Letter Writing Campaigns

_{Marian Hussenbux – International Campaigns Secretary}

In addition to AIA’s proactive advocacy work, outlined in its five year strategy 2022-2026, we also react to current situations of animal cruelty .

AIA’s International Campaigns Secretary, Marian Hussenbux is responsible for AIA’s global animal advocacy work. This involves writing to people of influence about animal suffering and cruelty around the world, often in support of campaigns run by other organisations.

AIA’S CAMPAIGNING ACTIVITY

March 2024 – May 2024

EUROPE

United Kingdom:

We made an official response to the flawed government Badger killing consultation, thanks to very detailed help from the Badger Trust. Mark Avery’s survey showed how little people understood this consultation. UPDATE on April 19 – the consultation period was extended by 3 weeks.

Badgers again: we urged Steve Reed, Shadow Minister of Agriculture, to fulfil Labour’s pledge to end the killing if they take office – this via a Protect the Wild letter.

We wrote to the RSPCA after Gressingham free range egg producers’ appalling cruelty to ducks at three facilities they accredit was exposed. Our letter went to the new RSPCA- Accredited CE Toby Baker, to Chris Sherwood, CEO and to Caroline Allen, Chief Vet.

We received a prompt full reply from Toby Baker. The RSPCA does not accredit any duck facilities, as none of them provide water for bathing. They accredit these facilities for other birds, but the people involved in the cruelty to ducks are not to be employed in the RSPCA-Accredited facility. I think we would not consider this to be desirable.

Three more recent exposés in chicken facilities revealed other cruel practices. Toby Baker replied that all were suspended immediately, after which one was restored to accreditation as they had fully complied with RSPCA requirements. The second had no birds on site and the third was still being investigated. All RSPCA-Accredited facilities are subject to unannounced visits at least twice yearly.

The handling of birds on the farms to transfer them to slaughter was appalling.

We asked about CCTV generally. This is not currently mandatory for catching teams or on farm premises. But the RSPCA said: “However, this is something we are acutely aware of and are currently discussing how we can influence or change this.

“We understand the important role CCTV plays in farmed animal welfare, for example the RSPCA mandated the installation of CCTV in abattoirs under its farm animal welfare standards in 2011, and it was subsequently implemented across all RSPCA Assured certified abattoirs.”

We contacted DEFRA on the labelling of products. Misleading terms and images of the idyllic countryside may imply higher-welfare standards, whilst masking an ugly reality of intensive, indoor factory farming. The lack of mandatory method of production labelling makes it very difficult for consumers to choose products which match their values and expectations. Mandatory method of production labelling would ensure higher-welfare farmers have their better farming standards officially recognised.

We wrote again to the Co-op, to CEO Debbie White, on the vexed subject of fast growth chickens. An open letter + 67 pages of signatories against their sourcing of these birds was not accepted at Co-op headquarters. A reply informed us that chickens were to be kindly given 20% more space – Space to Thrive. This is derisory.

Licensing of South Lakes Safari Zoo/Cumbria Safari Zoo – there have been many complaints over years about this place. Concerns involve animal injury, illness and death; overcrowding; negligent animal welfare practices; poor infrastructure; and inadequate veterinary care – affecting Andean bears, lemurs, sloths, kangaroos, rhinos, zebras.

We asked the Council for details of their licensing procedure, with copy to Freedom for Animals who are working on this.

Their reply said: “Zoo licences run initially for 4 years then are renewed for 6 years. Inspections are carried out before the initial grant and before renewal. In addition, there are annual informal inspections and ‘mid term’ periodical inspections.

“For information, South Lakes Safari Zoo is due to receive its periodical inspection shortly and this will involve inspectors appointed by DEFRA. An inspection report will be published along with committee reports following this and I will send you a link to them, when available.”

We have not yet received this, so need to follow it up.

We also made an official objection to Cheshire East Planning about the re-presented zoo application at The Orchards Farm, Holmes Chapel.

Dartmoor Hill Ponies – we asked the Secretary of State not to leave to Natural England – who wish to clear the moors of the ponies, of whom only 1000 remain – the control of how to manage them.

We asked Chepstow Fair not to invite local hunts to parade, as such an activity should not be promoted, especially to the young.

Scotland :

There has been much activity over the past few months. New legislation will bring in a licensing scheme for grouse shooting, a licensing scheme for muirburn, a licensing scheme for wildlife traps, a ban on all snares, and increased investigatory powers for the Scottish SPCA. We wrote to Minister Jim Fairlie to thank him for standing up for the animals and their precious habitats.

Medicated grit for grouse–Jim Fairlie had suggested regulating it. However, we learned that veterinary medications are reserved to the UK government.

Farrowing crates: Via the excellent organisation OneKind, we contacted Jim Fairlie asking for sows to be included in his consultation about cage-free birds, including ‘game’ birds.

The failure to include sows comes despite the Government’s previous Programme for Government commitment to include them.

Ireland:

A badger killer’s criminal record was commuted to probation + fines to be donated to 3 wildlife charities. We wrote to Minister Noonan, a Green politician, to appeal against this paltry sentence.

France:

The Orangerie Zoo in Strasbourg has at last closed, The campaign against it, which we joined, began in 2019.

Spain:

We thanked the Veterinary College of Barcelona for making a statement against the cruelty of Correbous, the traditional Catalan bull street fiestas.

Pescanova Spain – we made an official complaint about the proposed octopus farm. So far, no update on this.

Iceland:

We wrote to the new Minister about whaling – she had spoken up against this cruelty as long ago as 2019.

Nigeria:

There have been appalling ritual-type killings of dogs, cats and other animals in Lagos and Ogun provinces. We wrote to a long list of Presidents, Ministers, and Justice Departments against this cruelty, which appears to be done for financial gain.

