Author: Kristin Stone

WASHINGTON – Wildlife campaigners at Humane Society International have expressed their dismay at the news that China is reversing its 25-year old ban on domestic trade in tiger bone and rhino horn. The issuance of a new regulation, announced today by the Chinese State Council, means that it will once again be legal to sell tiger bone and rhino horn domestically.

For years, China has been criticised internationally for tolerating tiger farms which breed thousands of captive tigers so that their bones and other body parts can be sold for tiger bone wine and medicinal products. Such trade perpetuates cruelty while fueling demand for body parts from illegally poached wild tigers, of which there may be as few as 3,500. Anti-smuggling investigations and market research have shown a persistent demand for rhino horns in China. The new regulations would allow the use of tiger bone and rhino horn from captive or farmed animals, but the trade it engenders will inevitably increase pressure on animals in the wild.

Iris Ho, senior specialist for Wildlife Program and Policy at Humane Society International says, “With this announcement, the Chinese government has signed a death warrant for imperilled rhinos and tigers in the wild who already face myriad threats to their survival. It sets up what is essentially a laundering scheme for illegal tiger bone and rhino horn to enter the marketplace and further perpetuate the demand for these animal parts. This is a devastating blow to our ongoing work to save species from cruel exploitation and extinction, and we implore the Chinese government to reconsider.”

In 2010 the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies publicly urged its members against using such products. The announcement is at odds with China’s move last year to close its domestic elephant ivory market.

Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203-270-8929, rrosensweig@humanesociety.org

OTTAWA – Canada has reached the halfway mark in prohibiting the captivity of whales and dolphins in Canada with the majority of Senators voting in support of Bill S-203, Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act. The proposed legislation would ban the captivity of whales and dolphins for entertainment purposes, associated captive breeding programs, and the trade of these creatures.

“Bill S-203 makes it clear that we have a moral obligation to phase out the capture and retention of cetaceans for profit and entertainment. This bill would have Canada join other countries that have already banned cetacean captivity,” said bill sponsor Senator Murray Sinclair in his speech to Senate. “Societal attitudes are changing with respect to our relationship and responsibility to animals. Canadians are calling upon us to do better.”

“The world’s top marine scientists agree that whales, dolphins and porpoises – together known as cetaceans – lead lives of severe deprivation, depression and illness when in captivity,” said Julie MacInnes, wildlife campaign manager for HSI/Canada. “We are grateful for Senator Wilfred Moore and Senator Murray Sinclair’s leadership in achieving today’s milestone. It is unethical to subject these intelligent, sensitive and social creatures to such deprivation, all for the purpose of public entertainment. This bill is an important step towards giving whales and dolphins the respect and dignity that they so deserve.”

Marine scientist Hal Whitehead added: “A highly-social pod of wild dolphins can travel up to 100 kilometers a day in the open ocean, and dive several hundred meters. The living conditions for captive marine mammals cannot compare to their natural ocean environments in size, nor in quality. We ask that the federal government support Bill S-203 so that our laws can align with the Canadian peoples’ values, and end this cruel practice.”

“As stewards of much of Canada’s pacific coast, Coastal First Nations have a special and important relationship with cetaceans and a duty to protect them,” said Paul Kariya, Senior Policy Advisor with Coastal First Nations. “Our experience in developing marine use plans, using ecosystem-based management, and building successful whale-watching and ecotourism businesses provides a compelling alternative vision for more respectful ways of appreciating and living with some of the most magnificent wild animals on the planet.”

Facts:

• HSI/Canada has campaigned to end the captivity of cetaceans for years. Globally, HSI has been at the forefront of a powerful movement to protect cetaceans and end their cruel captivity through education, outreach, and legislative efforts.
• Leading marine scientists agree that whales and dolphins suffer great psychological and physical harms in captivity, including isolation, chronic health problems, abnormal behaviour, high infant mortality and extreme boredom.
• Currently, only two facilities in the country house cetaceans – the Vancouver Aquarium, and Marineland in Niagara Falls. However, the Vancouver Aquarium, will no longer keep cetaceans in captivity, due to public opinion and outrage over the practice.
• Over three quarters of Canadians who have an opinion on cetaceans in captivity, disagree with the practice.

