November 2009 Volume 12
Canada requests WTO consultations; UDAw motion passed; Sealskin portfolios a hit; EU urged to boycott Canadian seafood
In this edition: We have lots of news of the seal campaigns and the dolphin drive and a lot more, plus lots of petitions and letters.
- NEWS
Canada requests WTO consultations on seal hunt ban http://www.boston.com/news/world/canada/articles/2009/11/02/canada_requests_wto_consultations_on_seal_hunt_ban/
OTTAWA --Canada is taking its seal hunt dispute with the European Union to the World Trade Organization.
Trade Minister Stockwell Day said Monday that Ottawa has formally requested WTO consultations on Europe's ban of Canadian seal products, the first stage of the world body's dispute-settlement process.
Day says the regulation, adopted by 27 European countries earlier this year, is a violation of the EU's trade obligations. The ban is to come into force next August.
Animal rights groups have protested the annual hunt, saying it is cruel, poorly monitored and provides little economic benefit. Seal hunters and Canadian authorities say it is sustainable, humane and provides income for villagers in isolated northern indigenous Inuit communities.
House of Commons pass animal welfare motion for a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW)
Incredible news! The House of Commons passed the motion for a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW) yesterday, and it passed with unanimous all-party support!
This fantastic information has been confirmed by the WSPA who launched this campaign.
Seal folders
Quebec MP's sealskin portfolio a hit
Tuesday, November 3, 2009, CBC News
A sealskin-covered folder given to a Quebec MP by Iqaluit Mayor Elisapee Sheutiapik has made national headlines and even moved other politicians to ask where they can get their own. Sheutiapik gave the portfolio to Quebec Conservative MP Steven Blaney a couple of years ago while she was attending a political event in Quebec City.
The folder resurfaced Sept. 16 when anti-sealing protesters interrupted question period at the House of Commons. At that point, Blaney stood up in the Commons and held up the folder as a show of support for the Canadian seal hunt.
The Levis-Bellechasse MP's gesture garnered applause and prompted a rare display of solidarity from the opposition benches. Some MPs then asked him where they could get a similar accessory.
"All the House ... stood for this, I would say, principle of democracy, and also for the principle of defending the seal industry," Blaney told CBC News. "Since then, I received many calls and requests to get those great portfolios." Blaney, who said he proudly carries his sealskin folder every day and recently wrote to Sheutiapik to ask how other members can get their own folder.
"When there's a high-profile visit or meeting, we usually give them these sealskin portfolios as a 'thank you' and we also realize that these are gifts that are not going to be forgotten. And here's a prime example," Sheutiapik said.
Blaney said some MP's have suggested presenting seal skin folders as gifts whenever a European Parliamentarian comes to Ottawa (Check note below)
The European Union banned the import of seal products from Canada and other sealing countries earlier this year. The ban exempts seal items derived from traditional Inuit hunts, but sealers in Nunavut have expressed concern that it would still hurt their livelihoods.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2009/11/03/seal-folder.html
**EU Parliamentarians and other politicians have been already warned about this ï
Senator Mac Harb in BC
Senator Mac Harb honoured us again with his presence on November 1st in New Westminster and on November 2nd in Victoria BC.
Sheryl Fink of IFAW and the Senator spoke about the seal hunt and the need to get more Canadians to sign the petition supporting the Mac Harb's bill to end the seal hunt in Canada.
This event was organized by IFAW.
Thank you to all of you who came to the event in New West.
Taiji, Japan
Latest news: A reliable source in Taiji reports 10 pilot whales and another species have been rounded up on Oct. 28, Japan time. The source also reports that booby traps have been set up on the hill from which the cove can be filmed.
Taiji dolphin and small whale hunt update
Your support has kept the dolphin-killers in check so far. Two months into the dolphin-killing season, the "non-slaughter" policy on the primary dolphin species remains in place.
Shocking new evidence has just been reported by a credible Japanese journalist on the dangerously high mercury levels in residents of Taiji as a direct result of their consumption of poison dolphin and whale meat.
