Issue Type: Wildlife

Wildlife

Humane Society International / Europe

Mark Von Holden/AP Images for the HSUS

BRUSSELS— Today, the European Parliament approved the revised Environment Crime Directive, strengthening the EU’s approach to addressing environmental crime. This decision, endorsing the compromise agreement reached between the Council of the European Union and the European Commission in November 2023, marks a significant step towards better protecting wildlife and habitats. The updated legislation equips authorities with enhanced tools to tackle serious environmental offenses and deter criminals, including wildlife traffickers. Humane Society International/Europe welcomes the European Parliament’s adoption of the revised Environment Crime Directive as a positive step to ensure better protection of wildlife and the environment.

Environmental crime stands as the third most lucrative organised criminal activities in the world, growing at a rate of  . It contributes significantly to biodiversity loss, increases the risk of zoonotic diseases, and has serious negative socio-economic impacts, particularly in countries where animals and wildlife products are sourced. Despite its considerable profitability, detecting, prosecuting and penalizing environmental crime offenses has proven to be  challenging.

A 2019-2020 evaluation revealed that the effectiveness of the initial EU Directive (2008) addressing environmental protection via criminal law was limited. Few cases resulted in sentences, imposed sanctions were too low to deter criminals, and cross-border cooperation was not consistently occurring. Recognising these shortcomings, the European Commission presented in 2021 a proposal aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the Directive.

Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, said:

“The revised Environmental Crime Directive, although not perfect, does respond to societal demands for environmental crime to be taken more seriously. The legislation will now allow more stringent penalties to be imposed on those who commit the most serious criminal offences against the environment, and will hopefully serve as a deterrent to all those considering partaking in crimes against animals, such as wildlife trafficking. We also warmly welcome the fact that underwater noise pollution has been included in the list of criminal offences. This poses a significant threat to the welfare of marine mammals, especially cetaceans, since it disrupts their ability to communicate and navigate properly. We are glad that this threat to marine wildlife has been recognised.”

Over the past few years, HSI/Europe has worked closely with other animal and environmental protection organisations to ensure that the EU legislation on environmental crime, which was originally passed in 2008, was significantly strengthened. Amongst other things, the revised Environmental Crime Directive now:

  • Introduces common sanction levels for both natural and legal persons.
  • Provides a far more comprehensive list of environmental offences to be criminalised in Member States than in the original legislation, although fails to include one the most lucrative environmental crimes, namely illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
  • Includes Annex C species of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, thereby broadening the scope of the Directive to cover, for example, threatened endemic species.
  • Offers additional tools for national prosecutors through legal guidance and national strategies.
  • While stopping short of using the term ecocide, it introduces a “qualified offence” for the most serious environmental crimes, which cause widespread and substantial damage to the environment that could be irreversible or long-lasting.
  • Enables the involvement of civil society organisations and ordinary citizens to help combat environmental offenses, effectively asserting their legitimacy in exposing environmental crimes and marking a first step toward protecting them from intimidation or litigation when reporting such crimes or assisting investigations.
  • Strengthens data collection provisions to assist Member States’ reporting practices.
  • Recognises the need for enhanced specialisation, training and resources for competent enforcement and judicial authorities.

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

Humane Society International / Africa

HSUS A hunter posing with a zebra he shot at a captive hunting ranch in South Africa.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on the South African government to “protect children from the vicarious effects of exposure to violence inflicted on animals such as during Trophy Hunting.” The announcement, on 8 February 2024, follows a periodic review of children’s rights in South Africa. Humane Society International welcomes the Committee’s recognition of trophy hunting as a violent and harmful activity—not just towards animals but also towards children.

Last year the UN formally recognised and defined the right of children to freedom from all forms of violence, including exposure to violence inflicted on animals. On 24 January 2024, during the UNCRC’s considerations of the periodic reports submitted by the South African Government, Dr Rinchen Chophal, vice chair of the UNCRC commented: “Various psychological studies on violence and animal abuse have shown that witnessing or participating in the violence can severely impact children’s moral and psychological development, besides normalising violence and conditioning life-long negative behavioural patterns. The popular and social acceptance of child participation in animal trophy hunting in the country (South Africa) is horrendous to say the least. Can the State Party enlighten us whether you will, as a matter of urgency, criminalise this practice?”