Media Contact: Christopher Paré – O: 514 395-2914 x 206, c: 438 402-0643, cpare@hsi.org

OTTAWA – Canada has reached the halfway mark in prohibiting the trade of shark fins with a final, sweeping endorsement of Bill S-238, the Ban on Shark Fin Trade Act, by the Senate. The proposed legislation was amended in the Senate so that it prohibits not only the import of shark fins into Canada, but also prohibits their export. The bill will now move to the House of Commons.

The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Michael L. MacDonald, stated: “I’m thrilled that the Ban on Shark Fin Importation and Exportation Act has been endorsed by my colleagues in the Senate. It is my sincerest hope that Members of Parliament will act swiftly on this urgent matter to ensure that Canada takes a leading role in protecting sharks globally. Sharks are vital to sustain ocean ecosystems and our planet’s survival.”

“Cutting the fins off sharks and tossing them into the ocean to die is an exceptionally cruel and ecologically reckless practice that puts entire ocean ecosystems at risk,” said Julie MacInnes, wildlife campaign manager for HSI/Canada. “We are grateful to Senator Michael MacDonald for his leadership in achieving today’s milestone for ocean conservation. This bill is an important step towards ending Canadian trade in shark fins and we ask the federal government to pass it as a matter of urgency.”

Marine scientist Dr. Dirk Steinke stated, “There is scientific consensus that sharks are among the most threatened wildlife worldwide.”

Dalhousie Professor Dr. Boris Worm added, “The shark fin trade is the main source of shark mortality in today’s ocean, especially for the larger species that are the most threatened. We are hopeful that Canada will take the necessary leadership in ending the shark fin trade.”

Brian and Sandy Stewart, parents of the late Rob Stewart, issued the following statement: “We urge the federal government and Members of Parliament to listen to the overwhelming majority of Canadians who support ending the trade of shark fins in Canada. Every single hour, over 11,000 sharks are killed in the gruesome international shark fin trade. The sharks – and the ocean ecosystems that depend on them – do not have another ten years to wait.”

Facts:

• HSI/Canada has campaigned to end the shark fin trade for more than a decade. Globally, HSI has been at the forefront of a powerful movement to protect sharks and stop the trade of their fins through education, outreach, and legislative efforts.
• Every year, up to 100 million sharks are killed to satisfy global demand for their fins and their parts, threatening one-third of open ocean sharks with extinction
• Canada is the largest importer of shark fins outside of Asia.
• As an apex predator, sharks hold the oceans in balance and their extinction would have significant effects on all other marine species.
• Sharks grow slowly, mature late, and have relatively low rates of reproduction, making their populations highly vulnerable to the impacts of overfishing.

To download photos, click here; to download video, click here and here.

Media Contact: Christopher Paré – office: 514 395-2914 x 206 / cell: 438 402-0643, email: cpare@hsi.org

(RICHMOND, Virginia) —The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, Center for Biological Diversity, and Born Free USA sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today for violating the law by failing to post online elephant and lion trophy permitting records as required by the Freedom of Information Act.

Under 1996 amendments to the Freedom of Information Act, agencies are obligated to post their decisions — including orders, policies and interpretations — online for public inspection. The same obligation applies to certain types of records that are frequently requested and that have been released in the past. FWS’ FOIA log demonstrates that conservationists, journalists, and others request elephant and lion trophy import records often enough that this information should be posted online automatically as soon as the agency receives it.

Despite immense public interest in the government’s decision of whether to allow the import of hunting trophies from imperiled species, and despite repeated attempts by conservation organizations to shed light on this important conservation issue, the Fish and Wildlife Service is covertly conducting this Endangered Species Act permitting program.

