Category: Press Release

Humane Society International / Europe

HSI

BRUSSELS—Today the European Commission has announced that it will be taking steps to reduce legal protections for wolves in the EU. To achieve this, they will propose the downgrading of the wolf’s protection status under the Bern Convention. At present, wolves are listed under Appendix II, which means they require special protection. However, if Parties to the Bern Convention agree to this proposal, the species will be downlisted to Appendix III. While still protected, the “exploitation” of the species could still be regulated in accordance with the Convention. This would open the door to more wolves being killed in the EU and the potential amendment of the EU Habitats Directive.

Humane Society International/Europe condemns the Commission’s alarming attempts to downgrade legal protections for wolves in the EU. Despite the remarkable resurgence of this species as a conservation success, the leadership of the Commission, instead of upholding its commitment to biodiversity protection, appears to be yielding to pressure from farming and hunting lobbies advocating for increased wolf killings. HSI/Europe is also concerned about the process that led to the current decision.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for HSI/Europe, says: “This decision of the European Commission is deeply troubling, as it is driven more by political convenience than scientific evidence and stems from an opaque and irregular consultation process relying on anecdotal submissions.”

HSI/Europe, in collaborating with other animal and environmental protection organisations, has consistently communicated its profound concerns to President Ursula  von der Leyen regarding the alarming trajectory of large carnivore protection.

Dr Swabe emphasizes: “If President von der Leyen believes that she is currying favour with rural voters with such decisions ahead of the EU elections, she should think twice. A recent survey conducted among rural communities in 10 Member States found that a significant majority are keen to see legal protections for wolves upheld and priority given to their conservation. Rather than trying to destroy legal protections for these large carnivores, the Commission should be working harder to promote the uptake of coexistence measures in Member States, since opportunities to implement mitigation measures are being underutilised despite the fact that farmers can receive 100% remuneration for taking non-lethal action to protect their animals.”

Facts
  • The Council of Europe’s Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, known more commonly as the Bern Convention,is a legal instrument in the field of nature conservation, covering most of Europe and extending to some states of Africa.
  • On 4th September 2023, the Commission issued a press release claiming that the concentration of wolf packs in the EU has become a danger for farm animals and potentially for humans. This statement was misleading and not based on science. It also announced the collection of data on “challenges related to the return of wolves” for an 18-day period.
  • HSI/Europe and other NGOs consequently wrote to President von der Leyen raising concerns that this public ‘consultation’ violated the Commission’s own rules with regard to Better Regulation, and challenging its necessity given the data generated by the recent Fitness Check of the Nature Directives, as well as from Member States reporting under the requirements of the Habitats Directive, including in relation to the existing derogations concerning large carnivores.
  • A survey conducted by Savanta in November 2023 among a sample of 10,000 inhabitants of rural areas in 10 Member States (Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, Sweden and Romania) found that many rural inhabitants are supportive of protecting wolves and other large carnivores, with 68% stating that they should be strictly protected and over two-thirds (72%) agreeing that they have a right to co-exist.
  • The farming and hunting lobby have consistently been pushing for the protection status of wolves to be downgraded. Yet the Savanta survey found that a very low proportion of respondents indicated that they feel well-represented by hunting (12%) and farming (18%) interest groups.
  • Wolves are listed in the Annexes of the EU Habitats Directive as either a strictly protected or protected species, depending on the population in question. Hunting permits to kill them can only be granted under exceptional circumstances.
  • The Habitats Directive authorises Member States to use derogations to allow management control provided there is “no satisfactory alternative and the derogation is not harmful to the maintenance of the populations of the species concerned.” These exceptions are meant to stop “serious damage” to livestock and crops, protect the public’s health and safety or for research and education. However, research indicates that while in theory hunting may be allowed in very narrow circumstances, in reality it would be very difficult to do so in a way that complies with all criteria of the Directive, and questionable whether it could comply with the precondition that no satisfactory alternatives exist.
  • The Commission recently published a detailed Guidance Document to provide clarification to Member States on how this derogation can be applied.
  • The EU’s LIFE programme has already funded numerous projects to help effectively mitigate human-large carnivore conflicts.
  • State Aid provisions compensate farmers with 100% financial remuneration for losses suffered and costs incurred by predator attacks, but also offer 100% reimbursement for the mitigation measures implemented. The primary issue is that farmers are not always aware of their entitlement to such funds, and Member States are slow in compensating them for their losses.

