Author: Kristin Stone

Humane Society International

The international commercial wildlife trade is worth billions of dollars annually and has been responsible for the decline of wild populations of a number of species of animals and plants. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was first signed in 1973 in order to protect certain species of wild fauna and flora against over-exploitation through commercial trade. CITES first entered into force on July 1, 1975, and now more than 170 nations (“Parties”)have signed and ratified the CITES treaty.

Appendices

CITES provides three levels of protection (Appendices) for species in international commercial trade.

Appendix I includes those species that are threatened with extinction and that are or may be affected by international commercial trade. These species may not be traded internationally for primarily commercial purposes. However, such species may be exported and imported for non-commercial purposes. Examples of species on CITES Appendix I are tigers, Asian elephants, chimpanzees, humpback whales, sun bears, scarlet macaws, sea turtles, Brazilian rosewood, giant tropical pitcher plants, and Asian tropical lady’s slipper orchids.

Appendix II includes those species that, although not necessarily threatened with extinction, may become so unless trade is strictly regulated in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival. Species also may be listed on Appendix II if their parts or products cannot be readily distinguished from those of other species listed on CITES Appendix I or II. International commercial trade in Appendix II species is allowed, but is strictly controlled. Parties may only grant a permit to export such species after it has determined that the export will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Examples of species listed on Appendix II are American black bears, southern fur seals, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, toco toucans, green iguanas, Pacific Coast mahogany, triangle palm, and cyclamens.

Appendix III includes those species that any Party has identified as being subject to regulation of exploitation within its jurisdiction and as needing the cooperation of other Parties to monitor international trade in the species. Such cooperation is achieved primarily by the issuance of export permits by a state which has included the species in Appendix III (these may be granted only if the specimen was not obtained in contravention of the laws of the exporting Party) and by the issuance of certificates of origin by other states that export Appendix III species. Examples of species listed on Appendix III and the countries that listed them are two-toed sloths (Costa Rica), African civets (Botswana), African waxbill (Ghana), and bigleaf mahogany (Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico).

Authorities

CITES Parties are expected to implement and enforce the treaty’s provisions through domestic legislation. Each Party must establish a CITES Management Authority to issue import and export permits, to monitor trade in CITES species, and to compile annual trade reports, and establish a CITES Scientific Authority to provide scientific expertise on import and export decisions. Fundamental to this approach is the use of precaution in cases of uncertainty: Trade should not be allowed unless there are sufficient information and safeguards to ensure that a species is protected from over-utilization. A CITES export permit for any live specimen of a species listed on any CITES Appendix may be granted only when the Management Authority of the exporting Party is satisfied that the specimen will be prepared and shipped so as to minimize the risk of injury, damage to health, or cruel treatment.

Conference of the Parties (COPs)

The Parties consider and vote on proposals to add or delete species from Appendices I and II at their biennial (or triennial) meetings of the Conference of the Parties (COPs). Parties may unilaterally add species to Appendix III at any time.

CITES COPs also provide an opportunity for Parties to consider and vote on resolutions that interpret the language of the treaty. For example, the Parties have adopted resolutions providing criteria for listing species on the CITES Appendices, a mechanism for reviewing the trade in Appendix II species to ensure that it is not detrimental to the survival of species, and a procedure for approving and registering operations that captive breed or ranch for commercial purposes species listed on CITES Appendix I.

Three CITES Committees—the Standing, Animals, and Plants Committees—each composed of Party representatives from six geographic regions (Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America), are active between COPs.

The Standing Committee provides general policy and operational direction to the Secretariat concerning the implementation of the Convention, drafts resolutions for consideration by the COP, and performs any other functions entrusted to it by the COP. The Standing Committee reports to the COP on the activities it has carried out between the COPs. Committee members are nominated by the COP, and the Committee includes representatives from the depository government (Switzerland), the country that hosted the previous meeting of the COP, and the country that will host the next meeting of the COP. Terms of office expire at the second regular COP after the one at which they were nominated.

The Animals Committee and Plants Committee assist in the development and maintenance of standardized lists of animal and plant species and in the preparation of identification manuals. The Animals Committee and Plants Committee may provide advice on management techniques and procedures, draft resolutions for consideration by the COP, and perform any other functions entrusted to them by the COP or Standing Committee. For example, through the “significant trade process,” the Animals Committee reviews the international commercial trade in species on CITES Appendix II in order to determine if Parties are granting export permits only after determining that the export will not be detrimental to the survival of that species, as required by Article IV of CITES. When this is found not to be the case, the Animals Committee recommends remedial measures that must be taken by the Party concerned, once the measures are approved by the Standing Committee.