“Although it is unlawful for an American to import an elephant or lion trophy without first obtaining a permit, the public has been systemically deprived of contributing relevant scientific information to influence the federal government’s implementation of these critical elephant and lion conservation measures,” said Anna Frostic, managing wildlife attorney with the Humane Society of the United States. “FWS is openly flouting its statutory mandate to proactively post frequently requested material online.”

Today’s lawsuit asks a federal district court in Virginia to order the Fish and Wildlife Service to routinely post elephant and lion trophy permit applications, the agency’s permitting decisions, and related findings regarding the sustainability of hunting species threatened with extinction.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service needs to come clean and let the public know how many elephants and lions are killed to decorate rich Americans’ living rooms,” said Tanya Sanerib, the legal director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s international program. “With huge threats facing Africa’s imperiled wildlife, the unlawful secrecy about these bloody imports is totally unacceptable.”

For most of the past decade, according to tallies from the CITES trade database, U.S. trophy hunters killed and imported the parts of approximately 500 African lions and 500 African elephants each year. Both species are now listed as threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act.

Since Ryan Zinke became Interior Secretary, FWS has approved elephant and lion trophy imports from countries such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and South Africa to the delight of trophy hunters. President Trump, meanwhile, has blasted trophy hunting as a “horror show.”

According to Angela Grimes, Born Free USA Acting CEO, “We have seen an alarming increase of attacks on the Endangered Species Act and the imperiled species it protects from both Congress and this Administration. By conducting this permitting program under the veil of secrecy, the FWS is further attempting to weaken and degrade the effectiveness of the ESA. To fully understand the impacts to threatened African lions and elephants, this information must be accessible to the public. Only then can we effectively protect these animals and the integrity of the ESA.”

Today’s lawsuit follows a pending court case filed by the same plaintiffs contesting the merits of the administration’s decision last November to lift an import ban on Zimbabwe elephant trophy imports and to allow imports of lion trophies from Zimbabwe to the U.S., and its March 1 decision to shift to a “case-by-case” process for making trophy import findings.

Plaintiffs are represented in the case on a pro bono basis by Paul Hastings LLP.

Background information:

• African elephants and African lions are listed as threatened in the U.S. Endangered Species Act. A hunter must submit an application to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service if they wish to import an elephant or lion hunting trophy, demonstrating that the import enhances the survival of the species. The Service makes a “positive” or “negative” enhancement finding on the trophy hunting of the species in the country of origin.
• The United States is the world’s largest importer of elephant and lion hunting trophies, according to trade data from the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species.
• Wildlife biologists have warned that trophy hunting of elephants and lions contributes to their population decline.
• As few as 20,000 wild lions remain in Africa. There has been an alarming decimation of African elephant populations with a loss of approximately 111,000 animals from 2006 to 2015 due to poaching for their tusks. Trophy hunting adds another layer of cruelty and threat to their survival.

Media Contacts:

HSUS: Rodi Rosensweig, 203-270-8929, RRosensweig@humanesociety.org

HSI: Alison Shapiro, 301-721-6472, ashapiro@humanesociety.org

Center for Biological Diversity: Tanya Sanerib, 206-379-7363, tsanerib@biologicaldiversity.org

Born Free USA: Garrett Johnson, 202-368-6833, garrett@bornfreeusa.org

AIZAWL—Following a four-month long court battle between animal protection charity Humane Society International/India and India’s dog meat association, the District Magistrate Court of Aizawl in Mizoram awarded HSI/India permanent custody of 24 dogs whom the campaigners rescued from two trucks headed for slaughter.

HSI/India rescued 36 terrified dogs on June 8th this year when they were found tightly bound in sacks and their muzzles bound shut with rope, hardly able to move or breathe. Soon after rescue, many of the dogs were diagnosed with deadly rabies and distemper to which 12 succumbed. Through vaccination and quarantine, 24 dogs survived.

