-turtle-landing-spots contest and
distribution of pamphlets on marine turtles.

                Dr Sulaiman said HongKong Bank Berhad will sponsor a
national and
Asean level watercolour painting contest depicting the theme Turtles! Our
Treasure for school children 18 years and below.

                   He said the campaign was aimed at educating the people on
the danger of the extinction of marine turtles.

                   Dr Sulaiman said a turtle sanctuary in Cherating, Pahang,
would be
officially launched in August and another in Rantau Abang, Terengganu in
September.

                   He said turtles have been in existence for more than 200
million years.

                   "Sadly, their population and species are facing a drastic
drop. From 30
species, there are only seven left," he said.

                   "Besides pollution, among the threats faced by marine
turtles in Malaysia is  the exploitation of their eggs, flesh and shells.

                   "Scientists have predicted that two of the species in
Malaysia, the
leatherbacks and Olive Ridley, will face extinction in six years," he said.

                   HongKong Bank Berhad deputy chief executive officer Peter
Boyles said
the bank would contribute RM26,700 in the form of saving accounts for
the prizes of the art contest.

                   He added that the bank had developed three sets of an
advertisement
promoting support for the conservation of turtles to be published in The
Star, the official media for the art contest.
"The advertisement is a hard-hitting advertorial type, informing the public
on the plight of turtles and how people can contribute to the turtles'
survival.

                   "Following this, we will use the advertisements in the
form of posters which will be distributed to schools after the announcement
of the winners of the
contest in June," he said.

                   One of the winning paintings will be picked by HongKong
Bank to be
printed on its new Visa card, Boyles added.

                   The turtle conservation campaign is being held in
conjunction with the
International Year of the Ocean organised by the United Nations.


Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 23:16:43 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: WHO discourages bans on seafood imports
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>Hong Kong Standard
16 Mar 98

Ban on imports unjustified: WHO

By Lucia Palpal-latoc

THE World Health Organisation is discouraging bans on the importation of
seafood from countries affected by cholera.

A Note Verbale from WHO director-general Dr Hiroshi Nakajima was released as
Hong Kong health officials prepared a contingency plan to contain a possible
cholera outbreak.
``WHO has not documented any outbreak of cholera resulting from commercially
imported food and this despite the fact that at least 50 countries in the
world have been affected by epidemic or endemic cholera each year since
1961,'' he said.

``Consequently, the placing of embargoes on the importation of food such as
seafood, fresh water and vegetables is not an appropriate course of action
to prevent the international spread of cholera and can represent an
additional burden on the economy of the affected countries.''

A Note Verbale is a formal WHO document sent by the director-general to
member countries in order to clarify certain issues. Hong Kong stopped the
importation of cockles early this month after they were identified as a
major source of cholera.

At least eight people have developed the disease after eating the popular
shellfish, which is imported from Thailand.
A Department of Health spokesman said the government had not banned the
importing of shellfish.

``The importer volunteered to stop importing the cockles from Thailand after
the cholera cases were reported,'' he said.

WHO said cases of cholera had occurred occasionally as a result of eating
food, usually seafood, transported across international borders, but it had
never documented an outbreak of cholera resulting from commercially imported
food.

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 12:16:38 EST
From: Icare87855 <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Howard Lyman in Sarasota March ;29th
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit


Cattle rancher turned vegetarian activist Howard Lyman will be in Sarasota on
Sunday, March 29th, for an Animal Rights Foundation of Florida sponsored
event.  Howard's talk is titled, "Mad Cows, Mad Cattlemen, and Free Speech".
Admission is free.  Call 941/966-4075 for more information.
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 09:35:52 -0800
From: [e-mail] (Lawrence Carter-Long)
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: API's Investigating Animal Research Page Updated!
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Greetings, all -

We've updated API's Investigating Animal Research
site which includes links to MEDLINE, CRISP, NIH
and other animal research related web searches.  It
includes nearly every (useful) website I've found in
researching vivisection.

The links to these sites, along with brief descriptions
of what each agency or site does can be found at:

http://www.api4animals.org/ResearchResources.htm

Recent additions to the site include FOIA and information
request information from the USDA and APHIS, as well as
Freedom of Information Act Information from the ACLU.

As one section of the science section on API's web
site, the links on API's Investigating Animal Research
section were drawn from ones that I use myself in
combination with various suggestions that have been
made on numerous science and AR related mailing lists
and/or web sites.  As well as those that folks have been
kind enough to share with me.

Stop by and take a look and don't hesitate to drop a line and
let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions.

Yours, for the liberation of all beings -


Lawrence Carter-Long
Science and Research Issues, Animal Protection Institute
email: [e-mail], phone: [phone] x. 215
world wide web: http://www.api4animals.org/

"Xenotransplantation is a unique medical enterprise.  It
puts the public at risk for the benefit of the individual."

Dr. Fritz Bach, Harvard University School of Medicine
New York Times, February 3, 1998

-----Annoying Warning Notice -------

My email address is: [e-mail]

LEGAL NOTICE: Anyone sending unsolicited commercial
email to this address will be charged a $500 proofreading
fee. This is an official notification; failure to abide by this
will result in  legal action, as per the following:

By U.S. Code Title 47, Sec.227(a)(2)(B), a computer/modem/printer
 meets the definition of a telephone fax machine.
By Sec.227(b)(1)(C), it is unlawful to send any unsolicited
 advertisement to such equipment.
By Sec.227(b)(3)(C), a violation of the aforementioned Section
 is punishable by action to recover actual monetary loss, or
 $500, whichever is greater, by each violation.



Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 09:35:08 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: deer hunting video game
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from http://www.pcgamer.com/news/index.html#743

>Deer Hunter Surprises Market
>Wal-Mart's concept tops January charts
>Someone finally figured out how to get Dad to buy a computer game.
>
>According to the most recent numbers from PC Data, Wizard Works' hunting
>game Deer Hunter sold more copies than any other PC title this past January,
>beating out such well-known, big budget hits as Tomb Raider II, Quake II and
>Riven.
>
>The premise of the game is simple -- it's a simulation of hunting deer,
>whether with
>rifle, shotgun, or bow. And it's been a resounding success.
>
>Priced at $19.95, the game has sold 321,887 units since its September 1,
>1997 release, and generated some $6.4 million in revenues for the publisher
>and retailers, according to PC Data.
>
>Yet the game was developed for GT in about six months by a relatively
>unknown game developer. While GT declined to provide specific development
>costs for the product, given the shot development cycle and relatively
>straightforward technology used it is probably safe to characterize it as
>costing a lot less than most games.
>
>And in fact, GT's value division can't actually take credit for coming up
>with the
>idea for this product. Someone at Wal-Mart suggested that GT do a deer
>hunting product, which would Wal-Mart would then carry for a three month
>exclusive. GT's Tracy Magnuson, vice president of marketing for the value
>line, confirmed this chain of events.
>
>"Wal-Mart had a three-month exclusive," said Magnuson, "because it was their
>idea for the product. It fit the Wal-Mart demographic."
>
>Is it common for retailers to request specific products from publishers? GT
>says it is.
>
>"We work very closely with our accounts, and if our accounts request a
>certain product, we work very closely with them on that," said Nicole
>Yolitz, marketing manager for GT Value Products. "It is very common for us
>to do this." She added that a number of GT's bundled products, such as
>Flight Squadron, a recent low price bundle of flight sims, was created based
>on requests from retailers.
>
>Deer Hunter was published under GT's Wizard Works brand; the Minneapolis,
>MN-based company is a subsidiary of GT Interactive that concentrates solely
>on value-priced products (those titles priced at $20 or so). Its line-up has
>included such items as D! Zone Gold -- 3,000 levels for Doom, Duke it Out in
>D.C., and Absolute Solitaire.
>
>The actual development of Deer Hunter was done by Sunstorm Interactive, an
>Indiana outfit who's created many value-priced products for Wizard Works.
>
>The game also was not heavily advertised or promoted, not even in hunting or
>rifle
>magazines (though at least one sporting goods store now carries it), GT's
>Tracy Magnuson told us. Like most value products, Deer Hunter depends
>heavily, almost exclusively, on in-store promotions, she said.
>
>"Value priced-products are an impulse buy," we're told. Nor did GT expect a
>number one best seller.
>
>"We certainly knew there was strength in that market, but this is a pleasant
>surprise
>in terms of it becoming a hit," said Allyne Mills, GT Interactive's vice
>president of
>communications.
>
>Magunson echoed that statement.
>
>"We knew that there was a market for this, but it has exceeded our
>expectations",
>she said.
>
>Deer Hunter's target audience was males in the mass market, men who though
>they own computers are not necessarily into the hardcore gamer's titles, GT
>said.
>
>"The people who shop at Wal-Mart are not necessarily hardcore gamers,"
>explained Mills.
>
>Magnuson concurred. "[It was] certainly for a male audience," she said,
>noting it was aimed for the 16-34 year old demographic. "It is selling well
>everywhere at this point, but especially in states with a deer-hunting
>season -- Minnesota, Pennsylvania," she told us. "It's a great gift item, a
>great gift for Dad."
>
>Naturally, GT will follow up on Deer Hunter's success with a full range of
>hunting
>and fishing simulations priced at about $20. In the works are Deer Hunter:
>Extended Season (an expansion pack), Wild Turkey Hunt, Sporting Clays, Pro
>Bass Fishing, and Rocky Mountain Trophy Hunter.

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 09:11:20 -0800 (PST)
From: Michael Markarian <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Press Release: Elephant Advocates to Testify at Maryland State
  Capitol
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, March 16, 1998

CONTACT: Christine Wolf or Michael Markarian, 301-585-2591


ELEPHANT ADVOCATES TO TESTIFY AT MARYLAND STATE CAPITOL


ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- On Tuesday, March 17, at 1:00 p.m., in Room 120 of the
Lowes House Office Building, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a
hearing on House Bill 1031, the bill introduced by Delegate John Morgan
(R-Howard/Prince George's) to ban the use of live elephants at circuses and
fairs in Maryland. Members of The Fund for Animals and other Maryland
citizens concerned about public safety and animal welfare will testify in
support of House Bill 1031.

Since 1990, captive elephants have killed at least 36 people and injured
more than 100. These include two incidents in Texas last summer when a
circus elephant broke the arm and shoulder of a 65-year-old man and when
another elephant crushed her handler to death; an incident in Wyoming in
1996 when an elephant used for giving children "elephant rides" suddenly
knocked down and repeatedly kicked the trainer; and an incident in New York
in 1995 when two circus elephants went on a rampage, triggering a panic
among hundreds of spectators that left 12 people injured.

Says Christine Wolf, Director of Government Affairs for The Fund for
Animals, "The Maryland legislature has the opportunity to prevent our state
from hosting these disastrous incidents, and the resulting deaths, injuries
and lawsuits. I would be more than proud to be the citizen of a state that
took a stand against the horrendous abuse and imminent public safety threat
that comes to town along with circuses and sideshows." Ms. Wolf will show a
video of elephant abuse at the hearing.

Most circus elephants are kept chained by two or more legs for 95% of their
lives, and unchained only to perform and walk to and from the arena. Dozens
have died over the last few years from injuries and from diseases such as
tuberculosis. Last month, a 3-year-old elephant named Kenny collapsed and
died in the Ringling Bros. circus, soon after the audience applauded his
performance.

Physical punishment has long been the norm for animals forced to perform in
circuses. In his book Circus Kings, Henry Ringling North of the Ringling
Bros. family writes that "all sorts of brutalities are used to force
(animals) to respect their trainer and learn their tricks. They work from fear."

Numerous communities in the U.S. -- including Takoma Park (Md.), Hollywood
and Lauderdale Lakes (Fla.), Collinsville (Ill.), and Quincy and Revere
(Mass.) -- have banned elephant acts.


