Humane Society International calls on WHO to clarify statements made in briefing
Humane Society International / Global
Jayne Russell/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News
WASHINGTON (May 8, 2020)—The Associated Press is reporting that a scientist from the World Health Organization does not support closing live animal markets, such as the one in Wuhan, China, linked to COVID-19. The remarks were reportedly made by WHO food safety and animal diseases expert Peter Ben Embarek. The following is a statement from Teresa Telecky, Humane Society International’s vice president for wildlife:
“The remarks did not address the issue of wildlife sold for food in these markets — an important distinction, given scientific evidence that diseases such as COVID-19 and SARS originated in wildlife markets. In fact, on April 17, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, ‘Governments must rigorously enforce bans on the sale and trade of wildlife for food.’ We call on WHO to clarify Peter Ben Embarek’s remarks to reiterate that wild animals should not be sold at these markets.
“The wildlife trade caused the COVID-19 pandemic, and WHO has an obligation to advise countries to lower the risk of another pandemic by outlawing live wild animal markets.”
Last month, HSI published a white paper, detailing the link between wildlife markets and COVID-19.
END
Media contact: Nancy Hwa, nhwa@hsi.org, 202-596-0808
Humane Society International says ban reflects Chinese people’s love for their pets
Humane Society International / China
AP Images for HSIA cat climbs up the cage at the slaughterhouse in Yulin, China, trying to escape. This cat was later rescued by Peter Li, China Specialist with HSI. May 2015.
BEIJING—The city of Zhuhai in Guangdong province has become the second city in mainland China to ban the consumption of dog and cat meat, and of wildlife, in what campaigners at animal charity Humane Society International hope will be the start of a domino effect of progressive legislation across China to end these brutal trades that see an estimated 10 million dogs and 4 million cats killed every year, mostly stolen pets and strays.
Zhuhai’s ban comes after the city of Shenzhen banned dog and cat meat earlier this month, and just days after China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs publicly stated that dogs are companion animals and not “livestock.” The Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Zhuhai Municipality stated that lawmakers must adhere to China’s livestock “white list” of animals for human consumption. Other cities in mainland China are believed to be considering bans.
Humane Society International has been at the forefront of campaigns to end the dog and cat meat trade across Asia for many years and has helped to rescue thousands of dogs and cats from China, South Korea, India and Indonesia. In South Korea the charity works cooperatively with dog meat farmers to help them transition to alternative humane livelihoods, and lobbies regional and national governments to advance legislation.
Dr. Peter Li, HSI’s China policy specialist, welcomed the Zhuhai ban, saying: “Zhuhai’s ban on dog and cat meat eating is thrilling news for all those in China and around the world who have campaigned for so long to end this brutal trade. Coming so soon after Shenzhen’s ban and the government’s historic statement classifying dogs as companions, we hope this will be the start of a domino effect of progressive legislation across China with other cities following suit. With so many millions of dogs and cats falling victim to the meat trade, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that most people in China don’t eat dogs and cats, and that for years there has been enormous public support there for an end to the cruelty. So now it would seem that in the absence of a national ban, cities are taking matters into their own hands and reflecting the mood of the people.”
“This isn’t just good news for animal protection, it’s very good news for public health because the dog meat trade poses a significant human health risk, linked to the spread of trichinellosis, cholera and rabies. Rabies has been found in dogs traded for human consumption in China, Vietnam and Indonesia, and is easily spread as thousands of dogs are crammed on slaughter trucks and driven across provincial borders to markets and slaughterhouses.”
Facts about China’s dog meat trade
Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meat. There are estimated to be more than 91.49 million dogs and cats kept as pets in China. An estimated 10 million dogs a year are killed for China’s dog meat trade.
The World Health Organization warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera.
Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20% of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. Nationwide across China, a 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64%) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat.
Humane Society International dismayed that farmed wildlife are listed as livestock despite COVID-19 risks
Humane Society International / China
Dogs rescued from a slaughterhouse in Yulin, China, June 2019.
BEIJING—China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has for the first time ever explicitly stated that dogs are companion animals and not “livestock,” in what could potentially be a game-changer moment for Chinese regional governments to follow the lead of Shenzhen city and ban the eating of cats and dogs, says long time anti-dog meat campaigners Humane Society International.