The UNCRC recorded that: “South Africa took note of the concerns about the effects that trophy hunting could have on children participating in them. South Africa was committed to holding roundtable discussions to address this matter.”

Research shows that witnessing animal abuse is a form of psychological abuse in children. Trophy hunting represents one of many forms of violence towards animals that could cause trauma. Around the world children, especially those from low-income communities, often encounter instances of domestic abuse towards pets, the violent slaughtering of conscious farmed animals, and the cruel extermination of animals considered to be “pests” or that pose a potential health risk to humans, including mice, rats and street dogs. Other activities perpetrating violence against animals include game hunting, culling, poaching, wing shooting and dogfighting, all of which pose harmful exposure to children. With the passage of UN General Comment 26 last year, children now have the right to be protected against witnessing any violence inflicted on any animal, and the South African government has been called on to demonstrate how it will ensure this right.

Dr Matthew Schurch, wildlife specialist for Humane Society International/Africa, stated: “Trophy hunting is cruel and violent to animals and deeply harmful to the children who witness it. The Committee’s statement is a critical starting point to address the wide spectrum of animal cruelty that children in South Africa—and around the world—are exposed to. Promoting compassion and respect towards all animals helps to foster children’s emotional and social skills. Ending exposure to animal cruelty can help prevent the development and normalisation of violent behaviours, towards the animals and also towards people. We look forward to the South African government demonstrating how we will ensure the rights of our children to be protected from all forms of violence towards animals.”

ENDS

Media contact: Leozette Roode, media specialist, HSI/Africa:+27 71 360 1104; LRoode@hsi.org

Animal organizations unite to see Max Mara go fur-free

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Mink on a fur farm
Jo-Anne McArthur/Andrew-Skowron/We Animals Media

LONDON—Ahead of Fashion Weeks in New York, London, Milan and Paris, the largest ever global anti-fur consumer campaign has been launched to urge fashion house Max Mara to go fur-free. The campaign is headed by animal charities Humane Society International, the Humane Society of the United States and the Fur Free Alliance comprising organizations in more than 35 countries. Campaigners are asking their millions of supporters and compassionate citizens from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, South Korea, the European Union and the United States to target Max Mara’s phone lines, email and social media urging the design house to drop fur because it is cruel, out-dated and has no place in a modern society.    

Max Mara, which has 2,500+ stores in 105 countries―of which 39 are in the United States― is one of the last major fur users and its current range includes items made of fox, raccoon dog and mink fur. Max Mara fur products include fox fur cuffs, a mink trimmed hood, a fox fur trimmed hood, mink mittens and a raccoon dog fur charm, and product labels show the company uses mink fur from China plus fox and raccoon dog fur from Finland. 

Max Mara’s use of fur is increasingly out of mode considering that most of the world’s major fashion-houses have already gone fur-free, including Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Jimmy Choo. Many other designers and retailers have long-standing policies against using fur, including Hugo Boss, Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood.  

PJ Smith, director of fashion policy at Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, said: “Max Mara is one of the last global fashion brands that continues to support the vile fur trade, despite clear evidence that the fur industry is cruel, bad for the environment and a risk to public health. By doing so, Max Mara is increasingly isolated in a world where the vast majority of consumers find fur obscene. We hope that Max Mara stops being an apologist for the fur trade and instead decides to strike a pose for compassionate fashion by going fur-free.”

Mink, fox and raccoon dogs―all species used by Max Mara―are bred to die on fur factory farms where they spend their entire lives in cramped, barren cages, deprived of the ability to engage in natural behaviors, only to be crudely gassed or anally electrocuted and then skinned.  

Fur production is also environmentally devastating and a risk to public health. Peer-reviewed research by carbon footprint experts Foodsteps and commissioned by HSI shows that, when compared to other materials, per kilogram fur has the highest greenhouse gas emissions, with the carbon footprint of 1kg of mink fur 31 times higher than that of cotton and 25 times higher than polyester. Fur factory farms are also breeding grounds for zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 and avian influenza, with hundreds of confirmed outbreaks on fur farms across Europe and North America in the last several years. All this while quality, animal-friendly alternative fabrics, such as KOBA® Fur Free Fur which incorporates plant based and recycled ingredients, are readily available and sold by Max Mara’s competitors.  