# # #


http://www.fund.org

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 12:13:14 -0800 (PST)
From: "J. Bearscove" <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Bull Frog Eggs in Korea
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

>From the Korea Herald Nespaper:

 03-16-98 : Government to Kick Off Drive to Eliminate Bull Frog Eggs

Warning to all foreign amphibians that have been eating up the locals you
might want to watch your eggs this spawning season!

The Ministry of Environment has decided that May and June will be set
aside to ``eradicate all bull frog eggs.''

Regional environment offices, local city governments and military
authorities will jointly carry out the eradication of the species on a
regional basis, it added.

Bull frog eggs will be distinguished from the native frog eggs by its
bigger size, and then exterminated.

Though killing the species can be viewed as anti-environment the ministry
has said that bull frogs deserve it because they have been ruining the
ecosystem by preying on native animals such as fresh-water crabs, native
frogs and even snakes.

The fight against bull frogs was first initiated last year, when fears
arose that the nation's wet lands, lakes and rivers were rapidly being
occupied by the amphibious species.

Bull frogs may want to stay on the particular alert for school children as
they are being given extra school credit for wiping out bull frog eggs
during their school vacation.

Also, bull frogs may want to hang low themselves, as getting caught can
lead to a ghastly end. Last year the campaign to eradicate the species led
to a bull frog cookout organized by the government in conjunction with a
food manufacturer.

This year's efforts to eradicate all bull frog eggs is a result of the
failure of last year's efforts, including the cookout, explained the
ministry. Local environmentalists, expect this year's campaign will be
much more effective. (JKW)


Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 14:49:56 -0600
From: Steve Barney <[e-mail]>
To: AR-News <[e-mail]>, Wisc-Eco <[e-mail]>
Subject: ANNC: The 1998 Animal Rights Law Conference - March 20, 1998
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: MULTIPART/MIXED;
BOUNDARY="Boundary_[ID_vv+4S9lXEi72yGJxO2DH6g]"

[Source: http://www.law.pace.edu/pacelaw/events/animals98.html]
                       Pace University School of Law

                  The Jolene Marion Memorial Fund for the
                         Advancement of Animal Law

              The Pace Center for Environmental Legal Studies
                                    and
                     The Pace Environmental Law Society

                                  Present:

                  THE 1998 ANIMALS AND THE LAW CONFERENCE

                           THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT?
                      THE USE OF NONHUMAN ANIMALS FOR
                              HUMAN AMUSEMENT

                               March 21, 1998
                            8:30 a.m.--6:00 p.m.

                       Pace University School of Law
                             78 North Broadway
                        White Plains, New York 10603

 For registration information, please call the Office of the Dean at (914)
                                 422-4205.

AGENDA

8:30 a.m. REGISTRATION
Moot Court Room, Gerber Glass Bldg.

9:00 a.m. WELCOME
Suzan M. Porto, Esq.
Adjunct Professor of Law
Pace University School of Law

9:05 a.m. Professor Nicholas A. Robinson
Professor of Law
Pace University School of Law
Rethinking Animals and Law

9:20 a.m. Lyne LΘtourneau, Esq.
Animal Law in Great Britain and Its Philosophical Spirit:
The Case of Nonhuman Animals Used for Human Entertainment

9:55 a.m. Lisa B. Weisberg, Esq.
Legislative Proposals Protecting Animals in Entertainment: At the
Crossroads

10:30 a.m. Valerie J. Stanley, Esq.
Marc R. Jurnove
The Animal Welfare Act and USDA: Time for An Overhaul

11:20 a.m. BREAK

11:30 a.m. Katie M. Brophy, Esq.
Practical How To's to Help Activists Combat Bear Wrestling

12:05 a.m. Peggy W. Larson, D.V.M., J.D.
Rodeos: Cruelty in the Saddle

12:40 p.m. Keynote Luncheon Address
Tudor Room, Preston Hall
PAT DERBY
Show Biz is No Biz for Animals

2:10 p.m. Jane Garrison
A Call to Attorneys: Brainstorming to Help Captive Elephants

2:45 p.m. Naomi Rose, Ph.D.
The Cost of Captivity: What Price Entertainment?

3:20 p.m. Richard J. Katz, Esq.
Captive Marine Mammal Law (and the Lack Thereof)

3:55 p.m. BREAK

4:05 p.m.. Wayne Pacelle
Combating the Recreational and Commercial Killing of Wildlife

4:40 p.m. Prof. Gary L. Francione
Anna E. Charlton, Esq.
Your Right to Speak Out to Protect Animals

5:25 p.m. Melanie Nardone
Greyhound Racing: Bloodsport for Profit

6:00 p.m. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CLOSING



CONFERENCE OBJECTIVE

>From ancient times to the present day, nonhuman animals have been used as
mere objects of amusement by humans. Humans have entertained themselves by
capturing nonhuman animals from their natural habitats and putting them on
display in zoos and marine mammal parks, by forcing them to perform in
circuses and in traveling animal acts in ways unnatural to nonhuman
animals, by hunting nonhuman animals down and killing them for the "sport"
of it, by inflicting pain on them for the mere thrill of it, and, often,
solely for the greed of it.

The purpose of this Conference is to provide a forum for all members of the
community to learn from experts about the issues pertaining to the use of
nonhuman animals in zoos, circuses, roadside animal acts, marine mammal
parks, rodeos, sport and trophy hunting, and greyhound racing. Strategies
and remedies will be explored.

ABOUT THE SPONSORS

The Jolene Marion Memorial Fund for the Advancement of Animal Law was
established at Pace University School of Law in 1995 by friends and
colleagues of the late Jolene Marion, Adjunct Professor of Law, who devoted
her professional life to the advancement of Animal Law through her teaching
and her practice. As founder and Senior Staff Attorney of the New York
City-based Legal Action for Animals, Jolene was a tireless advocate for the
legal rights of all sentient creatures. At Pace, Jolene developed and
taught the Animal Welfare Law course that continues to be offered during
the School's Summer Session. The Jolene Marion Memorial Fund seeks to
continue her work by sponsoring the Annual Animal Law Conference and
supporting the maintenance of a comprehensive collection of Animal Law
publications at the Pace University School of Law.

