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

May 2024 – August 2024

EUROPE

UNITED KINGDOM

The RSPCA Accreditation scheme for farms is arousing much concern, due to appalling revelations from several farms described in the previous report. There is a petition asking them to stop it and adopt a Plant-Based policy. Barbara signed an open letter for AIA to this effect – amongst other organisations.

We wrote again to Newcastle Planning Department about the Havannah Reserve – they plan to fell trees and create a lighted path which will affect bats and other nocturnal creatures, as well as the red squirrels – the only red squirrels in an urban setting in this country. We have no report as yet of the outcome of the Council debate.

We wrote again to the Licensing Department about Cumbria Zoo/ South Lakes. The Council met and is allowing the zoo to carry on with some extra requirements. The officer at Licensing sent a very detailed text which we feel we do not have the expertise to understand in depth, so we judge it best left to the experts – Born Free and Freedom for Animals are both working on this.

The new Minister of Defence John Healey is said to be anti-hunt – we asked him not to allow ‘trail’ hunting on MOD land.

We wrote to the Badger Trust offering our help and support on their new campaign to get wildlife crime officially notifiable, and the Director will let us know more as and when.

IRELAND

Live exports from Ireland to the EU – we wrote to the Minister of Agriculture about this. His reply maintained that animal welfare was important to them and that in this sphere their protocol exceeded EU requirements.

FRANCE

At Wambrechies farm in Lille, two sheep were left at the mercy of ill treatment after much recidivism on the part of the owners. Nothing had been done by the authorities since a report to the Lille legal authorities in December 2021. This contrasted with action in December 2020, when four cows had been swiftly removed for the same reason. We asked them to take prompt action.

SPAIN

We made an official submission to the authorities to exclude Great Apes from vivisection and other exploitation adversely affecting their dignity. This appeal laid much stress on the fact that their natures, awareness and abilities are scientifically shown to be so similar to those of humankind.

(We recognise that this is an argument which does not really conform to our reasons for opposing vivisection.)

Bullfighting was due to be resumed in Marbella for the San Bernabe Feria after 9 years of freedom from the cruelty. We wrote to the Mayor to ask her not to repeat this another year. It would definitely go ahead this time as three bull breeding companies were contracted to supply animals and the event was much promoted.

AIA – and QCA previously – have been members of the Red Internacional Antitauromaquia (International Anti-Bullfighting Network) though we cannot take an active part. The Directors are reviewing and re-organising their membership procedures. Though we are thankfully not a bullfighting country we have contacts, individuals and organisations, in France, Spain, Mexico and Colombia by whom we are kept informed about developments and concerns in their countries. We explained what we can do and assured them of our strong support for a ban on all aspects of tauromaquia, and have been accepted by the RIA.

SOUTH AFRICA

We asked the Minister not to re-open the trade in rhino horn. SA is fortunate to have most of the world rhino populations.

NEPAL

A good friend of AIA who runs a rescue in Nepal asked us to write to the owners of Chitwan Park where tigers, leopards and other animals kept in cages were not being released when rehabilitated.

We contacted the officers of Chitwan National Park, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation – and the Communications Officer at WWF Nepal. Three tigers have died in Parsa because of the appalling conditions in which they were kept. New enclosures are cramped, of concrete and metal with no natural material, or places for the tigers to find privacy.

It appears that Nepal has several Zoos and ‘Wildlife Rescue Centers’ where animals are kept in miserable conditions for perceived entertainment with total disregard for their physical and psychological wellbeing. Viz: a juvenile leopard was being kept in a 12 sq. foot metal cage right by the zoo entrance and with no separation from people for over 5 months. Several other animals – birds, monkeys, jungle cats, civets, deer – who were ‘rescued’ were being kept in small metal cages without access to drinking water, adequate food or any positive stimuli, even though they had recovered and were fit to be released back in the wild.

Chitwan is promoted by Nepal Tourism Board and implemented by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Nepal – and even more deplorable – and inexplicable – with financial support from WWF Nepal.

CANADA

We thanked the government for their recent decision to cancel all uses of strychnine to kill wolves and coyotes. IFAW has been campaigning for this since 2017. However, the government has recommended that the continued use of Compound 1080 be approved. Compound 1080 is also a deadly poison that causes extreme suffering to wildlife and is condemned by eminent bodies such as the Canadian Council on Animal Care, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association. (We remember that it is widely used in New Zealand-Aotearoa.)

UNITED STATES

Once again, we wrote to the authorities in Hawai’i about the capture of reef fishes to supply aquaria overseas. It is not only undesirable because of the cruelty to fishes – the vast majority of whom do not survive very long – but these depredations affect the biodiversity of reefs and corals. Mano, sharks, are protected, but they need the fishes to feed upon.

Elephants Mari and Vaigai in Honolulu Zoo. Mari is 48 years old and has been held at the zoo since 1982. Vaigai is 38 years old and has been held captive since 1992. The zoo was cited for failings in a 2016 report from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), revealing that the exhibit lacked adequate shade to keep the elephants out of direct sunlight, that it had rocks that posed danger to the elephants’ feet, and that the elephants’ water supply wasn’t properly tested. The exhibit lacks proper enrichment, too. Both elephants have been observed engaging in behaviour indicative of trauma and chronic stress, including rocking and swaying. The zoo appears to have ignored suffering for a long time. We wrote to the Executive Director.

Wolves– we wrote to Minister Deb Haaland to include all species on the Endangered list. As we know, they are routinely slaughtered, by many horrible methods, especially in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

PETA had offered funds to treat a skeletal horse in Hidalgo, Texas. We asked the Sheriff to intervene and seize/charge the owner if appropriate.