The first public showing of The Cove in Japan was a huge success, stunning Japanese citizens who have had no idea the dolphin slaughter was taking place. Take a look at some of the quotes from viewers, as reported in the New York Times: "I was outraged. The footage of the sea turning bloody red was especially shocking," said Yukiko Ishizawa, 18, a college student in Tokyo. "I'm never going to eat dolphin again now that I know about the pollution," said Mutsuko Otake, 55, a Tokyo homemaker. "But I was most shocked to find out that Japan has been getting a bad name, without us knowing about it," she added.
I need to get back to Japan as quickly as possible, and we need to mobilize the entire Save Japan Dolphins Team to help. We need to spread the word about the Japanese-language version of The Cove. We need to keep the pressure on to end the killing, and press the new Japanese Minister of Consumer Affairs and Food Safety to immediately prohibit sale of poisonous dolphin meat. This is not going to be cheap or easy, but we must do it.
I hope you will give as generously as possible to keep this remarkable progress moving forward. Donate to: www.EII.ORG/SAVEJAPANDOLPHINS/HELP We have to act quickly. While the Taiji fishermen have not slaughtered any small dolphins for meat this season, THEY HAVE CONTINUED TO KILL PILOT WHALES AND OCCASIONALLY OTHER SPECIES. These species have even more mercury than the smaller dolphins. And of course, as I have been telling the media, pilot whales ARE dolphins.
We must also get copies of the Japanese version of The Cove to government contacts, leaders of grassroots environmental and food safety groups, and the Japanese media. When enough people in Japan see this movie, the pressure to end the killing will be overwhelming. For every donation of $100 or more, your name will be printed on a beautiful new nobori banner, which says "Save Japan's Dolphins" in Japanese. I plan on flying this banner wherever I go in Japan on this trip so the Japanese can see that your worldwide support travels with me.
I promise to keep you posted on key developments as I return to Japan, and thank you in advance for your continued commitment and contributions. We need to keep the pressure on and get the truth out to stop the killing!
Thank you,
Ric O'Barry
Seal hunt opponents urge EU to boycott Canadian seafood Group's latest move could impact fishing industry, analyst says By Peter O'Neil, Canwest news service
Canada's fishing industry may be more vulnerable than the federal government realizes to the animal-rights movement's latest bid to end the sealing industry, an analyst says.
An anti-sealing group, not satisfied with its successful campaign for a ban on seal products being imported into Europe, on Friday announced a new plan to urge European restaurants to boycott all Canadian seafood.
The Canadian government responded by saying the group launching the boycott failed in a similar effort in the United States.
But industry analyst John Sackton said Europeans are more likely than Americans to buy into the anti-sealers' campaign. "The problem is that Europe is a much more fertile ground for such campaigns than is the U.S.," wrote Sackton, president of Lexington, Massachusetts-based Seafood.com, in response to the boycott announcement.
He cited a "fringe of high-end consumers that will spend lavishly on a lifestyle that is environmentally destructive, yet at the same time passionately boycott Canadian products because they don't want to hurt seals." Humane Society International, which issued a graphic video of the 2009 Canadian hunt with its news release, said Friday it is following in the footsteps of what it called a successful boycott campaign in the U.S.
"Expanding the boycott of Canadian seafood to Europe is a logical next step in our campaign to end Canada's commercial seal slaughter," said society spokesman Mark Glover in a news release. "The European Union took the historic step of banning its trade in products of commercial seal hunts. Now, by not purchasing Canadian seafood products, European citizens are showing their support for putting an end to the bloody slaughter of baby seals."
A similar boycott in the U.S. starting in 2005 won the support of 5,500 dining establishments and 650,000 individuals, according to the society's U.S. affiliate. But the Canadian government has maintained the hunt is humane and that boycott efforts have failed.
It said the landed value of Canadian exports reached just under $3.9 billion in 2008, with the U.S. share of that total rising two per cent to $2.4 billion.