Contributions to the Jolene Marion Memorial Fund for the Advancement of
Animal Law, at Pace University School of Law, are fully tax-deductible and
would be greatly appreciated.

The Center for Environmental Legal Studies at Pace University School of Law
offers Pace J.D., LL.M.. and S.J.D. candidates an opportunity to work with
the School's Environmental Law faculty in advanced Environmental Law
research and law reform. The Center has developed a sustained commitment to
several areas of law, as well as surveying current developments through
convening an annual colloquium and undertaking funded research projects.

Environmental Law Society
Pace's Environmental Law Society (ELS) is a student-led organization
committed to improving the environment through legislative action, citizen
action forums, recycling programs, campus awareness activities, guest
speakers and the annual Earth Day Celebration. ELS members attend local and
regional conferences.



Date: Mon, 16 Mar 98 15:32:38 UTC
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Wild Parrots Don't Raise Much Squawk
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>

Miami, Fla. (AP): Pepi the parrot shared many happy days with her owner
Jean Quincy, but there were those times when the call of the wild was
overwhelming, when Pepi would squawk, "I want out!"

She got her wish after seven years in a cage.

"The wild parrots would come in the yard and visit her through the
porch screen," Quincy said. "Then one day I got a phone call and went in
and she had chewed through the screen."

Florida has no native parrots or parakeets, but plenty of wild ones. They
are escapees and their descendants, and are known to lure other caged
birds out of their homes to join the flock.

State wildlife officials say these rogues pose a danger to agriculture
and native birds. But others see them as one of the delights of living in
Florida.

"I really enjoy seeing the parrots because they are very beautiful,"
said South Florida bird lover Susan Sigsbee. "They  can be extremely
noisy," she admitted, but added: "I really don't see them infringing on
anything."

The yellow-headed Amazon, the scarlet macaw and the buddie parakeet
can be pests, noisily invading back yards in their hunt for mangos,
avocados, figs, and fruits. In addition, the birds take up nesting space
and uproot woodpeckers and other native species.

"They amount to a form of pollution," said Henry Cabbage, a spokesman
for the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.

The macaws of Central and South America, the largest of the world's 315
parrot species, can be found nesting in royal palm trees in Coconut
Grove, a Miami neighborhood. With 4-foot wingspans, they stand 2 1/2
feet from crown to the tip of their long, pointed tails and have brightly
colored feathers of scarlet red, orange, yellow, blue, and green.

Around Miami, more than 16 species were detected in a 15-mile diameter in
December. In Broward County, north of Miami, a flock of 40 red-crowned
Amazons are known to talk to caged birds through windows and screen
porches.

The monks or Quakers, yellow-and-green parrots from Argentina, hang out
at the Miami Dolphins' training site in Davie and are often seen grooming
each other at dusk.

-- Sherrill
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 13:52:43 -0800
From: Michael Kundu <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Sea Shepherd On Site at Canadian Seal Slaughter
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

TIME-SENSITIVE MEDIA ADVISORY
Sea Shepherd On Site at Canadian Seal Slaughter

MON. MARCH 16, 1998, 10:20 a.m. PST -- The Sea Shepherd III, flagship of
the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, has arrived in the Canadian
Maritimes, witnessing the opening of the controversial Canadian Harp seal
hunt.

International observers on board are filming the hunt to provide first-hand
evidence that the slaughter of baby Harp seals is continuing despite the
denials of the Canadian government, which continues to shield and subsidize
the worldÆs largest wildlife slaughter. Canada is also spending millions of
dollars to police the hunt. The Sea Shepherd crew is preparing to go onto
the ice and document the seal slaughter at close range.

The Canadian government has decreed that the act of witnessing the seal
hunt is illegal. Canadian Coast Guard and RCMP units are now converging on
the scene, 20 miles west of the Magdalen Islands, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

ôThese are the worst ice conditions seen here in 100 years,ö said ship's
captain Paul Watson from the the Sea Shepherd III. ôThere's not enough ice
for the seals to give birth on, so we're seeing a very high natural
mortality rate for the baby seals, but we're surrounded by Coast Guard and
RCMP units who are out here to make sure the seal hunters kill the seals.
It is unconscionable.ö

On-location interviews with Captain Paul Watson on the Sea Shepherd III can
be arranged through the following contacts:
Lea Anne Mallett, Prince Edward Island @ 902-566-2222/ 902-626-6128
 Michael Kundu, Seattle @ 360-658-6252
 Carla Robinson, Los Angeles @ 310-301-7325

###

Michael Kundu
Project SeaWolf/Arcturus Adventure Communications
Marysville, WA
**NOTE: Email address change -- [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 13:43:55 -0800
From: Michael Kundu <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Makah Whaling --WA Senate Resolution 1998-8710
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

A word of thanks to everyone who contacted Senator Gary Strannigan re: the
Resolution he presented for us.  The resolution passed a few days ago,
officially logged as WA Senate Resolution 1998-8710.  Thanks to all of you
who helped -- particular thanks to Will Anderson for his diligent support.
The following text reflects the final version.

Michael Kundu

****************************

WA STATE SENATE RESOLUTION 1998-8710
By Senators Strannigan, Anderson, Finkbeiner, Haugen, Thibaudeau & Heavey.

WHEREAS, The Washington State Senate recognizes that the fabric of this
state's identity is positively enhanced by the protected presence of the
gray whales and other marine mammals that ply Washington waters near our
major urban centers; and

WHEREAS, The protected protected gray whale population in Washington waters
provides priceless aesthetic and recreational benefits for countless
Washington state citizens as well as substantial economic benefit to the
state and its tourism industry; and

WHEREAS, The protected presence of our year-round resident gray whale
population allow the whale-watching industry to educate thousands of
visitors each year about the wonders of these nomadic creatures and other
marine mammals that annually migrate to their Northwest home in our state
waters; and

WHEREAS, the hunting of gray whales could cause significant personal safety
concerns for tourists of visitors each year about the wonders of these
nomadic creatures and other marine mammals that annually migrate to their
Northwest home in our state waters, and

WHEREAS, Many citizens, visitors, businesses and international groups who
annually contribute significantly to the economic viability of Washington's
turism industry have expressed their opposition to a resumption of hunting
for gray whales; and

WHEREAS, a resumed gray whale hunt may have profound negative impacts on
the ecology of the Olympic Peninsula, causing gray whales to avoid the
region and setting international precedents that could contribute to a
collapse of the last remaining population of gray whales;

NOW, THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate
formally recognise the social, economic and environmental benefits of the
current protection gray whales enjoy in Washingtton State waters; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate recognise that teh
cessation in whale hunting makes Washington waters a unique and important
sanctuary for these magnificent marine mammals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Washington State Senate will always be a
vigilant advocate for the health of the State's resident gray whale
population and will watch over this precious resource to protect and
preserve it from human harm so that it may be a lasting heritage for future
generations.