The draft document of the National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources was published by the national government on April 8th, which is currently accepting input from Chinese animal protection groups on the policy. It provides a list of animals considered “livestock” including pigs, ducks, chickens and others but omits dogs and cats. The livestock list proposes the only species that can be traded for meat, and the Ministry provides the first ever explanation for their omission, stating:
“With the progress of human civilization and the public’s concern and preference for animal protection, dogs have changed from traditional domestic animals to companion animals. Dogs are generally not regarded as livestock and poultry around the world, and China should also not manage them as livestock and poultry.”
Dogs and cats have never been listed as “livestock” before, but the national government in China has never officially commented on their omission until now. Coming so soon after the city of Shenzhen became the first city in mainland China to ban the consumption of dogs and cats, Humane Society International is hopeful that this could signal a critically important shift in China’s desire to see an end to the dog and cat meat trade.
Dr. Peter Li, China policy specialist at Humane Society International, says: “This is the first time we’ve ever seen China’s national government explain that dogs are companion animals. Recognizing that dogs hold a special bond with humans is an essential first step towards eliminating the consumption and trade in dog meat. This could be a pivotal moment that provides encouragement for other cities across the country to follow Shenzhen’s lead to ban the eating of dogs and cats.
“Companion animals have never been part of China’s culinary mainstream, and certainly most people in China want an end to the theft of their companion animals for a meat trade that only a small percentage of the population indulge in. Tens of millions of dogs and cats every year, mostly stolen pets, suffer for the meat trade which is almost entirely fuelled by crime and, perhaps most significantly right now, poses an undeniable human health threat with the risk of diseases such as rabies and cholera.”
The proposed livestock list also includes a variety of farmed wildlife species such as Sika deer, red deer, reindeer, alpaca, ostrich, as well as species typically farmed in their millions in China for the global fur trade, specifically mink, silver fox, blue fox and raccoon dog.
Dr. Teresa Telecky, vice president of wildlife at HSI, says: “Listing wild animals, including foxes and raccoon dogs, as ‘special livestock’ is concerning. Rebranding wildlife as livestock doesn’t alter the fact that there are insurmountable challenges to keeping these species in commercial captive breeding environments, and that their welfare needs simply can’t be met. In addition, there’s clear evidence that some of these species can act as intermediate hosts of viruses, such as COVID-19, which is why we’re urging governments around the world to stop trading in wildlife.”
Facts about China’s dog meat trade
Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meat. There are estimated to be more than 91.49 million dogs and cats kept as pets in China. An estimated 10 million dogs a year are killed for China’s dog meat trade.
The World Health Organisation warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera.
Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20% of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. Nationwide across China, a 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64%) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat.
Shenzhen’s food safety legislation (Shenzhen Special Economic Region Regulation on a Comprehensive Ban on the Consumption of Wild Animals) was first proposed in February by Shenzhen legislators, and comes into effect on 1st May. Article 3 makes clear that the consumption of “pet” animals such as cats and dogs is not permitted.
Humane Society International says wildlife markets worldwide are a petri dish for the next global pandemic
Humane Society International / Global
Jayne Russell/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News
WASHINGTON — Governments across the globe have today received an urgent plea and science-based white paper from Humane Society International calling for immediate action to ban wildlife trade, transport and consumption – particularly mammals and birds which are known to contract coronaviruses – in order to address the threat they pose to public health in addition to animal welfare and species conservation.
Although the exact origins of the current coronavirus are still unknown, it likely originated in a market in Wuhan, China, selling and slaughtering live wild animals on site. Multiple infectious disease outbreaks have been tied to the wildlife trade including SARS in 2003 which is believed to have been passed to humans by civets sold for meat. An estimated 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic (spread from non-human animals to humans).