"As usual, this call for a boycott is based on inaccurate and misleading information," said Fisheries Department spokesman Scott Cantin in an e-mail Friday. "The government of Canada makes every effort to ensure the hunt is based on sound conservation principles, and conducted in a safe and humane manner."
He said the level and value of Canada's seafood exports "rose slightly" in 2007 and 2008 despite the boycott.
Seafood.com's Sackton, who is quoted on a Fisheries Department website saying the U.S. boycott has had "no impact" on trade flows, wrote in his Friday analysis that the Humane Society's tactics have influenced some U.S. companies. "Safeway, for example, has indicated to some suppliers that they do not wish to purchase Canadian snow crab, and they give the seal boycott as a reason."
Sackton said the Canadian government should be more aggressive in countering the animal rights lobby. He said the Canadian hunt is sustainable, and warned of the dangers of an unchecked growth of the seal population. "The growing seal population spreading south to New England was the primary reason a record number of great white sharks were sighted yards off Cape Cod beaches this summer."
The European Union's ban on seal product imports takes effect next year.
The 27-nation EU was Canada's second-largest seafood export market in 2008, though at a value of $489 million the EU was a distant second to the $2.4 billion shipped to the U.S.
Nunavut to lobby against polar bear trade ban
Nunavut will lobby against a U.S. proposal to ban the commercial trade of polar bears in many countries, a move that would affect Inuit sport hunting guides across the North.
Earlier this month, the United States proposed reclassifying the polar bear under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to effectively outlaw all commercial trade in the animals.
The 175 countries that have signed the international treaty will vote on the proposal in March.
Reclassifying the polar bear under CITES would ban sport hunters who go polar bear hunting in Nunavut from taking home their polar bear hides and trophies, which in turn would severely impact business for Inuit who make a living as hunting guides.
The proposal follows the U.S. government's decision in 2008 to list the polar bear as a threatened species within that country, citing threats to the species by shrinking Arctic sea ice caused by climate change. But Nunavut Environment Minister Daniel Shewchuk said the U.S. does not understand that Canada has a good polar bear management system, and that the species is neither threatened nor endangered.
"The message here that we have to send is that polar bears are strong and healthy in Canada, and our position on this is going to be to support and lobby Canada to present our position to the countries that belong to CITES," Shewchuk said Friday. Shewchuk said Nunavut will work with federal government counterparts to lobby other member countries in advance of the March vote.
"It's a matter of educating these other countries and the U.S. on our management system on what we have done for polar bears and what we continue to do, and that we are very interested in conserving polar bear for the future generations," he said.
The polar bear's threatened listing in the U.S. already killed most of the market for U.S. sport hunters who want to hunt polar bears in Nunavut, as it prevents them from bringing polar bear trophies home with them.
Shewchuk said there is no compensation plan in place for Inuit sport hunt guides who would be affected if the polar bear is reclassified under CITES, as that is not his department's responsibility. Arctic Bay elder Kunuk Uyukuluk, a former sport hunting guide, said at least 10 guides would be affected in his community alone if the CITES listing goes ahead.
The hunters and trappers organization in Arctic Bay currently sets aside part of the community's polar bear hunting quota  10 out of 25 allotted hunting tags  for sport hunts. Speaking in Inuktitut, Uyukuluk told CBC News that officials who will vote on the CITES proposal should come north and see polar bears for themselves.
The polar bear population is actually on the rise, not decreasing, he said, adding that polar bears are becoming less afraid of human contact and even competing for people for food.
Video of Senator Mac Harb in Ottawa:
Our colleague Deb Ozarko sent us a link to the video she took of Mac Harb speaking in Ottawa this spring. Here's the ink: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj-uKjwY7HI
Thank you Deb!
The countdown for the World Fur Free Friday has just started!
Please check our website: http://www.antifurcoalition.org as we just started to update worldwide actions for the WFFF which will take place on November 27th.