Michael Kundu
Project SeaWolf/Arcturus Adventure Communications
Marysville, WA
**NOTE: Email address change -- [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 98 17:56:23 -0000
From: "Eric Mindel @ LCA" <[e-mail]>
To: "ar-news" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Update on Hard Copy airing Scruffy piece
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

According to Hard Copy today, the Scruffy piece has been rescheduled for
later this week.  LCA maintains close relations with Hard Copy and will
advise this email list of an exact date as we discover it.





Eric Mindel
Last Chance for Animals (LCA)
[e-mail]
http://www.lcanimal.org
8033 Sunset Blvd, Suite 35
Los Angeles, CA  90046
310/271-6096 office
310/271-1890 fax


Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 20:56:44 -0500
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (EU) Chronology of Mad Cow Disease BSE Affair
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN custom news (search:  animal rights)  http://www.cnn.com
---------------------------------------------
Chronology of Mad Cow Disease BSE Affair
Reuters
16-MAR-98

BRUSSELS, March 16 (Reuters) - European Union farm ministers on Monday
backed a partial lifting of a two-year-old ban on British beef exports
imposed over madcow disease.

Here is a chronology of related scientific and political events beginning
with the discovery in Britain of a new cattle disease more than a decade ago:

NOVEMBER 1986 - Mad cow disease or BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy)
first identified by British government's Central Veterinary Laboratory.

JUNE 1987 - Ministers informed of new cattle disease. Not known at this
stage if it was transmissable.

DECEMBER 1987 - Scientific tests conclude meat and bone meal derived from
ruminants was the only viable cause of BSE.

JUNE 1988 - Britain announces ban on sale of certain animal feed to
ruminants.

JULY 1988 - Britain announces introduction of a slaughter policy.

JULY 1989 - EU bans export of British cattle born before July 18, 1988 and
offspring of infected or suspect animals.

NOVEMBER 1989 - Britain bans use of certain specified bovine offals (SBO)
for human consumption.

DECEMBER 1989 - Government extends ruminant animal feed ban, original time
limit is removed.

APRIL 1990 - Establishment of the Edinburgh-based Spongiform Encephalopathy
Advisory Committee (SEAC) to spearhead research.

MAY 1990 - A cat contracts a spongiform encephalopathy. MARCH 1991 - First
case of BSE in offspring born after the 1989 ruminant feed ban.

JULY 1993 - 100,000th confirmed case of BSE in Britain. JULY 1994 -
European Commission puts restrictions on British exports of
beef-on-the-bone -- they must only come from cattle certified to be from
holdings BSE-free for at least six years.

NOVEMBER 1995 - On advice from SEAC, British government suspends use of
bovine vertebral columns in the manufacture of mechanically recovered meat.

MARCH 20, 1996 - SEAC says special unit looking into human
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), identifies previously unrecognised and
consistent disease pattern. SEAC says the most likely explanation is a link
to exposure to BSE before the SBO ban in 1989. Government says it will
consult on further control measures on deboning of carcasses.

MARCH 27, 1996 - EU imposes ban on exports of beef from Britain. Bans
export of live bovine animals, semen, embryos, meat of bovine animals;
products from bovines liable to enter animal or human food chain, and
materials destined for use in medicinal products, cosmetics and
pharmaceuticals, and mammalian-derived meat and bone meal.

MAY 1996 - British government announces ``policy of non-cooperation'' with
EU. Prime Minister John Major establishes crisis committee to co-ordinate
strategy of paralysing EU business until the ban is lifted.

JUNE 1996 - Framework for lifting the export ban agreed by EU heads of
state at Florence summit. Britain ends non-cooperation policy.

DECEMBER 1996 - Britain publishes Export Certified Herds Scheme (ECHS),
which relies on documentation proving an animal was from a herd free of
BSE. Also announces selective cull of cattle most at risk from BSE.

JULY, AUGUST 1997 - Illegal shipments of British beef found in various EU
countries. Germany leads call for tighter British controls on exports.

SEPTEMBER 1997 - European Court of Justice Advocate General upholds the
legality of European Commission's decision to impose the worldwide beef
export ban on Britain.

OCTOBER 1997 - Britain formally proposes Date-Based Scheme, which covers
mainland Britain and is applicable to meat from animals born after August
1, 1996.

NOVEMBER 1997 - EU scientists give favourable opinion on revised ECHS,
stressing cattle database as a positive factor, effectively limiting the
scheme's scope to Northern Ireland.

JANUARY 1, 1998 - Britain bans sale and import of all beef-on-the-bone
after fresh scientific evidence from SEAC shows small chance of BSE
transmitted in nerve tissue, including spinal column and bone marrow.

JANUARY, 1998 - Setback for ECHS after EU veterinary inspectors visit
Northern Ireland and question whether export beef can be kept separate from
beef going to mainland Britain.

FEBRUARY 1998 - EU scientists raise few problems over the Date-Based
Scheme, but some question whether a calf's mother should be kept alive for
six months after the calf goes to slaughter. This would reduce the risk of
maternal transmission.