Recommended reading

HSI brochure on CITES and the international trade in wild animals [PDF]  English  Español

Favre, David S. 1989. International Trade in Endangered Species: A Guide to CITES. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Boston, USA, 415 pages.

Fitzgerald, Sarah. 1989. International Wildlife Trade: Whose Business Is It? World Wildlife Fund, Washington, USA, 459 pages.

Lyster, Simon. 1985. International Wildlife Law. Grotius Publications, Cambridge, UK, 471 pages.

Wijnstekers, Willem. 1995. The Evolution of CITES. CITES Secretariat, Geneva, Switzerland, 519 pages. 

Humane Society International

Every year in Canada, more than 3 million animals are killed by the fur industry. These animals suffer tremendously, all in the name of “fashion.”

Two horrifying “harvesting” methods

Although the fur industry does its best to keep the cruelty out of sight, suffering is a common ingredient in both methods of procuring fur, be it fur factory farming or trapping. Many, perhaps more than half, of these animals are killed specifically for fur trim—it is not a by-product.

Over two and a half million animals, primarily minks and foxes, are killed each year on fur factory farms in Canada. These animals live in horrific conditions in tiny, filthy cages, are denied basic care and denied the ability to satisfy their most basic instinctual behaviours. Their suffering peaks at the time of their slaughter, when they are killed in one of four ways—gassing, neck-breaking, lethal injection or anal electrocution,.

Trapping is the other method of acquiring fur. Each year in Canada, just under one million animals are caught in antiquated cruel traps (leghold traps, conibear traps, snares, drowning traps) for their fur. These animals are often left for days, without access to food, water or shelter, in extreme temperatures. These victims of fashion will often wring off their own limbs in an attempt to escape, only to later die of blood loss, gangrene or other secondary infections. When the trappers finally come to collect the animals, they often stomp or beat the animals to death. This terrible fate is not restricted to the targeted animals either. An estimated two thirds of all animals caught in traps are accidentally trapped and considered “trash” animals, including our familiar companion animals (dogs and cats), birds and even several endangered species. These animals are simply discarded since they have no economic value.

The secrets to fur’s success — lies and misinformation

The fur industry is fighting hard to survive as the public becomes more aware and sensitive to the enormous suffering inherent in the production of fur.  A culture of misinformation and outright lies has grown from the industry’s desperation and has allowed a dying trade to regain a great deal of strength.

Shaving, dyeing, weaving and even mislabeling fur products are some of the ways the industry tries to disguise their products’ bloody origins.  In addition to this, the heavily subsidized Fur Council of Canada uses taxpayers’ dollars to present misleading arguments. Even if you are not buying fur, your tax dollars are supporting this unnecessary cruelty.

What we are doing

HSI Canada/is committed to ending the pointless cruelty and killing perpetrated in the name of fashion.  By educating the public and corporations, we will fight the misinformation and lies put forth by the fur industry.

What you can do

  • Please ask the Canadian government to ban fur farming in Canada.
  • Buy and wear fur-free garments only. If you are a designer, retailer or other fashion industry insider, you can help be only promoting and selling animal-friendly fashion.
  • Ask others to visit our website to learn why they should support fur-free fashion.

Humane Society International

Since 1997, Humane Society International has investigated and documented the international trade in dog and cat fur. Our extensive, widely reported undercover investigation has spanned the globe from source countries such as China, the Philippines, and Thailand to retailers and wholesalers in the United States, Germany, Italy, France and Denmark. Our work to end the global trade in dog and cat fur led to a U.S. ban on products that use such fur.  Italy, France, Denmark, Greece, Belgium, Switzerland and Australia also banned this trade, but it remains legal in Canada.

Our investigators exposed the international fur industry’s ugly secret: the widespread slaughter of companion animals—domestic dogs and cats—for the manufacture of clothing, accessories, and trinkets. Investigators witnessed firsthand the brutal slaughter of domestic dogs and cats in China and other Asian nations. What we found shocked people. Many of these animals are raised in cold, unsanitary breeding compounds. Some are strays. Others are obviously pets who were most likely stolen.