Unfortunately CATCA can't be present, nor can organize it this year, because we already made a commitment to be somewhere else several months ago. If your group wants to participate, contact us and we will register your group name for this event. Contact us at:
(If you need placards for the demo, we can give you some).
Good news from Bosley's Pet Food Plus
Bosley's Pet Food Plus has built a 30 year reputation as a fair and ethical pet retailer. We have always supported all animal welfare societies as well as reputable breeders and rescue groups by not selling animals in any of our locations. We are company with a passion for the care and protection of all animals, and strive to provide quality products to consumers. Recently concern was raised to Bosley's regarding rabbit fur cat toys available for sale in our locations. While Bosley's has been assured by our suppliers that the fur used in their products is a by-product of legitimate meat production facilities, we understand that some consumers may be offended by these products. In an effort to support our commitment to consumers we have chosen to discontinue the sale of all rabbit fur cat toys in our retail locations.
Bosley Pet Food Plus
Kelowna, rabbits and TRACS
Kelowna city wanted to kill rabbits and TRACS with our colleague Sinnika showed them how to relocate them, but the city still railroaded the effort and hired a death squad. TRACS organized protests, letter campaigns, got the community involved, documented and publicized a particularly brutal killing of one rabbit who was stomped to death. TRACS raised over $30,000 to manage their program which ran concurrently with the death squad. Sinikka started a website: www.kelownaelection.com, to bring a much needed ethical component into politics resulting in a turnover of many city councillors. The city offered TRACS the opportunity to deal with the rabbits and recently the city acknowledged the excellence of their work. Sinikka has shown that not only can you fight city hall and not only can you win, but that you can direct what it does!!
Pls. Read this article: Council makes nice with TRACS http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/top_story.php?id=217934&type=Local
Discussion for this topic here:
http://arawconnection.ning.com/forum/topics/bunikka-1
CONGRATULATIONS SINNIKA!
Ireland will phase out its fur farms over the next 3 years! http://blog.peta.org/archives/2009/10/ireland_fur_farm_ban.php
Hearts on Noses Needs Your Help
Hearts on Noses (http://heartsonnoses.com), a mini-pig sanctuary in Maple Ridge, is moving to a new location between November 12th and November 22nd, and they need help with transporting their pigs and horses, as well as boxes, gates, wooden planks, plywood, and furniture. The new location is only about 20 minutes away from the sanctuary, and the drive is an easy one with "no hills and no hard directions".
If you have a truck or a car please get the details at http://heartsonnoses.blogspot.com/, or contact Janice Gillett at 604-463-4059 or heartsonnoses@shaw.ca
Can't come out to help? Hearts on Noses is also looking for donations, as the move is going to cost them about $20,000. There is also the impending surgery of Mouse, a pig who has a tumour, which will add up to about $2500.
Donate here: http://heartsonnoses.com/donations.htm
Karmavore Party!
When: Saturday, December 5th, 5-8 PM
Where: Karmavore, 468 E. Columbia St, New Westminster
Cost: $20 per ticket, $10 of which goes to Hearts on
Noses
Related to the aforementioned news is a very exciting event at Karmavore (karmavore.ca), the best vegan shop in BC! Half of your ticket price will go to Hearts on Noses, and that isn't all...
Ticket price includes:
* 2010 Go Vegan Calendar (autographed!) * Meet Sarah
Kramer, author of How it All Vegan, La Dolce Vegan,
and The Garden of Vegan, in person! * Free vegan
cupcakes and appetizers! (provided by Vancouver Vegan
Cupcake Queen & VeganMania!) * Special Store Sale
Event!
* $10 donation to Hearts on Noses!