Teresa Telecky, vice president of wildlife at Humane Society International, said, “The current COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated just how deadly the wildlife trade can be, not just for the wild animals involved, but also for people throughout the world. COVID-19 has killed thousands of people and will likely have lasting negative impacts on local and global economies. It is a tipping point that governments globally must not ignore. Wildlife markets worldwide are a petri dish for the next global pandemic, so governments across the globe must do everything they can to prevent this from happening again, and that means banning this dangerous trade and helping those traders involved find alternative livelihoods as quickly as possible.”
To facilitate the global ban, HSI also urges governments to actively transition citizens who rely economically on the wildlife trade into alternative livelihoods, and to provide more resources for educating the public on the health risks of the wildlife trade.
China introduced a temporary ban on the sale of wild animals for food in early March, but has yet to codify it into law, and wild animals used for other purposes such as traditional medicine are notably excluded from the prohibition, as are some “farmed” wildlife. This month the Chinese city of Shenzhen took an enlightened step further by permanently banning all trade and consumption of wild animals, plus dogs and cats. However, globally, and especially in other parts of Asia, thousands of similar markets of the type linked to both SARS and COVID-19, still exist and pose a continued threat to human health. Typically in such markets a variety of wild species are crowded together in unhygienic and stressful conditions, and frequently slaughtered on the premises or offered live as exotic pets, providing ideal circumstances for the spread of zoonoses.
“Temporary bans on the wildlife trade are a good start but in order to fully address potential future outbreaks, it is imperative that countries permanently ban the wildlife trade and include wildlife used for any purpose including for medicine, fur, pets and others. With the stakes so high for global human health and wildlife protection, there is no place for complacency or half measures,” Telecky explains.
Global concern
Wild bird markets in Vietnam have been implicated in the spread of the highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) virus;
Past surveys of wildlife markets in Lao PDR have identified mammals on sale known to be capable of hosting 36 zoonotic pathogens;
A recent literature analysis using TRAFFIC survey data from wild meat restaurants, roadside stalls and markets in Malaysia, identified 51 zoonotic pathogens that could be hosted by wild species found on sale;
HSI also warns that wildlife bans must be comprehensive and apply to the sale and consumption of all wild mammal and bird species, or risk missing the potential intermediate host for the next epidemic. Bats have been identified as the natural host or reservoir source for a wide range of viruses, including coronaviruses, and are sold as delicacies in East and Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Sub-Saharan Africa. However, coronaviruses from bats need an intermediate host species in order to transform the virus to infect humans, so partial bans won’t fix the problem.
Also on World Health Day, HSI joins with 241 organisations in signing an open letter to the World Health Organization calling for it to exclude the use of wildlife in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
The white paper and cover letter are available in multiple languages here.
ENDS
Media contact:
Wendy Higgins: Director of International Media – whiggins@hsi.org
Humane Society International / Global
BEIJING — China’s city of Shenzhen has just passed a ground-breaking law to ban the consumption and production of dog and cat meat, the first city in mainland China to do so. The ban has been welcomed by long-time anti-dog meat trade campaigners Humane Society International as a watershed moment in efforts to ban the trade across China. The law also addresses the wildlife trade.
The food safety legislation (Shenzhen Special Economic Region Regulation on a Comprehensive Ban on the Consumption of Wild Animals) proposed in February by Shenzhen legislators, comes into effect on May 1. Unlike the temporary ban on wildlife markets and consumption passed by the national government, Shenzhen’s ban is a permanent prohibition on the consumption, breeding, and sale of wildlife such as snakes, lizards, and other wild animals for human consumption, with heavy fines of up 150,000 yuan.
Although advanced in response to the coronavirus outbreak, an unrelated ban on the consumption of “pet” animals was also included in acknowledgement of their status as companion animals. In announcing the ban, a spokesperson for the Shenzhen government said “… dogs and cats as pets have established a much closer relationship with humans than all other animals, and banning the consumption of dogs and cats and other pets is a common practice in developed countries and in Hong Kong and Taiwan. This ban also responds to the demand and spirit of human civilization.”
To further underpin that, the law clarifies those species permitted to be consumed (pig, cattle, sheep, rabbit, chicken etc, with dogs and cats noticeably absent). Therefore from May 1, the sale of cats and dogs for human consumption will now be banned in restaurants and stores throughout Shenzhen, and sale of live cats and dogs for consumption will be banned in markets.