The most recent and largest ever undercover investigation of fur farms was conducted in six EU countries―including Finland, the country from which Max Mara sources its fox and raccoon dog fur. During summer and autumn 2023, investigators made more than 100 visits to fur farms resulting in shocking photo and video evidence. Mink, foxes and raccoon dogs were shown in horrifying conditions in which incidences of cannibalism were documented. Animals on the farms were also shown injured, diseased, with some either dead or dying. Some had missing limbs, tails or ears and/or had serious eye infections, wounds infested with maggots and disturbing instances of self-mutilation. 

Max Mara’s headquarters can be contacted about their use of fur via HSI’s action page at hsi.org/furfreemaxmara as well as via Max Mara’s social media channels: X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Fur facts:

Tens of millions of animals suffer and die each year in the global fur trade. The majority of the animals killed for fur are reared in barren battery cages on fur farms.   

Mink on more than 480 fur farms across 13 countries have been found infected with COVID-19, and fur farms in Spain and Finland have had outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1). The potential for zoonotic disease spread on fur farms has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization and leading virologists have recently warned governments to “consider the mounting evidence suggesting fur farming be eliminated in the interest of pandemic preparedness.” 

Fur farming has been banned in 20 European countries including the 15 Member States of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia and Slovenia and five other European nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Norway, United Kingdom, North Macedonia and Serbia. Additionally, Switzerland and Germany have strict welfare regulations which have effectively ended fur farming.   

In the United States, there are fur sales bans in the state of California and in the following 14 towns or cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and West Hollywood in California; Lexington, Cambridge, Plymouth, Brookline, Weston and Wellesley in Massachusetts; the borough of Etna in Pennsylvania, and the cities of Ann Arbor in Michigan; Boulder, Colorado; Hallandale Beach, Florida. Israel became the first country to ban fur sales in 2021. 

Download video/photos of Finnish fur farms here

Media contact:  Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org

Landmark decision will increase protection of elephants, lions, rhinos and other iconic species

Humane Society International / Europe

Britta Jaschinski, co-founder of Photographers Against Wildlife Crime

BRUSSELS—In a momentous triumph for wildlife conservation and animal welfare, Belgium’s Parliament sealed a landmark decision today by voting unanimously in favour of the Minister of Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Zakia Khattabi’s bill prohibiting the import of hunting trophies from endangered species into the country. This historic move, following nearly two years since the Parliament’s initial call for such a ban, will protect revered species such as lions and rhinos.

The vote, endorsed in the Belgian Chamber of Representatives unanimously, echoes the 91% of Belgians standing against trophy hunting and the 88% supporting a ban on the importation of any hunting trophy, according to a 2020 Ipsos survey commissioned by Humane Society International/Europe.

Before the ban, Belgium imported trophies of species vulnerable to extinction such as hippopotamus, cheetahs and polar bears. The new law will stop the import of hunting trophies from many species currently at risk of extinction due to trade or that could be threatened unless trade is limited. All species listed in Annex A of the European Regulation 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora, such as jaguars, cheetahs, leopards, some brown bears, Cape mountain zebra and chimpanzees, and African elephants will be protected by the new bill, along with certain species in Annex B of the same regulation, including African lions, Southern white rhinos, hippos and argali sheep, also listed in Annex XIII to Regulation (EC) No 865/2006 regulating the trade of protected wild flora and fauna. The new law surpasses the 2022 Parliament resolution, by extending protection to more species from Annex B than the initial six initially covered by the resolution.

Minister of Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal, Zakia Khattabi says: “With the approval of my legislative project this Thursday in plenary, the Parliament is providing a legal basis to the resolution it unanimously adopted on 24 March 2022. It was urgent and necessary to protect these threatened and endangered species!”

Member of Parliament Kris Verduyckt (Vooruit, Flemish Socialists), who initiated the legislative proposal to ban hunting trophy imports, said: “Our country is finally banning the import of hunting trophies of endangered animals. The protection of these species is incompatible with trophy hunting imports. I am delighted that my legislative proposal is now enshrined in our legislation and I hope that it will serve as a source of inspiration for many other countries.”

Having championed this cause for years and collaborated closely with Belgian MPs to garner parliamentary support, Humane Society International/Europe applauds the adoption of this crucial legislation, which brings to a successful outcome a complicated legislative process. The animal protection charity has worked with MPs to secure an import ban for over two years, resulting at first in a unanimously supported parliamentary resolution in 2022 that became a legislative proposal approved by the Federal government’s Council of Ministers in July 2023.