Millions of dogs and cats are killed annually for their fur. Investigators found stores of 50,000 to 100,000 pelts at factories in Asia. Usually 10 to 12 adult dogs are killed to manufacture each coat; even more if puppy fur is used. One cat fur coat requires the killing of up to 24 felines. Fur-covered figurines may contain the pieces of pelts of several animals, or may just be the pelt of one unlucky victim. The slaughter of these animals is violent and pitiless. Cats are strangled inside their cages as other cats look on. Dogs are noosed about the neck with metal wires, and then slashed across the groin. The wire noose cuts into their throats as they struggle in pain before finally losing consciousness.

In Harbin, China, HSI investigators documented a German shepherd still blinking and conscious as he was being skinned. At a dog farm several hours north of Harbin investigators documented dead dogs hanging from hooks as others, still alive, awaited their fate inside the same cold room.

The products

Dog and cat fur is marketed and sold to Europe and North America. Dogs and cats may be killed in one country and processed in another, and the finished products sold anywhere in the world. The primary use of dog and cat fur is not for full-length fur coats, but for fur-trim parkas, gloves, hats, toys, and other accessories. Fur-covered animal figurines also frequently use dog and cat fur—an estimated 20 percent of all the figurines made, the balance coming from rabbits and goats.

Labeling

In Canada, there are no labeling requirements for fur garments. Thus, it is entirely possible for cat and dog fur to be sold in this country, without anyone finding out. And while some fur is voluntarily labeled in Canada, this slaughter is so unconscionable that the industry has tried to obscure the truth with misleading labels. With rare exceptions, dog and cat products are not labeled as such.

Fur manufacturers in China told HSI investigators they would sew any label onto dog and cat garments to make them more marketable.

Export documentation for dog and cat fur figurines usually identifies the contents as rabbit fur. When asked, most retailers will support this belief, since they’ve been told that the fur on figurines comes from rabbits, and that it is a byproduct of the food industry in China.

Bans on cat and dog fur

After learning of the HSI investigation, the U.S. Congress passed the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000; a European Union ban on imports and exports of cat and dog fur went into effect on January 1, 2009.

It is legal to import cat and dog fur into Canada, and these products have already been found in North America. With global markets for cat and dog fur closing, Canada may become an increasingly tempting market for producers. According to Industry Canada, the Canadian fur and retail industry imported $5 million in animal pelts and $28 million in fur trimmed apparel from China in 2004. Despite the distinct possibility that many of these imported furs are from dogs and cats, the government has so far been reluctant to prohibit these imports.

Learn more

Read the latest news about HSI’s work on fur issues around the world.

Humane Society International

Learn more about the cruelty of battery eggs and find resources to avoid them:

Humane Society International

Migratory birds and city lights

Every year, thousands of birds are injured or killed on migratory pathways when they became confused by city lights. Many more birds are killed by collisions with buildings than by oil spills. In fact, an estimated one hundred million to one billion birds die each year due to collisions with human-built structures across North America alone.

Why are lights dangerous to birds?

In spring, some bird species fly from the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean or South America to reach summer breeding grounds in Canada. In the fall, they make the return journey. Many of these species migrate at night.

Stars help birds find their way, and artificial lights from tall buildings, broadcast towers or any other structure that obscures starlight can disorient them. Fog, rain and low clouds reflect light, making it even harder for the birds to find their way.

What happens to disoriented birds?

Birds that become disoriented by artificial light will either collide with a structure or fly around it until they become exhausted and drop. Birds can also be “trapped” by beams of light. Once in a beam, birds are reluctant to fly out of it into the dark. They flap around in the lit area until they fall from exhaustion.

After a collision or fall, birds can die from injuries like head trauma, broken beaks and feather damage. Many birds are only stunned by a collision and recover from the shock after a couple of hours. But if they find themselves surrounded by bright city lights, they won’t have a very good chance at survival. If they haven’t found their way out by morning, many birds panic when the city comes to life, which can cause them to hit more windows. If they manage to avoid collisions, they are still at risk from predators, like cats and gulls, or even starvation.

What can be done?

Migrating birds are threatened by a variety of human activities, so it is important to minimize impact wherever possible. The public, office building management and staff can be taught to understand the risk to birds and help by turning off or dimming unnecessary lights.

HSI Canada is working with the city of Toronto and other organizations to raise awareness of the hazard that illuminated office towers pose to birds during the migration season. The groups want to establish bird-friendly policies and practices that will help keep migratory birds alive on their way through Toronto.