Dr Peter Li, China policy specialist for animal protection charity Humane Society International, welcomed the news, saying: “With Shenzhen taking the historic decision to become mainland China’s first city to ban dog and cat meat consumption, this really could be a watershed moment in efforts to end this brutal trade that kills an estimated 10 million dogs and 4 million cats in China every year.
The majority of these companion animals are stolen from people’s back yards or snatched from the streets, and are spirited away on the backs of trucks to be beaten to death in slaughterhouses and restaurants across China. Shenzhen is China’s fifth largest city so although the dog meat trade is fairly small there compared with the rest of the province, its true significance is that it could inspire a domino effect with other cities following suit. Most people in China don’t eat dog or cat meat, and there is considerable opposition to the trade particularly among younger Chinese. Although World Health Organization advice is clear that dogs and cats pose no known coronavirus threat whatsoever, it’s no surprise that attention is turning to this trade at this time because it undoubtedly poses a huge human health risk for other diseases such as rabies, as well as causing immense animal suffering.”
Dr. Teresa M. Telecky, vice president of the wildlife department for Humane Society International, said: “Shenzhen is the first city in the world to take the lessons learned from this pandemic seriously and make the changes needed to avoid another pandemic. People around the world are suffering the impact of this pandemic because of one thing: the wildlife trade. Shenzhen’s bold steps to stop this trade and wildlife consumption is a model for governments around the world to emulate. We urge all governments to follow suit by banning wildlife trade, transport and consumption for any purpose.”
Shenzhen ban details
Article 2 prohibits the consumption of state-protected wild animals and other terrestrial wild animals taken from the wild, as well as captive bred and farmed terrestrial wild species.
Article 3 makes clear that the consumption of “pet” animals such as cats and dogs is not permitted; species that are permitted to be consumed include pig, cattle, sheep, donkey, rabbit, chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, quail and other livestock animals on the list that are raised for food, as well as aquatic animals who are not banned by other law or regulations.
Article 8: prohibits the consumption of animals farmed for medicinal purposes.
Article 17. The production or marketing (sale) of the above mentioned state-protected wild species and their products for consumption purposes will be fined between 150,000 yuan and 200,000 for a value of illegal activity that is under 10,000 yuan; and a fine of between 20 times and 30 times of the value of an illegal activity that is 10,000 yuan or above. For violations involving other wild animals whose value is less than 10,000 yuan, there will be fines between 100,000 yuan and 150,000 yuan.
Facts about China’s dog meat trade
Thirty million dogs a year are killed across Asia for meat. There are estimated to be more than 91.49 million dogs and cats kept as pets in China. An estimated 10 million dogs a year are killed for China’s dog meat trade.
The World Health Organization warns that the dog trade spreads rabies and increases the risk of cholera.
Most people in China don’t eat dogs, in fact dog meat is only eaten infrequently by less than 20% of the Chinese population. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it. Nationwide across China, a 2016 survey conducted by Chinese polling company Horizon, and commissioned by Chinese group China Animal Welfare Association in collaboration with Humane Society International and Avaaz, found that most Chinese citizens (64%) want to see an end to the Yulin festival, more than half (51.7%) think the dog meat trade should be completely banned, and the majority (69.5%) have never eaten dog meat.
Download video and photos of China’s dog meat trade here.
Say NO to elephant rides, dolphin shows, fur fashion, mouse poisons and traps, animal souvenirs, delicacy meats, cruel circus tricks and sad selfies!
Humane Society International / Global
Franky_Pictures/iStock.com
Around the world, many thousands of wild animals are exploited for human entertainment, food, fashion and frippery, or killed or injured through poisons and traps, not only causing immense animal suffering but also threatening many species with extinction. According to a UN report, species extinction is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with direct exploitation by people a top threat. So here are Humane Society International’s top tips for how to be a wildlife warrior.
Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D. vice president of wildlife at Humane Society International, says: “The best way to stop animal cruelty is to refuse to take part in it. By saying no to riding elephants in Asia who have been brutally captured and trained, by refusing to pose for selfies with wild animals exploited for their whole lives for tourism, and by mouse-proofing our homes and habits instead of reaching for the poison, we can all be wildlife warriors. Change starts with each of us, we have the power to make a difference for wildlife.”