Elephants Patty and Happy in Bronx Zoo. Everyone is concerned about this long term issue. Now there are more worries. The NonHuman Rights Project reports: “As local media in New York have been steadily reporting, our elephant client Happy has disappeared from view at the Bronx Zoo. It’s now been over a month since she’s been seen outside, and the Bronx Zoo and the Wildlife Conservation Society, which manages the zoo, continue to claim that nothing’s wrong. Meanwhile, eyewitnesses have now begun to observe Patty becoming more distressed by the noisy monorail that takes visitors past the exhibit–rumbling and charging as it drives by…”

We asked Director Jim Breheny (again) for full transparency about what’s happening as well as for Happy and Patty’s immediate release to an elephant sanctuary.

Please see: www.nonhumanrightsproject.org

AUSTRALIA

We tackled another chronic issue again – shark nets in New South Wales. We wrote to NSW Premier Minns again – and Ministers Sharpe and Moriarty. He is insistent on their use, even though he knows and mentions (!) that no other Australian state uses them, nor does Hawai’i, Florida, nor other surfing regions. These archaic nets – which catch all marine life, as well as sharks – should be abandoned and modern techniques to keep bathers safe should be used.

Wholesale killing of dingoes in New South Wales – we joined an appeal for a parliamentary enquiry. There is no protection at all for this precious native species, nor any regulation covering the keeping, breeding and trading of dingoes in New South Wales unless they are under an exhibitor’s licence. This is leading to a welfare crisis for dingoes in New South Wales, with many ending up in the care of volunteer rescue organisations every year. (But please see below for an update).

Finally, another repeated complaint to Federal Minister Tanya Plibersek. The sacred spring at Doongmabulla is being contaminated by Adani Carmichael mining. We asked her to apply adjunct for more environmental investigation. We send our compliments to the Traditional Owners, who continue to stay on country and maintain their rites and obligations. They are much better custodians of their land than a mining company.

*UPDATES:

Humane Society International reported good news about dingoes in Victoria in July ’24.

AIA had written to the Victorian Ministers in 2022 and 2023, asking them to cease killing this native species – many thousands of dingoes suffer prolonged deaths every year, in traps, or poisoned under the guise that dingoes are impacting agriculture. Dingoes seem to be targeted for crimes for which they are not responsible. The Australian sheep industry’s own research had shown that 80% of sheep and lamb deaths were a result of established and defective farm management practices, whilst predation by all animals, including dingoes, accounted for fewer than 7% of sheep losses.

Humane Society Australia now reports: “On 14 March the Victorian Government announced they would end the dingo “unprotection order” in the north-west of Victoria which is home to the state’s most vulnerable dingo population. This means these precious animals can no longer be shot, trapped or poisoned on private land. Dingoes are an important apex predator in the landscape and are of high conservation value. Data shows that the dingo population in the north-west is at risk of extinction, with as few as 40 dingoes left…

… The Victorian Government has also ceased their cruel bounty scheme which paid $120 for every dead dingo. Plus, the government has committed to fund the adoption of non-lethal methods to help farmers protect their animals from dingoes. Now landholders in this region will need to apply for a permit if they wish to kill dingoes and they will not be rewarded for it“.

Mexico Sin Toreo – Bullfight-Free Mexico

After many years of struggle, bullfighting was banned in Colombia and the road to success was the Colombia Sin Toreo coalition, an alliance of several organizations.

Now it’s the turn of Mexico: the Mexico Sin Toreo movement has been formed, with forty-nine organizations from all over Mexico joining a coalition to bring about the abolition of bullfighting there.

And: More good news from Mexico: On July 18 in the state of Colima an Animal Equality initiative has passed unanimously in Congress. With the support of important decision-makers, this law will affect nearly 9 million cows, pigs, and chickens. Colima is now the second state in Mexico to include sweeping protections for farmed animals. For the first time, farmed animals will have:

Access to sufficient food and water. Safe housing with stimulation. Appropriate periods of light and darkness. Health considerations during breeding. Veterinary supervision during painful procedures.

The first Mexican state to protect farmed animals was Hidalgo in June 2022. The Congress of the State of Hidalgo unanimously approved an initiative to modify the Law for the Protection and Dignified Treatment of Animals and the Criminal Code. The reforms classified several acts of cruelty to animals as felony crimes and established prison sentences of up to 4 years for those who commit them. Nearly 50 million pigs, cows, chickens, hens, lambs, and other animals raised for food yearly in the state have been protected by these reforms.

For more victories worldwide achieved by Igualdad Animal/Animal Equality, please see:

Victories

Hawai’i

Aloha! From the Hawaiian Humane Society, with whom we work regularly submitting official testimony to the Hawaiian legislature. They report: “On July 8, Act 221 was signed into law closing loopholes in our veterinary medicine and animal cruelty statutes that allowed non-veterinarians to perform certain painful surgical procedures on pet animals. This has been a longtime goal of the Hawaiian Humane Society…

Also on July 8, Gov. Josh Green signed Act 224 increasing penalties and requirements for owners keeping dogs deemed dangerous. This bill protects public safety while also reducing the suffering caused by prolonged impoundment and preventing dogs from being punished unfairly…

On July 5, Gov. Green signed Act 208 expanding the authority of the Department of Law Enforcement and giving it additional tools to build on the great work it has done in the past year to interdict illegal fireworks before they reach our neighborhoods.”