MARCH 16 1998 - EU farm ministers approve the ECHS, meaning Northern
Ireland ban can be lifted and first British beef can be sent legally to
foreign supermarket shelves.
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 21:02:16 -0500
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: France Reports New Mad Cow Case, Herd Destroyed
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN custom news (search:  animal rights)  http://www.cnn.com
---------------------------------------------
France Reports New Mad Cow Case, Herd Destroyed
Reuters
16-MAR-98

PARIS, March 16 (Reuters) - France on Monday reported a new case of mad cow
disease, the 34th in the country since 1990.

The animal, part of a herd in the Haute-Loire area in central France,
originated from a herd in the Haute-Saone region in eastern France, the
Farm Ministry said in a statement.

It was moved in October 1996 from the Haute-Saone herd, which was
slaughtered over the weekend.

The Haute-Loire herd was spared. The animal was born in September 1993,
after a 1990 ban was imposed on cattle feed containing ground-up animal
parts, .

The European Union imposed a worldwide ban on British beef exports in March
1996 after Britain acknowledged a possible link between mad cow disease, or
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and a deadly new variant of the
human brain-wasting disorder Creutzfeltd-Jakob disease.
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 21:25:34 -0500
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: EU Eases 'Mad Cow' Ban on Brit Beef
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from Associated Press http://wire.ap.org
------------------------------------------
MARCH 16, 17:17 EST

EU Eases 'Mad Cow' Ban on Brit Beef

By RAF CASERT
Associated Press Writer

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European Union farm ministers eased the
2-year-old ban on British beef exports Monday, allowing the sale of beef
from Northern Ireland certified to be free of mad cow disease.

The EU nations were still split on ending the ban on all British beef, but
11 of the 15 ministers supported a partial lifting.

Germany and Belgium voted against the proposal, EU officials said, while
Spain and Luxembourg abstained at the ministers' monthly meeting.

The actual lifting of the ban could become effective within several weeks,
after an EU inspection team ensures that controls are in place in Northern
Ireland.

A complete end to the British ban is still far off, EU officials said.
Northern Ireland is a special case since it is the only area in Britain
where computerized herd-monitoring to track the disease is in place.

The EU banned all British beef exports in 1996, fearing a possible link
between the deadly mad cow disease, or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy,
and the equally deadly human brain ailment Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

Britain has had 160,000 cases of mad cow disease over the past decade,
compared to less than 1,000 known cases in continental Europe.

On Monday, French authorities said they destroyed a herd of 216 cattle
last weekend after detecting a new case of mad cow disease, the 34th case
in France and already the third case this year. In Belgium a second case
was discovered last week.

Since the ban, Britain says it has tightened food-safety rules on beef and
has lobbied to have the restrictions eased. British Farm Minister Jack
Cunningham said Prime Minister Tony Blair had contacted other EU leaders
before Monday's vote.

``We spent a lot of time in negotiations,'' he said.

In 1995, sales from Northern Ireland reached $275 million, accounting for
28 percent of all British beef exports of 277,000 tons. Britain's beef
market was worth some $1 billion a year before the ban.
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 21:30:31 -0500
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Pie Thrower Vs. P&G Forfeits Bail
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from Associated Press http://wire.ap.org
------------------------------------------
MARCH 16, 16:11 EST

Pie Thrower Vs. P&G Forfeits Bail

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The animal rights activist who hit Procter &
Gamble's chairman in the face with a tofu cream pie last month forfeited
bail Monday.

That closes the case against Melynda Duval, 32, who was charged with
disrupting a lawful meeting after she pushed a piece in the face of P&G
chairman and chief executive John Pepper.

The incident happened at a governor's banquet Feb. 13 as Pepper approached
the stage to accept an award.

On Monday, Ms. Duval agreed to resolve the case by forfeiting the $500
bail posted to get her released from jail. That means she was neither
acquitted nor convicted of the charge, and that the case will not be
prosecuted, said Ted Barrows, a first assistant city prosecutor.

She could have faced a 30-day jail sentence and a $250 fine.

Barrows said he proposed the forfeiture because Pepper had said he did not
want to pursue charges. P&G did not return a call seeking comment.

Ms. Duval, of Norfolk, Va., was accompanied by a person dressed in a
rabbit costume who appeared outside the Franklin County Municipal
courtroom where she appeared Monday.

``I wanted to have my day in court to bring attention to Procter &
Gamble's cruel treatment of animals,'' Ms. Duval said. ``I was very
satisfied with the message that has come across.''

After the pie throw, Michael McGraw, a spokesman for PETA in Norfolk, Va.,
had said the reason for the attack was the Cincinnati-based company's
continued use of live animals in laboratory product testing.

Procter & Gamble, with sales of more than $35 billion in 1996, sells more
than 300 brands in more than 14 countries. Brands include Tide, Crest,
Pantene Pro-V, Always, Pringles, Pampers, Oil of Olay and Vicks.

On Feb. 4, pranksters in Brussels, Belgium, hit Microsoft Corp. chairman
Bill Gates with three pies.

Last November, Oscar de la Renta was smacked in the face with a tofu cream
pie during an autograph-signing session at a shopping mall in suburban
Portland, Ore. PETA also claimed responsibility in that incident,
protesting the fashion designer's use of fur.
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 21:36:32 -0500
From: allen schubert <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: (US) Vitamin A Linked to Deformed Frogs
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from Associated Press web page http://wire.ap.org
----------------------------------------
MARCH 16, 18:23 EST

Vitamin A Linked to Deformed Frogs

By DOUG GLASS
Associated Press Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Vitamin A compounds in lake water may be at least
partly responsible for frog deformities being found in Minnesota and more
than two dozen other states, researchers said Monday.

The lead researcher, David Gardiner of the University of California at
Irvine, said he suspected retinoids from the moment the Environmental
Protection Agency asked him to look at pictures of deformed frogs about a
year ago.

Retinoids are vitamin A compounds and include retinoic acid, a hormone
that regulates several key aspects of development in vertebrates. Excess
amounts of retinoic acid produce birth defects in humans.

The frogs Gardiner's team studied had one or more leg segments that,
instead of being straight, folded nearly in half to produce a
``triangulated'' appearance. The deformities also included fewer fingers
and one bone instead of two in the forearm.