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Media contact: Yavor Gechev, communications director for HSI/Europe: ygechev@hsi.org ; +359889468098 ; +393515266629

Humane Society International and Full Technical Assistance Coordination address rising market demand for hen welfare in egg production

Humane Society International / Brazil

HSI

SÃO PAULO—Last week, producers raising hens for their eggs gathered in the countryside of São Paulo state, the largest egg-producing state in Brazil, to boost their knowledge of the scientific foundation behind cage-free housing systems. The workshop, which was hosted by global animal protection charity Humane Society International and rural extension state entity Full Technical Assistance Coordination, empowered egg producers attending the event to make their first steps in meeting the ever-growing consumer and market demand for cage-free eggs.

High-level panelists, featuring experts from Hendrix Genetics, Produtor do Bem, VR Assessoria Avícola and HSI in Brazil spearheaded the workshop. The event covered hen behavior and welfare, nutrition, biosecurity, animal health and farm management in cage-free egg production systems, demonstrating that producers have a variety of resources available to successfully transition to cage-free systems.

The market for cage-free eggs in Brazil is rapidly growing, accelerating the shift towards kinder, cage-free systems for raising hens and harvesting their eggs. Major retailers such as Carrefour and GPA, manufacturers such as Unilever and Bimbo, restaurant groups such as Arcos Dorados and Brazilian Fast-Food Corporation, hotel operators such as Accor and Atlantica Hotels, and many other sectors from food service to pet food manufacturing have pledged publicly to source exclusively cage-free eggs by 2028. Where the market goes, the production follows: the volume required from the over 170 large-scale buyers with these commitments will require a significant sector shift to cage-free systems to meet this demand. As seen in other countries, the corporate demand will change the landscape of Brazilian egg production.

Tatiane Carmo, agriculture and livestock assistant at CATI, stated: “As CATI technicians, we believe that raising cage-free laying hens is a global trend and that the consumer market demands products that consider the welfare of the animals, in addition to the quality and safety of the food. We found that many producers want to transition from the conventional system to cage-free systems, and others who have already adopted this system are interested in gaining more knowledge to improve their production and potentially obtain certification on animal welfare.”

Cage-free systems typically offer hens higher levels of welfare by allowing more opportunities for expression of natural behavior such as ground scratching, pecking, dustbathing, nesting, perching and socializing, all of which are not possible in conventional battery cage systems. Hens are sentient, intelligent and sociable animals. Scientific studies have shown that they have a sense of time, can count, learn from their flock mates and anticipate the future, which in turn affects their decision-making. They experience positive emotional states and enjoy social activities such as dustbathing.

To Rodrigo Cobrelo, consultant at poultry systems consultancy VR Assessoria Avícola, it is essential to ensure that the hen’s welfare is respected during their whole lives. “The focus should be on the hen, the egg is a consequence,” he said.

Diogo Ito, laying hen specialist at Hendrix Genetics, global breeding, genetics and technology company, said: “Cage-free systems meet a demand from consumers who seek a balance between animal welfare and do not compromise on the quality of the eggs on their table. To this end, it is important for the egg producer to follow certain recommendations that aim to protect hens from health problems, and at the same time meet its nutritional requirements, so that hens can remain healthy and produce eggs with high nutritional quality.”

José Ciocca, executive director at certification authority Produtor do Bem, stated: “Certifications provide applicable technical guidance and guidelines, and allow producers to demonstrate that their products meet specific standards. Furthermore, it helps companies implement their own animal welfare commitments, mitigates reputational risks in the supply chain and brings added and profitable value to the supply chain.”

Anna Souza, policy and program manager in farm animal welfare and protection at HSI in Brazil, said: “Producers now have a myriad of resources at their fingertips, empowering many to successfully transition to cage-free systems. There is no question that the future of egg production is cage-free, and HSI welcomes Brazil to join the global shift.”

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Media contact: Anna Cristina Souza, asouza@hsi.org

Safe Food will source 100% cage-free eggs by 2028

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

Cage-free hens
Michelle Riley/The HSUS

HO CHI MINH CITY, Viet Nam—Safe Food, a food retailer in Ho Chi Minh City, announced it will only use cage-free eggs by 2028 through a recent collaboration with Gia Vien Farm, an egg producer set on a fivefold expansion of its cage-free systems. The initiative, backed by the global animal protection charity Humane Society International, is set to receive continuous technical guidance to ensure its successful implementation.