“The Belgian Parliament made history today for animals and is illustrating its continued and principled stand against the senseless killing of endangered wildlife,” said Ruud Tombrock, executive director of HSI/Europe. “With this decision, Belgium positions itself as a leader in protecting biodiversity and endangered species. We believe other European countries are also ready to follow suit and take a strong stance against trophy hunting by banning imports of such souvenirs. The time is now for an EU-wide ban on the import of hunting trophies from endangered and protected species, reflecting the views of citizens across Member States in the European Union who share a commitment to being cautious and protective of animals and biodiversity, as well as preventing the fragmentation of the EU Single Market.”

The ban in Belgium sends a positive signal in support of the adoption of a similar ban in neighbouring France, where a cross-party Assembly bill proposal to ban the import of hunting trophies of protected species is currently under parliamentary session. That ban was proposed by Ecologist MP Sandra Regol with the support of Renaissance MP Corinne Vignon, chair of the Assembly’s Study Group on the Condition and Welfare of Animals.

Before its implementation, the adopted Belgian legislation needs to receive royal sanction and promulgation. The text will then be published in the ‘Moniteur Belge,’ coming into force on the day specified within the text, or if unspecified, 10 days after publication.

Download pictures of hunting trophies and campaign materials against trophy hunting here.

Background:

  • Trophy hunting of endangered species poses a severe threat to conservation and the world’s natural heritage. Trophy hunters prefer to kill the largest, most physically impressive animals, whose loss can cause cascade declines in populations. Many of the targeted species, such as African elephants, rhinoceros and leopards, are facing the risk of extinction and play crucial roles in maintaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity.
  • According to an HSI/EU report, the EU is the second largest importer of hunting trophies after the United States, with an average of 3.000 trophies imported in the period between 2014 and 2018. The EU was also the largest importer of cheetah trophies with 297 cheetah trophies imported into the EU between 2014 and 2018. The top five species imported into the EU as trophies: Hartmann’s mountain zebra (3.119), Chacma baboon (1.751), American black bear (1.415), brown bear (1.056) and the African elephant (952),
  • Belgium is the 13th largest hunting trophy importer of internationally protected species in Europe.
  • In May 2016, the Netherlands instituted a ban on the import of hunting trophies for more than 200 species listed under Annex A of European Regulation 338/97 on the protection of species of wild fauna and flora by regulating trade therein and of species in danger of extinction. The import ban also applies to the following Annex B species: white rhinoceros, hippopotamus, mouflon (wild sheep from the Caucasus), lion and polar bear. A total of 200 animal species are affected by the import licenses ban.
  • France implemented a ban on the import of lion-hunting trophies in 2015. In 2023, a Bill proposal for registration, aimed at “stopping the issuance of import permits for hunting trophies of certain endangered species” was tabled.
  • The import of hunting trophies into Finland was restricted in June 2023. The new Nature Conservation Act includes a provision that prohibits the import of individual animals or their parts from the most endangered species worldwide which are threatened by international trade as trophies from countries outside the EU.
  • In Germany, the Minister of the Environment, Steffi Lemke (The Greens), announced that she intends to restrict the import of hunting trophies from protected animal species. Germany terminated the Country’s membership in the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation, a pro-trophy hunting lobby, in 2022.
  • In Italy in 2022, a bill aimed at banning the import, export and re-export to and from Italy of hunting trophies obtained from animals that are protected by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) was presented. After the fall of the government and the elections in 2022, the same bill was tabled again in Parliament.

ENDS

Media contact: Cassie Bodin-Duval,  international media relations coordinator at Humane Society International/Europe, cbodinduval@hsi.org; +32 469 149 469

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.

ENDS

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

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.

ENDS

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

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 

END

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.

END

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

Proposed law would extend lions' protection ban to safeguard other protected species

Humane Society International / Europe

HSI

PARIS—A cross-party bill proposal to ban the import of hunting trophies of protected species into France by Ecologist MP Sandra Regol with the support of Renaissance MP Corinne Vignon, Chair of the Assembly’s Study Group on the Condition and Welfare of Animals. According to an poll commissioned by Humane Society International/Europe, this proposed law is supported by the vast majority of French citizens, with 91% declaring themselves in favour of a ban on the import of trophies of endangered species.