Canada:

Good news from Ontario – thanks to the success of Animal Justice, with whom we frequently work, an ag-gag law was struck down.

And the de-clawing of cats was made illegal in Quebec.

On the other side of the coin, we wrote to Ontario party leaders about penned hunting with dogs, asking them not to issue licences – no other province does. We made a special request to the Green Party leader as this politician should know better.

We addressed the Manitoba government officials about lack of veterinary and other care and the over-breeding of dogs in cold and deplorable conditions in First Nation Communities.

Killing of beavers – the city of Calgary is trapping and/or shooting beavers. We wrote to ask them to desist. Beavers have been found apparently drowned, having been trapped under water.

The perennial horror – the seal hunt. We wrote to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Diane Lebouthillier, who, not content with allowing this cruelty to continue, is even actively promoting the exploitation of seal meat as a delicacy. Harp seals are endangered and should be protected, not battered to death.

United States:

Sloth Encounters again– the shop is closed but we do not yet know where the sloths are. The proprietor still has exotic animals under his control so we wrote yet again to USDA to ask for his licence to be rescinded as soon as possible. It is impossible to know why they have not done so, though we have written several times for elucidation.

Seaquarium in Miami. We askedDirector Edoardo Albor again to close down and send the animals to sanctuary. Multiple animal welfare issues have been recorded but remedial action has still not been taken.

We thanked the President of Suffolk College, Long Island, for cancelling a reptile fair. We received a reply to the effect that such fairs would not be welcome if humane/appropriate treatment were not available. Of course, we would prefer a commitment not to host them at all.

In horrific experiments at Madison University Wisconsin, marmosets were kept awake for long periods of time, repeatedly. This, despite the fact that a wealth of published information already exists about the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive decline in humans. Numerous other studies have already examined the effects of sleep deprivation in human volunteers, without the use of monkeys.

We once again asked the Bronx Zoo to release elephants Happy and Patty to sanctuary, having lived almost all their lives in captivity.

Plans to kill black bears in Florida: described in the previous report. Unfortunately, despite many repeated requests by local, national, international campaigners and by AIA,all committees and plenaries have been passed and the vast majority is in favour of luring and killing the bears by any means available, so the final decision lies in the hands of Governor Ron de Santis.

We have written several times, asking him not to sign this appalling Bill into law. We await news.

North Atlantic Right whales – a recent mother whale was found dead in March off the Virginia Beach coast with catastrophic injuries. She is the latest victim of the Administration’s failure to issue new rules to protect these highly endangered animals from being struck by boats and ships. Four other right whales have been killed since December 2023.

We wrote to President Biden to ask him to stop delaying and immediately issue a speed rule to prevent further suffering and death. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed changes to the North Atlantic right whale vessel speed regulations back in 2022.

It appears that NOAA has twice denied emergency petitions to protect right whale mothers and calves in calving grounds off the coasts of Florida to South Carolina.

After 50 million years, the North Atlantic right whale could be the first great whale to become extinct in modern times.

Canada Geese, New Jersey – we appealed to the authorities to stop gassing them near runways. Animal Protection League of New Jersey (APLNJ) contacted the authorities to discuss habitat modification and we asked them to meet their consultant, an award-winning landscape architect. This meeting would be cost-free.

Wolf Theia – you will be aware of the terrible act of cruelty perpetrated in Wyoming by Cody Roberts, who ran down, captured, tortured in a public bar and then shot Theia, a young female.

In common with very many animal advocates in the US and worldwide, we have been signing petitions against this appalling cruelty, which resulted in a paltry $250 fine.

We also wrote to Sublette County Sheriff K.C. Lehr asking him to bring appropriate charges in this case. Cody Roberts is a violent criminal who should be brought to justice. Wyoming is one of the 3 most wolf-hating states of the USA and much of what Roberts did was not illegal – shame on Wyoming.

Honduras:

We asked the police, mayor and Minister of Agriculture to confiscate a beaten dog. This was done.

Australia:

Live exports – the good news is that this long running and appalling trade on which we have reported and campaigned a myriad times will be phased out by 2028.

In March, animals from Australia, en-route for Israel, were caught up in the conflicts in the Red Sea and sent back to Australia. Despite many protests, including from AIA, they were re-exported to Israel.

Australian wild horses in Kosciuszko National Park, NSW:- yet again, they are to be shot from helicopters. We protested to Premier Chris Minns. We have written 6 times on this issue between 2020 and 2023.

Shark nets NSW – we wrote to Minister Penny Sharpe. We have contacted NSW and Queensland authorities at least 5 times about these killings.

The NSW and Queensland Governments are responsible for the longest-running marine cull in history. Via the use of shark nets and baited drumlines, over 100,000 sharks other marine animals have been killed. These archaic and ineffective methods pose a huge risk — not only to endangered shark populations — but also to whales, dolphins, turtles, dugongs, and many other wildlife species.

Camels ill-treated in Northern Territory, exploited for tourists. We wrote via Animal Liberation to all ministers and shadow ministers prior to the April 24 elections, appealing for help for these poor creatures.

Aotearoa-New Zealand:

Their live exports ban was lifted. We appealed to the PM, the Deputy and the Minister of Agriculture to reinstate it. We received a reply saying that animals would only be exported for breeding purposes. This decision will not help those animals, but is better than nothing.

Hector’s Dolphins are being caught in nets – a mother and suckling infant were recently killed. It is known that more than 11 Hector’s dolphins have been killed in Canterbury waters since November last year, but many more will probably have died in these nets. Via a Greenpeace alert, we asked Environment Canterbury to expedite the funding of a coastal plan review.

-Marian Hussenbux. May 24 2024