Viet Nam is home to nearly 86 million hens used for their eggs, the majority of which are confined in cages and unable to fully stretch their wings. The partnership between Safe Food and Gia Vien Farms will provide hens space to move freely within the barn and express their natural behavior, including ground scratching, pecking, laying their eggs in nests and socializing with their peers. Gia Vien Farm houses 2,000 hens in cage-free systems and plans to increase this number to 10,000 hens in the coming year. With this move, the producer is aligning with a worldwide movement observed among food businesses, producers, and governmental regulatory bodies, highlighting the importance of a supply chain that prioritizes strong animal welfare practice

Mrs. Le Van,  Director of Sales at Safe Food, shared: “We understand that this journey may pose challenges, but we are wholeheartedly committed to working closely with Gia Vien Farm, our customers, and our partners to ensure a seamless and successful transition. Our customers can continue to trust Safe Food for safe, high-quality products that adhere to the highest ethical and quality standards.”

Ms. An Tran, HSI’s Farm Animal Welfare and Protection Viet Nam Program Manager, extended a message of appreciation, stating: “Safe Food‘s decision to go cage-free  will relieve hens from a life of extreme confinement and sends a clear message to the egg industry that the future of egg production is cage-free.”  Tran further emphasized, “We look forward to working together to create a brighter future for hens in the country by ending the use of cages.”

Cage-free production systems, like those at Gia Vien Farm, offer hens higher levels of welfare. In collaboration with Safe Food and other food industry stakeholders such as Vinh Thanh Dat Food Corporation, Mondelēz Kinh Do, and Fusion Hotel Group in Viet Nam and worldwide, HSI is dedicated to facilitating a successful transition to higher animal welfare production systems such as cage and crate-free.

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Media contact: Tham Hong Phuong, country director for HSI in Viet Nam ; phuongth@hsi.org

Humane Society International / South Korea

Jean Chung/For HSI

SEOUL—One month after the South Korean government announced a bill to ban the dog meat industry, 27 dogs rescued from a dog meat farm in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do have flown to the United States in search of loving homes. At the time of rescue in March this year by animal charity Humane Society International/Korea, these dogs—including Bumblebee, Parker, Trudy, Bruno and Mia—had not even been born yet when HSI/Korea saved their pregnant mums. Although previously too young to fly overseas, Nana, Nadia, Corbin, Covy Chico and the others are now old enough to make the journey. Mother dogs Raspberry and Zelda will also fly with their grown pups.

All had been fated to be killed for their meat as part of an industry that breeds and slaughters up to 1 million dogs a year for human consumption. They were saved as part of a 200-dog rescue when HSI/Korea worked with the farmer, who wanted to leave dog farming behind him and convert his land into a self-sufficient crop field growing cabbages and other vegetables.

With five legislative bills to ban the dog meat industry, and now the commitment of a government-backed bill, HSI/Korea says these 27 dogs are a reminder to policy makers that campaigners are counting the days for politicians to take action on a ban. The latest opinion surveys by Nielsen Korea in 2023 show that most South Koreans (87.5%) don’t eat dog meat and 56% support a ban.

Sangkyung Lee, HSI/Korea’s End Dog Meat campaign manager, helped rescue the dogs and said: “The dog meat farm where these 28 pups came from was a hellish scene. Some 200 dogs were locked in barren, metal cages in squalid conditions thick with feces, many suffering from malnutrition as well as painful skin and eye diseases. Thankfully, most of these 27 were too young to remember the trauma of those days, and it makes me so happy to know that they will soon be embraced with new names and cherished as loved family members in the United States. It’s one month since the South Korean government pledged to ban the dog meat industry, with each one of these dogs symbolising a day that we have waited for political action. We need to get this ban done so that no more dogs have to suffer for a meat that virtually no-one wants to eat.”

Since 2015, HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has helped dog farmers in South Korea transition to new, more humane and profitable livelihoods such as chili plant and parsley growing or water truck delivery. HSI/Korea has permanently closed 18 dog meat farms so far and rescued more than 2,700 dogs who have flown to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom to find homes, with a small number rehomed in South Korea.

After arrival in the United States, the 27 dogs will be settled at the charity’s care and rehabilitation center near Washington, D.C., where they will receive the love and comfort the dog meat industry denied them, including soft beds, nutritious food, toys, veterinary care and rehabilitation. After this initial phase, they will be transferred to shelter and rescue partners where they will be prepared for adoption into loving homes.

HSI’s rescues are conducted in compliance with national and local COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Following removal from farms, dogs were evaluated by a veterinarian. They were vaccinated against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, leptospira, and canine influenza, and screened for respiratory illness as needed to ensure the health of each animal and comply with international export and import requirements.