Arkaprava Bhar, HSI/India’s regional manager-east, said: “It has been an overwhelming experience to watch these dogs transition from traumatized, meek animals fearing for their life to bright and confident animals who are excited about their daily walks and food. This is a landmark judgment by the court in Aizawl, a first of its kind to give victims of the dog meat trade the sanctuary and relief they need. We now look forward to seeing these lovely dogs bring joy to a new family soon once adopted.

HSI is one of the foremost organizations in the world working to put an end to the cruel dog meat trade that kills an estimated 30 million dogs every year across Asia. The charity works on the ground in Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia and China in addition to India, and combines hands on rescue with awareness raising to educate the public about the cruelty and misery these dogs endure in the dog meat trade and to enact government policies to end the trade.

END

MEXICO CITY – Humane Society International welcomes the introduction of a bullfighting ban initiative by Congresswoman Leticia Varela and Frente Ciudadano Pro Derecho Animal in Mexico City Congress today. The initiative amends Mexico City’s Public Spectacles and Animal Protection bills to ban any spectacle involving animal abuse and killing, including bullfighting and cockfighting. The bill was endorsed by MORENA (Movimiento Regeneración Nacional), PVEM (Partido Verde Ecologista de México) and PRD (Partido de la Revolución Democrática), three major parties in the local congress.

Anton Aguilar, executive director of HSI/Mexico, said: “This is a significant step forward toward ending the cruel killing of bulls in bullfights once and for all in Mexico City. The majority of Mexicans are against animal cruelty in spectacles and don’t want to see them take place in Mexico.” According to Parametría, a leading polling agency, 73 percent of Mexicans support a nationwide ban on bullfighting.

The Mexico City Constitution, which was enacted last year, recognized animals as sentient beings and paved the way for ending animal cruelty in public spectacles. HSI/Mexico was heavily involved in crafting the animal protection language enshrined in the new constitution.

Sonora was the first Mexican state to ban bullfights in 2013. Guerrero and Coahuila followed in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Media Contact: Magaly Garibay, (+52 55) 5211 8731, ext. 104, mgaribay@idee.agency

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SEOUL–A 71-year-old dog meat farmer in Gyeonggi-do has become the latest recruit to animal charity Humane Society International’s pioneering program to phase out the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea by working in partnership with farmers who want to get out of the increasingly controversial business. Farmer Lee, who had raised dogs for human consumption for 14 years before approaching HSI for help, is the 13th dog meat farmer to work with the charity to permanently shutter his business and transition to a more profitable and humane livelihood.

Farmer Lee plans to expand his medicinal herb farm instead, whilst his more than 200 dogs will be flown to Canada, the U.K, United States and the Netherlands so that our shelter and rescue partners can help us get them the love and care they deserve. Farmer Lee says: “When I first started this farm I had heard that the dog meat industry was booming and I thought it would be a safe retirement plan. But the fact is eating dog meat has been on the decline ever since, and these days so few people want to eat dog that I’m actually losing money. I’ve wanted to stop dog farming for a while but I didn’t know how to make it happen until a former dog farmer told me about HSI’s scheme to turn dog farms into new businesses. I think there will be a lot of interest from other dog farmers wanting to quit too, because it’s not just about saving the dogs but about helping us farmers too, and I appreciate that.”

HSI worked with Farmer Lee to agree the closure of his farm and the rescue of the more than 200 dogs and puppies who spent their lives in barren wire cages, many suffering from painful sores, skin diseases and depression. While the cages will be destroyed, HSI will help the Labrador retrievers, collies, spaniel, pointer and Maltese mixes, poodle, Shar pei, Great Pyrenees, and Korean Jindos and tosas to heal physically and emotionally from their ordeal so that they can look forward to new happy lives in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

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The majority of the dogs will fly to HSI’s temporary shelter in Montreal, Canada, including dogs like Quentin the Sharpei, who is almost blind from an untreated eye infection; Jean Claude, a Belgian Malinois who was just skin and bones when we found him lying in a cage not much bigger than his body; and Simba the Tibetan mastiff, who is a gentle giant craving affection and reassurance.