France, which took measures to safeguard lions from trophy hunting in the aftermath of Cecil the lion’s death in 2015, currently grants this protection exclusively to lions. Many other protected species, including elephants, leopards and cheetahs, continue to be hunted, mounted and imported as trophies in France.

The introduction of a new legislative proposal raises hope for these animals, as the Bill would amend the Environment Code to expand the hunting trophy import ban, offering protection to a broader range of protected and endangered species. The proposed law would also prohibit the direct or indirect promotion of trophy-hunting an animal covered by the law.

Capucine Meyer, HSI/Europe consultant for the campaign on trophy hunting in France said:

“It is time for the protection status granted to lions to be extended to species that are just as threatened, if not more so, such as the polar bear, the leopard and the African elephant. France must become a leader in the protection of species and biodiversity by extending such prohibitions to other species targeted by trophy hunters. HSI/Europe would also like to congratulate Deputy Mrs. Regol and all the signatory MPs for their commitment to respecting animal life and protecting biodiversity.”

The new law proposal was co-signed by 26 MPs from the Ecologiste-NUPES, Renaissance and Démocrate (MoDem and Indépendants) groups, including Jean-Marc Zulesi, Chairman of the Sustainable Development and Town and Country Planning Committee, and Elodie Jacquier-Laforge, Vice-President of the National Assembly. It follows success in June last year, when Sandra Regol, with the support of Minister Gabriel Attal and Group Chairwoman Aurore Bergé, succeeded in getting an amendment passed in both the National Assembly and the Senate to give customs officers more resources to combat the import of illegal hunting trophies. This unprecedented vote highlighted the general support of parliamentarians and the government in the fight against the import of hunting trophies of protected species.

Milton Federici, Convergence Animaux Politique’s Head of Public Affairs, explains: “We have been working with HSI/Europe on this campaign for over a year, seeking support among parliamentarians. The tabling of this text is both the culmination of this work and the start of a democratic debate that we are calling for in the Assembly and Senate on the import of hunting trophies of endangered species. We are extremely grateful to Sandra Regol and all the other MPs who support this text for creating the conditions for this debate.”

Background Facts:

  • Trophy hunting poses a grave threat to biodiversity and ecosystem stability. It involves the killing of wild animals for the purpose of exhibiting their heads, skins or other body parts as trophies. This cruel and detrimental activity exacerbates the decline of species, endangering their survival and disrupting ecosystems.
  • Trophy hunting is not just rejected by an overwhelming majority of French and European citizens: in South Africa, for example, which is Africa’s main exporter of wildlife trophies, two out of three people questioned said they were against trophy hunting. [2] .

[1] Ifop survey for HSI/Europe conducted by online self-administered questionnaire from 13 to 14 June 2023 among a sample of 1,003 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over.

[2] HSI/Europe (2022). “Report: Hunting – Ipsos Khayabus W1 2022” conducted by Ipsos South Africa

ENDS

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

New regulations also ban import of hunting trophies containing these parts

Humane Society International / Canada

Waldo Swiegers/AP Images for HSI

OTTAWA, Ontario—The Canadian government has banned domestic trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn, as well as the import of hunting trophies containing these parts. The landmark measures fulfill a 2021 Ministerial mandate and are a critical step in protecting these iconic species. The move follows a seven-year campaign by Humane Society International/Canada and has overwhelming support from leading conservationists, animal protection groups, African nations and notable Canadians.

The African elephant population has declined by 96% over the last century, with scientists warning that they, as well as many rhinoceros species, could become extinct within the next few decades in the absence of global intervention to disincentivize poachers.

Those involved in the decision issue the following statements:

Steven Guilbeault, minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada, said: “Our government is committed to protecting, conserving and enhancing the world’s biodiversity, including reversing the global decline in elephant and rhinoceros populations. By strengthening Canada’s response to wildlife trafficking, we will enforce practical solutions that effectively address the illegal ivory trade and support species conservation. Canadians overwhelmingly support stricter controls and the Government of Canada is delivering.”

Kelly Butler, campaign manager for Humane Society International/Canada, stated: “Elephant and rhino populations have been decimated by global trade in their parts, and poaching causes considerable suffering to these incredible animals. In banning trade in elephant ivory and rhino horn, the Canadian government has shown considerable leadership and reflected the will of Canadians and the vast majority of African nations holding elephant populations. At last, Canadians can rest assured that our country is doing our part to ensure these majestic animals have a future.”