Download Images of the Dogs Leaving South Korea at Incheon Airport

Download Images of the Dog Farm Rescue

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Media contact: Haewon Lee, HSI/Korea media and communications specialist: hlee@hsi.org

Owner supports Humane Society International’s campaign to ban the cat meat trade in Viet Nam

Humane Society International

Chau Doan/AP Images for HSI

THAI NGUYEN , Viet Nam—Twenty cats and kittens who were due to be drowned at a slaughterhouse in Thai Nguyen, Viet Nam, have been given a second chance at life after the owner asked animal charity Humane Society International’s local team for help to close his business for good. Thirty-seven-year-old Mr. Pham Quoc Doanh had run his cat meat restaurant and slaughterhouse for five years, drowning up to 300 cats a month to serve to customers as a dish called ‘thịt mèo’ (cat meat) and ‘tiểu hổ’ or ‘little tiger’. Regret at killing the animals, and particularly the knowledge that many were stolen pets, led him to resolve to get out of the trade for good.

The closure of Mr. Doanh’s business and the rescue of the cats is part of HSI’s Viet Nam Models for Change program, launched in the country last year after successfully operating in South Korea since 2015. The program has so far closed down two dog slaughterhouse/restaurants and one cat slaughterhouse/restaurant in Thai Nguyen.

Mr. Doanh said: “For a while now I have felt a genuine desire to leave the cruel cat meat business and switch to something else as soon as possible. When I think of all the thousands of cats I’ve slaughtered and served up here over the years, it’s upsetting. Cat theft is so common in Viet Nam that I know many of the cats sold here were someone’s loved family companion, and I feel very sorry about that. It makes me happy to know that thanks to HSI, my wife and I can now put the cat meat trade behind us and start afresh, still serving my local community but no longer as part of this brutal and crime-fuelled trade. I want to see a ban on the dog and cat meat trade in Viet Nam.”

With a one-time grant provided by HSI, Mr. Doanh is setting up a grocery store. As part of the agreement, he signed over to HSI the remaining 20 cats and kittens at his slaughterhouse so that they could be rescued and placed for local adoption. HSI rescuers removed the traumatized cats from the property on the final day of business and watched as Mr. Doanh tore down the restaurant’s “cat meat” signage, symbolising his exit from the cat meat trade.

Quang Nguyen, Humane Society International’s Viet Nam companion animals and engagement program manager, said: “We are thrilled to be closing down our first cat meat trade business in Viet Nam, and hope it will be the first of many as more people like Mr. Doanh turn away from this cruel trade. Although most Vietnamese people don’t eat cat meat, the belief still persists that consumption can cure bad luck, and the scale of the suffering is astonishing. These 20 lucky cats and kittens have escaped a terrible fate and will be found loving homes, but our work continues to see a nationwide ban on the cat meat trade that brings such pain and distress to so many.”

An estimated one million cats a year are killed for meat in Viet Nam, all stolen pets and strays snatched from the streets. Traders use food baits to lure the cats into homemade spring-loaded snares. Polls show that an astonishing 87% of people have either had a pet stolen or have an acquaintance whose pet has been stolen. Pet theft is becoming a growing societal issue in Viet Nam, with the increasing animal-loving and pet owning population frustrated with the lack of law enforcement to protect their animals from unscrupulous thieves and traders. In addition to pet theft, truckloads of both live and slaughtered cats have also been reported coming across the China border. Cats (and dogs) are frequently trafficked incredible distances across Viet Nam, even in the baggage hold of passenger buses, often travelling for more than 24hours without rest, food or water in suffocating conditions, with many dying along the way.

A recent Nielsen opinion poll (Oct. 2023) commissioned by HSI shows that cat meat is consumed by a relative minority of the Vietnamese population (21%) with the majority (71%) in favour of a ban on both cat meat consumption and trade. By far the top reasons for not consuming dog and cat meat are a belief that they are companion animals and an aversion to animal cruelty.

All 20 cats rescued from Mr. Doanh’s slaughterhouse were taken to custom-made sheltering at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry where they were vaccinated against rabies and will receive medical care before being made available for local adoption.

Cat meat trade facts:

  • Cat meat dishes are particularly common around the capital, Hanoi, and in the northern province of Thai Binh.
  • In 2018, nine cooler boxes containing almost 1 ton of frozen cats was intercepted between Dong Nai province in the south and Thai Binh province in the north.
  • In 1998, the Prime Minister issued a directive banning the hunting, slaughtering and consumption of cats in efforts to encourage cat ownership to keep the rat population under control. However, little to no action was taken to combat the trade, and the directive was eventually repealed in 2020.