Take action

To learn more about what you can do to help migratory birds, visit FLAP (the Fatal Light Awareness Program) and the Lights Out Toronto Project, or download the Lights Out Toronto brochure.

Humane Society International

Each year in Canada, more than 1 million sows are subjected to some of the cruelest farming practices yet devised by the agriculture industry. These unfortunate animals are intensively confined throughout their pregnancies in metal stalls so small that the sows are unable to turn around. These sensitive, intelligent animals are treated like piglet-producing machines on Canadian factory farms until they are no longer able to produce.

A cruel farming practice

“Gestation crates” are metal stalls measuring approximately 0.7 m (2 ft) by 2m (7 ft)—barely larger than a sow. This crate is specifically designed to severely restrict a sow’s movement and thwart her natural behaviours. A breeding sow spends most of her reproductive life (normally 3-5 years) in such a gestation crate. She endures a continuous cycle of impregnation and birth (beginning at seven months of age,) producing more than 20 piglets per year, 15 percent of whom will die by the age of 2-3 weeks. The piglets who survive are taken away from her and crowded into pens with metal bars and concrete floors, destined for the same life as their mother or the dinner plate. After about three litters, she is spent, deemed “no longer profitable” and sent to the slaughterhouse.

The horrible effects of intensive confinement

The terrible consequences of such intensive confinement are numerous and diverse. Joint damage, leg weakness, decreased muscle mass, weakened bones, overgrown hooves, lameness,  impaired mobility, obesity, abrasions, urinary tract infections, chronic stress, depression, frustration, aggression, abnormal neurotic behaviour, cardiovascular problems and diseases such as Salmonellosis, epidemic transmissible gastroenteritis, Bratislava and respiratory disease are some of the problems these sows may experience.

Shifting away from such unnecessary cruelty

There are however, alternative ways to raise pigs and a shift to alternative housing systems has already begun in Europe, the states of Arizona, Florida, and Oregon, the Colorado Pork Producers Council, Smithfield Foods (the largest pork producer in the US) and Maple Leaf Foods (Canada’s largest pork producer.)  In fact, Sweden and the United Kingdom have already banned the use of gestation crates.  Similarly, celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has promised to purchase pork from crate-free sources for all of his restaurants, and Burger King is increasingly purchasing crate-free pork, as supplies become more consistent.

What we’re doing

HSI Canada, along with our US affiliate, The Humane Society of the United States, is working to end the cruelty inherent in gestation crate confinement, achieving significant success in recent years.

Take action

  • Write to your Minister of Agriculture and ask him or her to ban gestation crates now.
  • Make a difference for animals at every meal with our Guide to Meat-Free meals.

Learn more

Humane Society International

Paté de foie gras, translated from French, means “fatty liver.” This so-called gourmet delicacy is undeniably the product of extreme animal cruelty.

Force-fed cruelty

Factory foie gras farms intensively raise ducks and geese in large, enclosed barns. For the last few weeks of their lives, the birds are forced into tiny wire cages and denied access to enough water to swim or preen. This confinement can lead to lesions of the sternum and bone fractures, as well as foot injuries from the cage floors.

Two to three times a day, farm workers grab the birds and cram metal pipes down their throats, forcing huge amounts of food into them in seconds. The excessive overfeeding (equaling one third the bird’s body weight—each day) causes their livers to become diseased and to swell up to 10 times their normal size. Soon they can barely stand, walk, or even breathe. This force-feeding can also cause painful bruising, lacerations and sores. The animals often die when the metal feeding tubes puncture their necks, when their stomachs literally “burst,” or when force-feeding overfills them to the point of suffocation.

In Canada, half a million birds are killed for foie gras each year.

International response

More than a dozen countries—including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel (formerly the world’s fourth-largest foie gras producing nation), Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland—have prohibited the production of foie gras. In 2004, California became the first U.S. state to ban the cruel force-feeding of birds and the sale of foie gras produced from force-fed birds, effective 2012.