Finding the cause of the deformities is important because scientists
believe amphibians may be an early barometer of environmental problems.

Gardiner, a limb development and regeneration specialist, and Bruce
Blumberg of the Salk Institute of La Jolla, Calif., found evidence of
retinoids in water samples from a Minnesota lake that produced many
deformed frogs.

The substance may have come from a pesticide or pesticide derivative, or
may even be a natural compound produced by an organism in the lake,
Blumberg said.

The deformities were consistent with those seen in chickens, mice and
other vertebrates exposed to retinoic acid in experiments, they said.

``The reality is it had been there in the literature,'' Gardiner said.
``This is what it looks like when you treat developing vertebrate limbs
with retinoic acid; frogs, chickens, whatever.''

Though confident of the findings, Gardiner said they were only a starting
point. Other factors may contribute to the deformities, he said.

Gardiner and Blumberg will report the new evidence Saturday at a
conference in Milwaukee.

Scientists around the country have been trying to unravel the mystery of
deformed frogs. Chemicals or parasites were thought to be the culprits
elsewhere.

Researchers at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said they knew from
the beginning that retinoids might be a cause of the deformities. But they
cautioned against making too much of the findings.

``It's definitely one possibility but we need to keep our minds open to
several other classes of chemicals,'' said Judy Helgen, one of the
agency's scientists. ``It would be a mistake on our part to stop looking
at all the other possible causes.''

Deformed frogs were noticed first by schoolchildren in 1995 as they
studied a farm pond near Henderson, about 55 miles southwest of
Minneapolis. They found about 200 frogs with multiple, missing or twisted
legs. A few others had abnormal eyes.

Since the schoolchildren's discovery, frog deformities have been seen in
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi,
Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North
Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont,
Washington, West Virginia, Virginia and Wisconsin and in the Canadian
provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 19:14:44 -0800 (PST)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: 2ND UCD TRIAL TO START (US)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 1998





2nd Trial of UC Davis Protestors Set
Tuesday Following Dismissals in 1st

     WOODLAND, CA û Nine animal rights supporters are scheduled to go on trial
Tuesday, in Yolo County Municipal/Superior Court/Dept. 7 at 9:30 a.m. for
participating in a demonstration at the University of California, Davis
primate center in April, 1997.

     It is the second of five trials scheduled in Woodland û at a cost of an
estimated $100,000 to taxpayers û to prosecute 29 demonstrators who believe
animals shouldn't be killed in research.

     Activists û at a 9 a.m. news briefing Tuesday û are expected to charge
their civil rights have been denied by the University, and the Yolo County
District Attorrney's office, which has filed multiple charges û including
felonies for simple trespassing û against 29 people.

     Yolo County Judge Thomas Warriner last week agreed the charges are
excessive against the activists, finding the University made a mistake in
arresting, and the County had no basis for trying the activists for holding
a news conference the day following the April 20, 1997 demonstration. He
dismissed those charges without trial.

     Activists plan to make similar motions to dismiss in this trial, claiming
charges of "riot, unlawful assembly, failure to disperse"and "trespassing"
are completely unfounded and part of a "pattern" of harassment by UC Davis,
and the Yolo County District Attorney's Office.

     Activists claim the police beat them with clubs the day of the protest,
orchestrated break-ins into their homes and now are using malicious
prosecution to deny activists their constitutional rights.
-30-
Contact: For more information, contact Cres Vellucci [phone]




________________________
Legal Aide Offices Of
Activist Civil Liberties Committee
PO Box 19515
 Sacramento, CA 95819
Telephone: [phone]
 Fax: [phone]

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 22:22:01 -0500
From: Vegetarian Resource Center <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Pie Thrower Vs. P&G Forfeits Bail
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Pie Thrower Vs. P&G Forfeits Bail
.c The Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The animal rights activist who hit Procter & Gamble's
chairman in the face with a tofu cream pie last month forfeited bail Monday.

That closes the case against Melynda Duval, 32, who was charged with
disrupting a lawful meeting after she pushed a piece in the face of P&G
chairman and chief executive John Pepper.

The incident happened at a governor's banquet Feb. 13 as Pepper approached the
stage to accept an award.

On Monday, Ms. Duval agreed to resolve the case by forfeiting the $500 bail
posted to get her released from jail. That means she was neither acquitted nor
convicted of the charge, and that the case will not be prosecuted, said Ted
Barrows, a first assistant city prosecutor.

She could have faced a 30-day jail sentence and a $250 fine.

Barrows said he proposed the forfeiture because Pepper had said he did not
want to pursue charges. P&G did not return a call seeking comment.

Ms. Duval, of Norfolk, Va., was accompanied by a person dressed in a rabbit
costume who appeared outside the Franklin County Municipal courtroom where she
appeared Monday.

``I wanted to have my day in court to bring attention to Procter & Gamble's
cruel treatment of animals,'' Ms. Duval said. ``I was very satisfied with the
message that has come across.''

After the pie throw, Michael McGraw, a spokesman for PETA in Norfolk, Va., had
said the reason for the attack was the Cincinnati-based company's continued
use of live animals in laboratory product testing.

Procter & Gamble, with sales of more than $35 billion in 1996, sells more than
300 brands in more than 14 countries. Brands include Tide, Crest, Pantene Pro-
V, Always, Pringles, Pampers, Oil of Olay and Vicks.

On Feb. 4, pranksters in Brussels, Belgium, hit Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill
Gates with three pies.

Last November, Oscar de la Renta was smacked in the face with a tofu cream pie
during an autograph-signing session at a shopping mall in suburban Portland,
Ore. PETA also claimed responsibility in that incident, protesting the fashion
designer's use of fur.