Download video and photos of the dog slaughterhouse closure operation.

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Media contacts:

Nielsen’s online survey of Vietnamese citizens was conducted in September 2023 with recipients aged between 25–60 years old, with a total sample size of 800.

Heavily watered-down animal welfare package also disappoints with weak animal transport proposal

Humane Society International / Europe

Jo-Anne McArthur

BRUSSELS—Animal protection group Humane Society International/Europe has called “inexcusable” the European Commission’s failure today to recommend an EU-wide fur farming ban in response to the 1.5 million signature-strong European Citizens’ Initiative petition. Despite overwhelming evidence that animal suffering is endemic within fur farming, the European Commission failed to urgently end the suffering of 10 million foxes, raccoon dogs, mink and chinchillas killed on EU fur farms each year and instead delayed until 2026 any decision on proposing a ban. HSI/Europe says that the Commission’s failure to deliver a ban condemns millions of sentient animals to lives not worth living on the EU’s remaining fur farms.

The Commission’s Communication states the European Food Safety Authority will provide its scientific opinion on the welfare of animals on fur farms by March 2025, followed by an evaluation which the Commission pledged to present by March 2026 to say whether they will deliver an EU-wide ban on fur farming and on the sale of fur taken from mink, foxes, raccoon dogs, and chinchillas. Given that the mandate of the current Commission is due to end in late 2024, there is no guarantee that their successors will make good on this promise.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, noted: “The plans announced today show a European Commission that is out of touch with public opinion and expectations for stronger laws to stop animals suffering. Millions of European citizens recognise that keeping huge numbers of wild animals on fur factory farms is grossly inhumane, and leading virologists warn that fur farms present a very real pandemic disease risk. So, it is deeply frustrating and worrying that the Commission is side-stepping its responsibility for decisive action to end the outdated and unnecessary fur trade. Irrespective of fur industry claims about welfare, each and every fur farm investigation in recent times consistently shows chronically stressed animals living under appalling conditions. Stereotypical behaviours, self-mutilation, untreated wounds and even cannibalism are tragically common horrors on European fur farms. The Commission’s failure to deliver a ban today is inexcusable and condemns millions of sentient animals to lives not worth living on the EU’s remaining fur farms.”

The announcement about the Fur Free Europe ECI was made alongside the publication of the Commission’s highly watered-down Animal Welfare Package. The only proposals that the Commission has delivered today are to revise Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations, and a new Regulation on the welfare of dogs and cats and their traceability. Alone, these proposals fall short of the commitments made in the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Commission’s promise to the 1.4 million European citizens backing the ‘End the Cage Age’ European Citizen’s Initiative

Ruud Tombrock, executive director of HSI/Europe, commented: “While the proposal on animal transport contains some progressive elements, it ignores EFSA’s scientific recommendations about making sure no animal is transported in frigidtemperatures below 5°C and suffocating heat exceeding30°C. Derogations would still allow vulnerable and young animals, such as calves not yet weaned from their mother’s milk to be transported for long durations byroad. Absurdly, when these unweaned animals are transported by sea, as it often happens with calves exported from Ireland to mainland Europe, the time travelled by sea does not count as journey time. There is also no ban on live exports to non-EU countries, which has been long demanded by animal protection NGOs. The failure to address these issues is evidence that industry interests have prevailed over science and ethics, and that despite this legislative revision, it will be business as usual for operators to the detriment of animal welfare. Member States and Members of the European Parliament during the next political term must commit to strengthening this proposal to give animals the protection that they deserve.”