Dr. Winnie Kiiru, Kenyan biologist and leading elephant conservationist, said: “I am thrilled that Canada has enacted these urgently needed regulations in order to safeguard elephant and rhino populations. As a conservationist working on the ground in Kenya, I have seen firsthand the devastating effects of poaching and trophy hunting on African elephant and rhino populations. We need countries around the world to act now in order to protect these amazing animals, and Canada’s actions send an important message: ivory belongs to elephants.”

Dieudonné Yameogo, director of Wildlife and Game resources of Burkina Faso, stated: “Burkina Faso congratulates Canada on this historic decision. Canada follows in the footsteps of other countries, such as the USA, China, Hong Kong SAR and the EU, which have all closed or severely restricted their domestic ivory markets in recent years. This sends a very strong message to all traffickers and poachers: ivory has no market value, anywhere in the world! These measures taken by these various countries could lead to a significant drop in illegal elephant killings in all African elephant range states, and particularly in Burkina Faso.”

Bryan Adams, order of Canada recipient and one of the best-selling musicians of all time, stated: “As a long-time animal advocate, I am thrilled that Canada has listened to the overwhelming number of Canadians who demanded action to end the senseless killing of elephants and rhinos. The policies enacted by the Canadian government set a powerful precedent for countries around the world to join the fight to protect elephants and rhinos.”

Robert Bateman, renowned Canadian artist and conservationist, stated: “I have had the great privilege of observing wild African elephants and, like so many other Canadians, I am devastated by the prospect of their extinction and their ongoing suffering at the hands of humans. The survival of African elephants and rhinos hinges on the actions of the global community, and I commend Canada for enacting meaningful policies to safeguard these amazing animals for generations to come.”

The creators of The Anthropocene Project (Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier), who documented the largest elephant ivory burn in history, which took place in Kenya in 2016, stated: “The poaching of elephants for ivory—from which international criminal syndicates profit—and the ensuing decimation of African elephant populations is tragic. Witnessing Kenya’s ivory burn was a very powerful moment for all of us and a shocking reminder of the scale at which elephants are being slaughtered, day after day, year after year. We commend the Canadian government for ending its role in this terrible, destructive industry which perpetuates the devastation of elephant and rhino populations.”

Fran Duthie, president of Elephanatics, stated: “The team at Elephanatics is thrilled that regulations to ban the elephant ivory and rhino horn trade, along with the import of hunting trophies containing these parts, are to be enacted by the Canadian Government. We would like to thank all the scientists, NGOs, politicians and people who worked tirelessly to make this happen. From the petition created by the Ivory Free Canada coalition that reached over 700,000 signatures and showed overwhelming support to save elephants and rhinos, to endless advocacy, to the collaboration of like minds working together to save a species, our mission to ban the elephant ivory and rhino horn trade has come to fruition. It is a time to be grateful and to celebrate this grand achievement. We did it!”

Facts:  

  • As many as 25,000 elephants and 1,300 rhinos die at the hands of poachers in Africa every year.
  • In March 2021, the IUCN updated its Red List of Threatened Species and declared the African forest elephant to be Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant to be Endangered. Black rhinos, found in Africa, are classified as Critically Endangered.
  • Canada’s top trading partners, including the United States, China and the United Kingdom, have closed their elephant ivory markets in response to declining elephant populations.
  • According to CITES data, over 450 African elephant tusks, 16 rhino horns, and an additional 81 elephant trophies and 44 rhino trophies were legally imported into Canada from 2010-2021.
  • In June of 2021, an open letter calling for an end to elephant ivory trade in Canada was signed by notable Canadians including Bryan Adams, Robert Bateman and David Suzuki.
  • The proposed regulations follow a public opinion consultation conducted by Environment and Climate Change Canada in the summer of 2021, in which Canadians and people from around the world overwhelmingly voiced their support for federal action to end Canada’s role in the elephant ivory trade.
  • According to a 2020 poll by Insights West, 94% of Canadians support an elephant ivory trade ban.
  • A public petition calling for a Canadian ban on elephant ivory trade amassed over 700,000 signatures.

ENDS

Media contact: HSI/Canada: Dominique Davidson, senior communications officer: ddavidson@hsi.org, 438-951-0350

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