Petitions and letters:
- http://www.thepetitionsite.com/18/stop-the-slaughter-of-dolphins-in-taiji-japan Against the dolphin drive in Japan
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/tell-superstore-to-not-sell-live-fish-and-crabs Against the cruelty of keeping live fishes and crabs in Canadian Superstores
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/send-the-dolphins-back-to-japan-close-the-dolphin-tank-in-stanley-park For the Vancouver Aquarium to close its dolphin tanks
2)Spain: 2 puppies in Badajoz tortured to death, ears and tails cut off : Caso de maltrato horrible a dos cachorritos en Badajoz. Two little puppies were tortured in Spain. They even had their tails and ears cut off. See photos below if you have a strong stomach. Both have died at the vet's office. http://www.lapetition.be/sign_petition.php?petid=5287 (last name, first name, location, nationality, you only need to fill in *fields, but don't forget to confirm by clicking on the link in the mail you receive right after signing).
3)B2/Brown's shoe company is selling dog fur from China! B2 Shoes has 2 locations in Vancouver, 1112 Robson St (604-687-3383) and 650 W 41st Ave, (604-261-2071). Recently they have brought in men and woman's winter jackets with HUGE raccoon dog trims on them. The jackets can be viewed at this website: http://www.mackage.com/. The jackets are actually labelled ASIATIC RACCOON which is actually a RACCOON DOG, a species of canine from China. The company claims that the jackets are in fact raccoon
Please write to B2/BROWN'S and to Mackage, the designers who made the jackets, and who use fur in their line of clothing. Pls. send a polite e- email to these contacts: annie.cohen@brownsshoes.com, andre.lescarbeau@brownsshoes.com , janis.brownstein@brownsshoes.com, naji.awad@b2.com, info@mackage.com
4)Petition for the wolves: The Canadian Voice For Animals branch in Norway has started a petition for the wolves that will soon be non-existent is the killing continues. http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/kjemp-for-de-siste-rovdyrene-help-us-to-save-the-last-top-predators#
5)Army and Navy in BC sell boots with real fur!
It has been brought to their attention that they are selling real fur. Our colleague Denise came across two pairs of boots that they are selling with fur trim at their store in New Westminster. One was labelled faux fur which was clearly real fur (most likely cat fur). The other I could not find a label but is also real. She talked to a woman working in the shoe department and she said she would tell the store manager.
Pls. Send them an e-mail expressing your concern at: info@armyandnavy.ca
6)South Africa will sacrifice animals to "bless" soccer stadiums where the FIFA World Cup will take place! Polite letters are needed: http://es.fifa.com/contact/index.html
7)Join the Make Animal Testing History virtual march. We're marching in support of updating Europe's law on animal experiments to better protect animals and increase action on non-animal alternatives.
http://www.makeanimaltestinghistory.org/the-march.php?lang=gb
8) On the weekend of 15 November, a sadistic festival called "Toro Júbilo" will take place in Soria, Spain. During this festival, balls of pitch are attached to a bull's horns and set on fire.
These fiery balls can burn for hours, and they burn the bull's horns, body and eyes and cause tremendous stress all while spectators cheer and run around the victim.
http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=4590
This E-Newsletter was brought to you by CATCA.
We are always in need of donations to print educative materials to distribute in events, mail and for office supplies. If you can help us by buying our anti seal hunt t-shirt or by donating, you can do it going to our main page at www.catcahelpanimals.org and click on the Paypal button. You can also send us a check to:
CATCA
P. O. Box 16021, 617 Belmont St.
New Westminster BC V3M-6W6
Canada
CATCA was created almost 22 years ago in The Netherlands. We deal with animal rights, animal welfare and animal conservation issues, educating the general public. Our current major campaigns are against the seal hunt in Canada, whaling, dolphin drive in Japan.
Our new website is still being updated, but we will have eventually our web pages in Spanish and Polish re-installed there mentioning our report and our efforts in Canada, Europe, Latin America and the US for the seals and the whales in the last years.
CATCA is a proud member of AMEDEA and the Western Canada Anti Sealing Coalition
If you do not want to continue to receive our e-alerts and e-newsletters, please, do send us an e-mail to: info@catcahelpanimals.org
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Ericka Ceballos is the proud Canadian Ambassador of World Animal Day. Click on the WAD logo above to check for the events that we will hold to celebrate the animals in Canada.
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