AP-NY-03-16-98 1620EST

Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 19:46:17 -0800
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Oregon Coyote Bounty- letters/faxes needed
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

Please contact the Douglas County Commissioners with your comments:
Joyce Morgan (chair),
Dougá Robertson, (both supposedly ranchers)
and Mike Winters
phone # [phone]
fax #[phone]
----------------------------------
Oregonian- March 16th, 1989
Group tries to obtain protection for coyotes.
The Eugene-based Predator Defense Institute seeks regulation now because of a
new Douglas County bounty program.
By GORDON GREGORY
A Eugene-based Environmental group that helped ban the use of dogs to hunt
cougars and bears has set its sights on changing the legal status of the
coyote
from pest to protected game animal.
Annually, thousands of coyotes are trapped, poisoned and shot in Oregon by
federal and local agents, sport hunters and ranchers trying to protect their
livestock.á There is no season and no limitation on the number of coyotes that
can be taken.
Brooks Fahy, executive director of the Predator Defense Institute, long has
opposed the indiscriminate killing of predators, and his organization has
challenged in court coyote control programs at two wildlife refuges.
But the group, which was involved in the successful 1994 initiative banning
dogs from cougar and bear hunting, was prompted to try to bring broad
regulatory protection to the coyote now because the Douglas County Commission
recently authorized a $100-a-head bounty on the animal, he said.
"This is a glaring example that anybody and any organization can put a
price on
the head of the coyote and not have to answer to anyone," Fahy said.
He predicted that at $100 an animal, people of all skill levels will try to
bag
coyotes.á He said it also is inevitable that coyotes killed elsewhere in the
state will be brought to Douglas County officials for the $100 bounty.
"It's a barbaric practice," he said, adding that research shows such. efforts
do not reduce coyote predation on livestock or wildlife.
To former sheep rancher Bob Hall of the Roseburg area, protecting predators,
particularly coyotes, is a frightening idea.
Hall strongly supports the bounty plan, even if some of the money goes to pay
for coyotes killed outside Douglas County.
Hall, who used to manage the Douglas County predator control program and whose
son is still in the sheep business, said killing coyotes is good for the
livestock industry.
"As far as I'm concerned, there's not a good coyote," he said.
Dave Williams, director of the federal Wildlife Services state office in
Portland, said livestock producers need protection from predators, and
carefully targeted removal programs have been shown to be effective in
limiting
livestock losses to predation.
His agents killed 6,593 coyotes in 22
Oregon counties in fiscal 1997.That year, he said, coyotes cost the state's
sheep industry more than $235,000.
But he also said blanket coyote kill programs, such as Douglas County's
bounty,
are wasteful mistakes.á He said they've been tried all
over the country for many decades and have been pro en to be nearly worthless
at reducing livestock losses.
Fahy said studies have found that attempts to reduce coyote numbers by
indiscriminate killing are quickly countered by an increase in the
reproductive
rates of the remaining females. in populations where adults are killed,
litters
tend to be larger and more pups survive infancy, creating an additional need
for food.
Federal government studies indicate that in sheep ranching country, one of
coyotes' major motivations for killing lambs is to provide food to their pups.


Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 23:17:29 EST
From: CFOXAPI <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
        [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: OHIO WILDLIFE ACTION ALERT
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit



                       ANIMAL PROTECTION INSTITUTE

                                  ***ACTION ALERT***

               WILD ANIMALS OF OHIO NEED YOUR HELP!

The Ohio Department of Natural Resource's Division of Wildlife is proposing
new regulations for Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (NWCOs) in Ohio that
will expand the use of body-gripping traps in residential areas and perpetuate
the inhumane treatment of wild animals deemed a "nuisance." We need your help
to convince the Ohio Department of Natural Resource's Division of Wildlife and
Governor George Voinovich to reject these proposed regulations before the Ohio
Wildlife Council votes on the issue on April 8th.  Letters are needed to the
following public officials:

  Governor George Voinovich        Chief Mike Budzik, Division of Wildlife
     Riffer Tower            Ohio Department of Natural Resources

      Columbus, OH  432151840 Belcher Drive 43224

    Phone [phone] Phone [phone]
       Fax [phone]       Fax [phone]

What's Wrong with the Proposed Regulations:

    *The proposed regulations would permit the use of large body-gripping traps
(Conibear traps, size 220) inside buildings "without restrictions." Capable of
killing full-grown dogs and cats, the Conibear trap also poses a threat to
non-target wildlife and children. As New York and other states consider
restricting the use of Conibear traps because of increased incidents of
companion animals dying in such indiscriminate devices, it is ethically
unconscionable and scientifically dubious that another state would consider
expanding its use.

    *The proposed regulations will allow Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators to
sell the pelts from captured animals during fur season. This regulation
encourages NWCO to practice lethal methods in place of non-lethal control
methods and will undoubtedly lead to more wildlife being killed for profit and
additional non-target animals being killed indiscriminately.

    *The proposed regulations would allow the use of snares for nuisance control
activities. Like Conibear traps, snares are indiscriminate, inherently cruel
and pose a serious hazard to companion animals and non-target wildlife,
including threatened and endangered species. Snares kill by strangulation and
can take hours, if not days to kill their victims.

    *A large percentage of conflicts between humans and wildlife can be
eliminated through improved public education. This will save homeowners huge
amounts of money and will prevent problems from reoccurring. NWCOs should be
encouraged to use non-lethal methods and to teach homeowner prevention methods
as opposed to encouraging the killing of wildlife.

**If you live in Ohio, there will be a public hearing on this issue on
Thursday, March 19 at 9:00am at the Wildlife District One office of the
Division of Wildlife, located at 1500 Dublin Road, Columbus. We need a strong
showing of support for the wildlife of Ohio at this meeting.**

For more information, please contact Camilla Fox at API at 916-731-5521 or
email to [e-mail]. Or contact the HSUS Great Lakes Regional office at
[phone].

Posted by:
Animal Protection Institute
P.O. Box 22505
Sacramento, CA  95822
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Email= [e-mail]
Web= www.api4animals.org

</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/msgs2.htm#247" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/cgi-bin/show_support.pl?id=t889237296&sec=arrs&url=http%3a//www.go-organic.com/greenmarket/gorilla/" target=_top><img src="../../SUPPORT/BANNERS/CROSS-~1/MICHAE~1.GIF" tppabs="http://www.envirolink.org/support/banners/cross-promotion/michael_wide.gif" border=1 alt="Gorilla Foundation"></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>