Facts on fur farming
  • The Commission’s communication on the Fur Free Europe ECI acknowledges that fur farming poses a risk to public health and that it is relevant to the EU’s One Health policy of protecting animals, humans and the environment. To these ends, it commits to conducting three on-site visits to fur farms to assess the disease control mechanisms in place, as well as looking into animal welfare on the selected farms.
  • The risk to native biodiversity posed by fur farms is also addressed in the Communication. While raccoon dogs are already listed on the list of invasive alien species of Union concern, the Commission states that in 2024 it will consider whether to propose to include American mink in this list. Previous attempts to do so had been blocked by several Member States despite the responsible scientific committee’s approval of a risk assessment highlighting the threat American mink pose to native biodiversity.
  • Fur farming has already been completely banned in 15 Member States (with phase-outs still ongoing in some), namely Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Slovakia. Partial bans have also been introduced in other Member States, namely Denmark, Sweden and Hungary. Legislation in Germany has rendered fur farming economically unviable. A proposal to ban fur farming is currently under consideration in Romania.
Facts on improving lives of animals farmed for food:
  • In 2020, the Commission committed to revising and expanding the scope of the existing EU animal welfare legislation in the framework of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy. Following the 1.4 million signatures strong ECI to End the Cage Age, the Commission later pledged to deliver a legislative proposal to end caged confinement for animals farmed for food by the end of 2023. This proposal has not been forthcoming.
  • The Commission’s proposal to revise the existing animal transport legislation includes the following elements:
    • Proposing the lowering of maximum journey times for most species. For example, horses, cows, sheep, goats and pigs should not be transported to slaughter for more than nine hours.
    • Updating space allowances to be aligned with EFSA’s recommendations on animal transport
    • Protecting young unweaned calves, lambs, kids, piglets and foals by banning on-road transportation over eight hours. However, a very concerning loophole exists where if part of the animal transportation occurs at sea, the time spent at sea is not included in the overall journey duration, thereby undermining the protection of unweaned animals.
    • Requiring real-time traceability of live animal consignments for all road journeys, which will help enforce rules designed to protect animals, such as maximum transportation times.
    • Limiting live animal transport to ships flying white or grey flags. Under the performance ratings of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Controls, only those ships will be allowed to operate and receive authorisation certificates to transport live animals. This will exclude ships that have shown an excessive number of deficiencies to be responsible for transporting animals.

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Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval, international media relations coordinator; cbodinduval@hsi.org

Rotruedee restaurant is now cage-free

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

Grigorios Moraitis/Getty Images

Update: As of October 2023, Rotruedee has published that it no longer buys eggs from caged hens.

BANGKOK, Thailand—Rotruedee, an authentic Thai restaurant, fully switched to cage-free eggs shortly after discussions with Humane Society International. Rotruedee’s swift shift to cage-free eggs is driven by their conviction that superior quality and compassionate sourcing of ingredients are pivotal factors to the flavor of the food they serve and the restaurant’s popularity and long-term growth.

The majority of the 95.8 million hens used for egg production in Thailand spend their entire lives in wire cages the size of an A4 sheet of paper, so small hens can’t spread their wings or take more than few steps. In such production systems, hens are unable to express important natural behaviors, including nesting, perching and dustbathing, all of which are possible in cage-free systems. Hens are sentient, intelligent and sociable animals. Scientific studies have shown that they can count,  empathize with their chicks, enjoy social activities such as dustbathing, and can anticipate the future, which in turn affects their decision making.

Mr. Tupnapaat Jarumpornsakul, founder of Rotruedee, says: “When we set up this restaurant, we wanted to create an excellent and authentic Thai restaurant with reasonable prices offering a unique mix of common and rare dishes. After dialogue with Humane Society International, we understand how hens suffer in cages, and immediately chose to make a commitment to go cage-free. Improving animal welfare is a part of our goal of celebrating food and sustainability. We love to make the best food and want to make the biggest positive impact we can for society.”

“Thai people love animals, and Rotruedee’s commitment is a part of the growing cage-free movement in Thailand. We hope that Rotruedee’s quick implementation of its policy will inspire more restaurants to stop buying caged eggs,” said Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand Program Manager for Farm Animal Welfare at Humane Society International.

Humane Society International’s work to improve the welfare of animals in agriculture is both science-based and collaborative. The organization works with companies, farmers, processors, scientists and certifiers to support a transition to cage-free housing systems, and offers a wide range of support to companies including farm visits, consumer education and corporate roundtables and workshops to enhance their supply chains.

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Media contact: Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand program manager for farm animal welfare and protection at Humane Society International, ltangjerdjaras@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Global

dusanpetkovic

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates—We, the undersigned organizations, welcome the endorsement of more than 120 countries to the COP28 UAE Declaration on Climate and Health, which emphasizes the importance of integrating health into climate policies.

In particular, we appreciate the recognition of the climate benefits of “shifts to sustainable healthy diets.” This is a critical step forward, and important actions lie ahead to implement the Declaration’s objectives and promises.

The Climate and Health Declaration notes the importance of collaborating across “human, animal, environment, and climate health challenges.” Sustainable and healthy food systems are pivotal to this interdependence. With its poor animal husbandry systems, industrial animal agriculture can be a powerful incubator of diseases. The “One Health” approach is crucial in tackling issues such as zoonotic disease and antimicrobial resistance.