What we’re doing

HSI is committed to ending the misery and abuse endured by tens of millions of ducks and geese to produce foie gras:

  • In 2004, HSI was part of a coalition that helped pass a bill in California to ban both the force-feeding of birds for foie gras and the sale of foie gras from force-fed birds. We support similar humane legislation in other U.S. cities and states.
  • We work with corporate retailers and restaurants to encourage them to leave foie gras off their store shelves and menus. For example, after working with us, Wolfgang Puck announced the implementation of a wide-ranging program to improve animal welfare in his supply chain, including not using foie gras.
  • We have a number of lawsuits pending regarding the cruelty inherent in foie gras production—as well as a foie gras producers’ hundreds of violations of the Clean Water Act, taxpayer subsidization of foie gras production, and the production and sale of foie gras as an adulterated food product.
  • A growing number of consumers are rejecting foie gras as too cruel to support. HSI provides information explaining the welfare issues with this “delicacy of despair.”

Learn more and take action

Humane Society International





  • J. Gabriel/Stock.xchng


While studies have shown the many health benefits of vegetarian eating, merely removing animal products from your diet doesn’t automatically ensure good health.
As with any eating plan, it’s important to know some basic nutrition information.


Staying physically active, avoiding foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol, and eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is good advice for anyone. Fortunately, this isn’t hard for most vegetarians. However, there are some key nutrients to look out for:


Essential Omega-3 Fatty Acids. These fatty acids are important for a variety of reasons—including maintaining good heart and cardiovascular health—and it’s important to have a reliable source, such as walnuts, ground flax seeds, flax oil, hempseed oil, canola oil, and supplements.


Vitamin B12. When nonvegetarians consume animal products, they also ingest this vitamin that is made by bacteria in some animals’ bodies. Vegetarians can take a common multiple vitamin or B12 supplement, or enjoy fortified cereals or soy milk to get a reliable source of B12.


Vitamin D. This vitamin is important for good bone health. Our bodies make vitamin D when we’re exposed to sunlight. Spending some time outdoors every day without sunscreen and, during the winter months, eating vitamin D-fortified foods or taking a supplement is a good idea for anyone, vegetarian or not.


Protein. A common misperception about vegetarian diets is that they don’t provide enough protein. Numerous studies have shown that this simply isn’t the case. Eating an adequate number of calories derived from any normal variety of plant foods generally gives us all the protein our bodies need.


Iron. Our bodies need iron to keep oxygen circulating throughout the bloodstream. In extreme cases, an iron deficiency can lead to fatigue and other disorders. Fortunately, iron is plentiful in animal-free sources. (For even greater iron absorption, eat foods high in vitamin C, like citrus fruits and bell peppers.)


Calcium. Everyone knows we need calcium for strong bones, but what most people don’t know is that our risk of osteoporosis can be lowered by reducing sodium intake, eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising, and getting enough vitamin D from sunlight or fortified food sources.


Protein-rich and vegetarian


Almonds, black beans, brown rice, cashews, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, peanut butter, pinto beans, quinoa, seitan (a wheat-based mock meat), soybeans, soy milk, sunflower seeds, textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu, vegetarian hot dogs and burgers


Iron-rich and vegetarian


Black beans, bran flakes, cashews, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, raisins, soybeans, soy milk, spinach, sunflower seeds, tofu, tomato juice, whole wheat bread


Calcium-rich and vegetarian


Almonds, black beans, broccoli, calcium-fortified orange juice, collard greens, great northern beans, kale, kidney beans, mustard greens, navy beans, pinto beans, sesame seeds, soybeans, soy milk, textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu

Humane Society International




  • Battery-caged hens suffer terribly. HSI

Worldwide, hundreds of millions of egg-laying hens are confined in small, wire enclosures known as battery cages.

Battery cages are so cramped that the hens are unable to perform many important natural behaviors, including walking, perching, dust bathing, nesting, or even fully stretching their wings. They suffer psychological stress as well as numerous physical harms, including bone weakness and breakage, feather loss, and diseases.

Standard industry practices, such as slicing off parts of beaks without painkillers and manipulating the hens’ laying cycles by starving them, cause the birds significant pain.

There are more humane production systems that do not use cages, including cage-free, free-range and organic. There are also many vegetarian alternatives to consuming eggs.

Learn more

Humane Society International

Background information


Egg Production Using Battery Cages


Pork Production Using Gestation and Farrowing Crates


Report


The Welfare of Intensively Confined Animals in Battery Cages, Gestation Crates, and Veal Crates: Read HSI’s report detailing welfare concerns with these intensive confinement systems. [PDF]


Fact sheet


Animal Agriculture and Climate Change: Learn more about the connection by reading HSI’s fact sheet [PDF].


Watch HSUS videos on these topics



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