Be an animal-friendly traveller
Avoid cruel and exploitative activities such as riding elephants and camels when on holiday. Elephant rides, treks and interactions are promoted to tourists in South Africa and across Asia, especially in India and Thailand. The elephants are usually caught as babies from the wild and brutally ‘broken’ to accept riders. A similar fate can face camels forced to give endless rides to tourists in Egypt. These animals perform repeated tourist duties without rest breaks or proper shade and refreshment. They receive little or no veterinary treatment for injuries, can be chained for hours, and suffer cruel training methods such as beating with whips and sticks. Instead of riding animals, hiring bicycles is a fun alternative, or take things slow on foot under your own steam.
Don’t mistake exploitation for entertainment
Exploiting wild animals in captivity is not acceptable as entertainment. The natural marine habitat of whales and dolphins, for example, cannot be replicated in captivity, and swimming with dolphins increases demand for captive animals, including from brutal “drive fisheries” such as the Taiji hunt in Japan. Unfortunately, dolphinariums can still be found in countries such as the United States, Japan, China, the UAE and many European countries like Greece and the Netherlands.
Poor quality zoos can also be an animal welfare nightmare, keeping wild species in deprived conditions which fail to meet their complex physical and psychological needs, and denying them proper care. Sadly, these can be found all over the world, and in countries like Indonesia, Thailand and China display can also involve forcing animals to perform circus-like acts for which they are subjected to repetitive and stressful training. It’s far better to see animals in the wild on a safari where you can observe their natural behaviour without disturbing them.
Don’t buy wild!
Souvenirs made from wild animal parts such as sea turtle shell, fur or ivory means that an animal has suffered for your trinket, and you may be supporting the poaching and trafficking of wild animals. Instead, support the local community by buying a painting, carving or animal-free craft item by a local artisan.
Say no to sad selfies!
Never pay to have your photo taken with wild animals such as parrots, monkeys or wild cats such as tigers at temples in South East Asia. These animals are often stolen from the wild and sedated with drugs to make them easier to handle. They can also be beaten, and have their teeth or claws removed. In South Africa, thousands of lions are bred in captivity and taken away from their mothers at an early age to be used as photo props for tourists. Once the cubs have grown bigger, they are used for ‘walking with lions’ tourist experiences, and then eventually sold to be killed in canned hunting operations or for the lion bone trade.
Reject ‘delicacy’ meat
The capture and consumption of wild animals such as bats, primates and rats sustains a vast global trade that not only causes immense suffering for hundreds of thousands of animals every year, and encourages exploitation of endangered species, but also poses a severe human health risk. The coronavirus crisis has been linked to the trade in wild animals for human consumption in wet markets in Wuhan, China, and this trade has spawned a number of global health crises in the past. More than 70 million sharks are also killed annually for shark fin soup. The trade involves cutting off a shark’s fin, often while the animal is still alive, and dumping the shark back into the sea to die slowly. Don’t be tempted to eat wild animals as “bucket list” items when traveling, as it merely perpetuates this brutal and often illegal trade.
Don’t wear fur
Millions of foxes, mink, raccoon dogs and coyotes die every year for fashion. Confined in small, wire-mesh cages on factory farms or captured by painful metal traps in the wild, their fur is turned into frivolous trim on coats, hats and accessories. These terrible conditions can create psychological disorders, causing animals to repetitively pace and even self-mutilate. Killing methods are brutal; mink are gassed and foxes and raccoon dogs are electrocuted or, in some countries like China, beaten to death. Fur is also incredibly polluting, as the dressing and tanning processes which stop the animal’s skin and pelt from decomposing naturally rely on toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, cyanide, lead and chromium which can be released into waterways and devastate wildlife. The future of fashion is compassion, so choose a cruelty-free alternative fabric instead and leave fur where it belongs, on the animals!