A decisive shift away from unsustainable food production practices associated with industrial animal agriculture is urgent. Equally crucial, is the definition and direction of the transition needed. Our current global food system fails to address the inequalities in our diets, resulting in issues such as hunger and obesity. The rising global consumption of animal-based foods negatively impacts health and breaches multiple planetary boundaries, namely climate, land use change, biodiversity loss, freshwater use and nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, thereby increasing the risk of disease.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change notes the multiple benefits of a “transition to more plant-based consumption and reduced consumption of animal-based foods,” including benefits to biodiversity and forests as well as lowering risks of many non-communicable diseases. As an example, the IPCC states that shifts to healthy and sustainable plant-based diets could reduce emissions by up to 8 giga tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year.

Countries must now act to support sustainable food production as well as sustainable diets—through public education, government legislation and fiscal incentives in order to deliver effective, long-term solutions. We look forward to working with governments to implement the Declaration in a way that delivers healthy, sustainable diets for people, animals and the planet.

COP28 is a decisive moment to drive ambitious action on climate and health. We must rise to the global challenges we face and convert words into action.

Signatories include: Aquatic Life Institute, Brighter Green, Compassion in World Farming, FOUR PAWS, Humane Society International, Mercy For Animals, Plant Based Treaty, Tzu Chi Foundation, ProVeg International and World Animal Protection.

Humane Society International / Italy

HSI

ROME—The leading Italian airline, ITA Airways, proudly announces its support of the campaign #NotInMyWorld of the global animal protection charity Humane Society International/Europe. The airline has adopted a new corporate policy that prohibits the transportation of hunting trophies on all company flights, both as cargo and as passenger baggage. This stands as a significant testament to the Company’s commitment to wildlife conservation, as well as a substantial contribution to ending trophy hunting and fostering business practices that acknowledge the global community’s responsibility for biodiversity protection.

Hundreds of thousands of animals globally, including endangered and threatened species, are killed by trophy hunters for amusement and boasting, contributing to the decline of wild populations, conservation challenges, and inhumane practices. Unlike subsistence hunting, the primary motivation for those engaged in this activity is to kill animals for competition and entertainment, targeting rare or highly sought-after animals for their physical characteristics (thick manes, long tusks, overall size, etc.) and turning them into trophies for display to showcase success in hunting. Considering that a significant number of trophy hunters who book overseas hunting trips intend to transport their macabre souvenirs back home, the transportation sector plays a key role in facilitating this ethically questionable and harmful industry.

On a national level, ITA Airways’ commitment holds particular significance since Italy ranks among the primary importers of hunting trophies in Europe. Between 2014 and 2021, 442 hunting trophies from mammals protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) were imported, including hippos, rhinos, elephants, and lions. These data reveal the country’s active involvement in the trophy hunting industry, despite a survey indicating that 86% of Italians oppose this practice, with 74% supporting a legislative ban on trophy imports.

By joining the campaign, ITA Airways has taken several measures including:

  • Addition of hunting trophies to the list of prohibited items: ITA Airways has expanded the list of prohibited items for transportation in both passenger baggage and cargo, expressly including hunting trophies. This clear prohibition ensures that such items are not accepted on ITA Airways flights.
  • Online publication of the policy: The hunting trophy policy has been published on the ITA Airways’ official website, providing transparency and accessibility to the new directives. This step reflects the Company’s commitment to open and responsible communication.
  • Update of operational manuals for cargo and ground procedures: ITA Airways has reviewed and updated its operations manuals, ensuring that the new provisions regarding hunting trophies are fully integrated into cargo procedures and ground operations.
  • Dissemination of the policy to staff, hubs, and suppliers: The new policy has been disseminated at all levels of the Company, including flight and ground staff, as well as suppliers and hubs where the airline operates. This dissemination ensures full understanding and adherence to the new provisions regarding hunting trophies.

Giovanna Di Vito, ITA Airways’ chief program office, ESG & Customer Operations, emphasizes “Our firm support for Humane Society International/Europe’s campaign to stop the import of hunting trophies into Italy and Europe reflects ITA Airways’ ongoing commitment to the planet, our country, and communities. Our Company’s new policy, which formalizes a ban on the carriage of hunting trophies on its flights, is a concrete action, our contribution to the protection of wildlife and the promotion of that protection. Indeed, we believe that companies have a key role in supporting and spreading ethical practices that represent real progress toward a more responsible and sustainable future.”