Kitty Block, president of Humane Society International, says: “Behind every rescue are the stories of individual dogs who have survived the dog meat trade against all the odds. They are the brave ambassadors for our campaign to end this cruel and obsolete industry for good, and helping them recover from their ordeal is a privilege. Our latest dog farm closure comes as the House of Representatives just voted to ban the trade of dog and cat meat in the United States, and we hope to see the Senate take the measure up very soon. It’s a law we hope to see replicated in South Korea, China, Vietnam and across Asia so that the sun can finally set on this despicably cruel trade.”

The public and political dog meat debate is taking place in South Korea like never before. In the last several months a court in Bucheon fined a farmer because his reason for killing a dog – for meat – was considered insufficient justification; Seoul City announced there will be no more dog slaughterhouses at Kyungdong Market in Dongdaemun from next year; Seongnam’s Taepyeongdong dog slaughterhouse – the largest in the country – has also been earmarked for closure; and the President’s Blue House pledged to consider removing dogs and cats from the legal definition of livestock and noted the need for the government “to consider solutions for dog meat related workers”. Most recently a Supreme Court concluded that killing dogs by electrocution (the favoured method of the dog meat trade) is too cruel and breaches animal welfare law.

Nara Kim, HSI’s South Korea dog meat campaigner, believes HSI’s model for change provides that ideal solution: “Across Asia, momentum is building to end the dog meat trade. Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore already have bans in place, with Indonesia recently pledging a ban, and the authorities in Hanoi, Vietnam also committing to ending the cruel trade. So the time is right for South Korea also to embrace change. We stand ready to be a part of that change, and would welcome government officials to come and see our farm closure scheme for themselves. Phasing out the brutal trade by working with farmers is the way forward, we just need the government to adopt this scheme and take it nationwide.”

HSI has closed down dog meat farms across Namyangju, Ilsan, Hongseong, Haemi, Wonju, Goyang, Seongnam, Yesan and Gyeonggi-do, with very elderly farmers choosing to retire and others switching to trades such as water delivery, mushroom growing and parsley farming.

Download b-roll video and photos here.

Facts:

• More than 2.5 million dogs a year are reared on thousands of dog meat farms across South Korea, the only country known to farm dogs for human consumption. Across Asia, in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Cambodia etc. an estimated 30 million dogs are killed and eaten each year, mainly stolen pets and street dogs.
• In addition to their life of suffering on the farm, the method used to kill the dogs is brutal – death by electrocution is most common, with dogs usually taking up to five minutes to die, (and there have been recorded instances of dogs taking up to 20 minutes to die). Hanging is also practiced. Dogs are killed in full view of other dogs.
• While most people don’t regularly eat dog, it remains popular during the Bok days of summer in July and August, when it is eaten as a soup called bosintang in the unsubstantiated belief that it improves stamina and virility.
• The dog meat industry is in legal limbo in South Korea, neither legal nor illegal. Many provisions of the Animal Protection Act are routinely breached, such as the ban on killing animals in a brutal way including hanging by the neck, and on killing them in public areas or in front of other animals of the same species.
• At each dog meat farm closure, HSI has a veterinarian test for the presence of the H3N2, or dog flu, virus at the time the dogs receive their rabies, DHPP, and corona virus vaccines. HSI also vaccinates the dogs for distemper, parvo and coronavirus. HSI then quarantines the dogs on the farm or at a temporary shelter with no dogs permitted in or out for at least 30 days prior to transport overseas.

ENDS

Media contacts:

• South Korea: Nara Kim, nkim@hsi.org
• United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org, +44 (0)7989 972 423
• United States: Nancy Hwa, nhwa@hsi.org, 202-676-2337 (o), 202-596-0808 (c)