Be nice to mice and rats
Wild animals like mice and rats are often subjected to cruel extermination methods such as slow poisoning or glue traps. Glue traps immobilise but don’t kill animals who get stuck in them. Small animals may be left to starve to death or die of their injuries over the course of hours, sometimes pulling or biting off their own limbs in a desperate attempt to escape the traps, or even suffocating from falling face-first into the glue. Using poison can not only cause mice and rats to suffer a slow and agonizing death, it is also a threat to other wildlife and pets who come into contact with the poisoned animal. It’s far kinder to rethink rats and mice as wild animals who live alongside us, but sometimes in unwanted places from which we must encourage them to leave. HSI advocates the use of non-lethal deterrent and eviction methods that are not only more humane but also more effective in the long term. By blocking access points, removing food sources, using welfare-friendly deterrents such as mouse-mesh, and as a last resort relocating individuals using a live-capture trap, we can keep our homes and gardens rodent-free. More information can be found here: https://www.hsi.org/news-media/humane-rodent-solutions/
Humane Society International / China
Court ruling still required to block federal use of illicit council’s recommendations
Humane Society International / United States
Brent Stapelkamp
WASHINGTON — After a key legal defeat, the Department of the Interior told a federal district court in New York late Friday that no future meetings of the International Wildlife Conservation Council (IWCC) will take place, bringing an end to the controversial council.
Environmental and animal advocacy groups sued over the IWCC—composed largely of hunting and gun advocates—and chartered by the Trump Administration to advise on the trophy hunting of elephants, lions, and other threatened wildlife. The court recently rejected the administration’s motion to dismiss that case.
“The IWCC’s disbandment is a huge victory in the fight against the Trump administration’s illegal advisory bodies, said Democracy Forward senior counsel Travis Annatoyn. “But the fight isn’t over.”
Democracy Forward is representing the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International in a lawsuit challenging the legality of the IWCC under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The disbandment announcement came on the heels of a slew of FACA lawsuits against the administration.
“I have little doubt our litigation spurred the administration’s decision to abandon the IWCC and walk away from its biased and un-transparent practices,” said Zak Smith, international wildlife conservation director for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “We’re glad the Trump administration is closing shop on this ridiculously misguided council and we await a full accounting of its tainted work product.”
Disbanding the council is a step forward for wildlife, but the IWCC’s advice, reports, and recommendations also violate FACA and legally cannot influence Interior’s decision-making. Federal law requires government advisory panels to be in the public interest, fairly balanced and protected against improper influence by special interests.
“The end of Trump’s thrill-kill council is a huge victory for elephants, lions and other imperiled animals targeted by trophy hunters,” said Tanya Sanerib, international legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s still critical to address this biased committee’s past legal violations and prevent self-serving advice from trophy hunters from poisoning federal wildlife policies.”
The council met five times since its creation in 2017, but the Trump administration has allowed the IWCC’s charter to lapse, meaning it can no longer use taxpayer dollars to convene.
Interior’s filing was submitted as Safari Club International’s Reno, Nevada convention kicked off where the organization auctions off numerous hunting trips, including many targeted at imperiled foreign species.
“SCI’s use of taxpayer dollars to unduly influence international wildlife policy has come to an end, in yet another sign that the unsustainable and inhumane trophy hunting industry is closer to becoming a thing of the past,” said Anna Frostic, senior vice president for programs and policy for Humane Society International and representing the Humane Society of the United States.
Former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke created the IWCC in November 2017 with a mission of promoting the benefits of international trophy hunting. Trump’s Interior Department rejected all nominations from conservation, public interest, or science groups, and instead stacked the Council with friendly political donors, firearm manufacturers and advocates for trophy hunting, many of whom stand to benefit from changes to federal policy.
Founded in 1954, the Humane Society of the United States and its affiliates around the globe fight the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, the HSUS takes on puppy mills, factory farms, trophy hunts, animal testing and other cruel industries, and together with its affiliates, rescues and provides direct care for over 100,000 animals every year. The HSUS works on reforming corporate policy, improving and enforcing laws and elevating public awareness on animal issues. More at humanesociety.org.
Humane Society International and its partner organizations together constitute one of the world’s largest animal protection organizations. For more than 25 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide – on the Web at hsi.org.