Martina Pluda, director of Humane Society International/Europe in Italy, states: “ITA Airways’ support to our campaign and their new policy represent a highly significant contribution to the goal of ending cruel trophy hunting. In fact, the corporate sector also plays a huge role in the collective action necessary to protect threatened wildlife globally. With HSI/Europe’s #NotInMyWorld campaign, we continue to strengthen our commitment to the preservation of endangered animal species and flora and for the introduction of bans on import, export and re-export of hunting trophies from protected animals in Italy and Europe.”

In addition to ITA Airways, an increasing number of airlines, cargo operators, and transport companies worldwide have adopted corporate policies against the transportation of hunting trophies. Please visit hsi.org/trophy-free-transport for an overview of all transport companies.

Visit  the new ITA Airways corporate policy 

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Media contact:

  • HSI/Europe: Eva-Maria Heinen, communications & PR manager for HSI in Italy and Germany: emheinen@hsi.org; 3338608589
  • ITA Airways: Pietro Caldaroni, Head of Communication and Institutional relations; media@ita-airways.com

Humane Society International / Europe

Thomas Szacka-Marier for HSI

BRUSSELS―With just a week to go before the European Commission is due to deliver its formal response to the European Citizens’ Initiative petition for an EU-wide fur farming ban, animal protection organizations, members of the Fur Free Alliance and MEPs gathered opposite the European Parliament to highlight the suffering of animals exploited for fur fashion.  More than 1.5 million EU citizens signed the ECI petition for a Fur Free Europe which could end the suffering of 10 million foxes, raccoon dogs, mink and chinchilla on EU fur farms each year.

Campaigners from Humane Society International/Europe, Oikeutta eläimille and Otwarte Klatki, Gaia and Tu Abrigo Su Vida wore body screens broadcasting footage recently obtained from undercover investigations on fur farms in six Member States, namely Finland, Poland, Denmark, Spain, Latvia and Lithuania. The disturbing footage exposes the harsh realities of intensively confining wild species on fur factory farms, and shows mink and foxes in small, wire cages, enduring horrifying injuries, maggot infested wounds and painful infections.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, said: “This new footage showing mink, foxes and raccoon dogs suffering from the most horrific injuries and displaying stereotypical behaviours, confirms just how poor animal welfare standards are on Europe’s remaining fur farms. Despite fur industry claims of improved welfare on fur farms, the truth is there is precious little evidence that anything has really changed since the fur farm investigations of the 1980s. Animal suffering is endemic within fur farming and the only ethical solution, which also satisfies the demands of a majority of EU citizens, is to ban fur farming altogether. The European Commission must now take action to deliver a legislative proposal to prohibit fur farming at an EU level.”

Kristo Muurimaa, campaigns director at Finnish animal group Oikeutta eläimille, added: “Over the past decade, I have visited dozens of fur farms in Finland and elsewhere in the world, and the one common factor is the appalling welfare conditions under which the animals are standardly kept. It is extremely common to see abnormal behaviours, evidence of fighting, untreated injuries and even instances of cannibalism. I’ve seen these poor conditions on fur farms certified as complying with the industry’s voluntary animal welfare standards, demonstrating that this certification is not worth the paper it is written on. It is quite simply impossible to safeguard or guarantee the welfare of animals intensively bred for fur.”

Karolina Pelka, investigations specialist at Otwarte Klatki in Poland, said: “Given the conditions under which animals on fur farms are intensively kept, bred and killed, it is impossible to meet their complex welfare needs. Let it be clear. Any attempt to develop EU animal welfare standards for fur animals, which is based on the existing caged housing system, cannot deliver meaningful welfare improvements for these animals. Moreover, it would be an insult to the more than 1.5 million EU citizens who signed the ECI calling for a Fur Free Europe. They will be satisfied by nothing less than an EU-wide ban on fur farming.”

“In this day and age, it is reprehensible that we are still keeping and killing animals solely for their fur. This is a cruel and unnecessary practice, which—as we have seen in recent years with outbreaks of the SARS-CoV-2 and HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] viruses on fur farms—also poses a serious threat to public health. The fur industry is already in serious decline throughout Europe, consumers, retailers and fashion designers have increasingly been turning their backs on fur and fur production has been prohibited in many Member States. So let us finally end this cruel business by introducing an EU-wide ban on fur farming. The industry only exists to supply the frivolous fashion industry with luxury products that no-one actually needs. It is high time that the Commission listens to EU citizens and delivers an EU ban on fur farming,” says Tilly Metz MEP (Greens/EFA) and President of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals.

Find pictures of the event and of MEPs supporting a ban on fur farming.

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Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval, international media relations coordinator, cbodinduval@hsi.org

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