Urge the government of Nepal to ban this cruelty before the next festival in December.
Humane Society International / Global
Region: Global
Labour MP Ruth Jones says UK legislation would ‘shut up shop on the cruel and unnecessary fur trade’
Humane Society International / United Kingdom
LONDON―A bill to ban UK fur imports and sales will be introduced to Parliament tomorrow by Ruth Jones, Labour MP for Newport West and Islwyn. The Fur Free Britain campaign, led by animal protection charity Humane Society International/UK, welcomed the tabling of this draft law as a significant step forward.
The bill proposes to extend existing bans on trade in fur from cats, dogs and seals to include foxes, raccoon dogs, mink, chinchilla, coyotes and other animals killed for fur fashion, and prevent the import and sale of new animal fur from all species. If passed into law, the ban would end the UK’s complicity in the cruelty of the global fur trade. HSI/UK estimates that the amount of fur imported into the UK over the five years 2019-2023 equates to approximately 7 million animals brutally killed.
Fur farming has been illegal across the UK since the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Acts were brought into force in 2003 under a Labour Government. Despite this, importing fur into the UK and selling it here is still allowed. Fur Free Britain campaigners are calling on the government to strongly back the new bill and finally put an end to this double standard. Their Fur Free Britain campaign is supported by a host of celebrities including Dame Judi Dench, Stella and Sir Paul McCartney, Leona Lewis OBE, Paloma Faith, Simon Pegg, Sue Perkins, Alesha Dixon, Kirsty Gallacher and Pete Wicks.
Ruth Jones MP said: “Footage of terrified foxes on fur farms breaks my heart and I can’t comprehend why anyone would inflict this kind of cruelty on an animal for a bit of frivolous fashion. I have heard about the issue from hundreds of my constituents in Newport West and Islwyn and I am delighted to introduce this Bill to reflect their concerns. It is about time we shut up shop on this cruel and unnecessary trade and a fur import ban would send a powerful message to the rest of the world.”
In a study published in Nature last month, scientists studying animals farmed for their fur in China identified 39 viruses classed as “potentially high-risk” for transmission to humans, including 13 novel viruses and 11 zoonotic viruses which can be transmitted from animals to humans. The paper’s authors warn that fur farms act as a hub for transmitting viruses. Top British virologists from Imperial College London’s Department of Infectious Disease have also warned that fur farms are a ticking time bomb for another pandemic and that farming mink for fur should be considered the same risk level as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets due to the threat it poses for the emergence of future disease outbreaks.
Claire Bass, Humane Society International/UK’s senior campaigns and public affairs director, said: “I’ve looked into the eyes of hundreds of animals on fur farms in Finland and these animals are broken souls, tormented their whole lives in tiny barren wire cages, often suffering agonizing untreated wounds and deformities. We know that millions of British people are disgusted by the fact that animals are suffering like this overseas to end up as a piece of fur trim sold here in the UK, so we are enormously grateful to Ruth Jones for introducing this extremely popular bill for a Fur Free Britain. We urge the Labour Government to back the ban.”
National polling carried out in April 2022 revealed that 77% of British citizens think the government should ban the importation of animal products such as fur, where the production methods are already banned in the UK. The Fur Free Britain campaign has so far gathered over 1.2 million petition signatures calling for a ban on the import and sale of fur in the UK. Most of the world’s major fashion-houses have already gone fur-free, including Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Armani.
Sonul Badiani-Hamment, UK country director of FOUR PAWS UK, Fur Free Britain coalition partner said: “Ruth Jones’ Private Member’s Bill presents a powerful opportunity for the Government to end our association with the cruel and high-risk fur trade once and for all. Over two decades have passed since fur farming was banned in the UK by the then Labour Government. Now this Bill presents them with an opportunity to fully address our role in what is left of the cruel trade and stop importing and exporting cruelty for good. By implementing a nationwide ban on the import and sale of fur products, we can help save the lives of millions of animals who are needlessly killed for their fur, and Labour can start fulfilling their promise to deliver the biggest boost to animal welfare in a generation.”
Mark Glover, chair of the Labour Animal Welfare Society, said: “We are delighted to be working with Ruth Jones MP on this groundbreaking bill that would put an end to Britain’s role in the horrific suffering endured by animals on fur farms. By banning the import of fur products, Britain will no longer contribute to the unimaginable pain and torment that is needlessly inflicted on animals in the fur trade. The Labour government banned fur farming in the UK over 20 years ago as it offends public morality, and this bill would close the loophole that allows the importation of products that are illegal to produce here. We strongly urge the government to honour the public’s belief in the humane treatment of animals by supporting this bill.”
Recent reports by FOUR PAWS UK and HSI/UK set out the environmental impact of the fur industry and its links to environmental degradation. Harsh chemicals are used throughout the production of fur, including some that are hazardous and carcinogenic. The environmental impacts of mink, fox and raccoon dog fur production significantly exceed those of other materials used in fashion, including cotton and even polyester and acrylic used to make faux fur. A significant component of fur’s carbon footprint is the vast quantity of animal products fed to carnivorous animals on fur farms, and fur farms can also pollute local waterways with manure.
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Media contact: Sally Ivens, senior media manager, HSI/UK: sivens@hsi.org
View images/video from HSI’s latest (2023) investigation into Chinese fur farms; and (2021) investigation into Finnish fur farms. To download these visuals, email: sivens@hsi.org
Notes:
- Tens of millions of animals suffer and die each year in the global fur trade. The majority of animals killed for fur are reared in barren battery cages on fur farms.
- HMRC records show that almost £40million of fur (£39,703,694) was imported to the UK in 2023 from countries including China, Finland, Spain, Greece and Poland.
- In addition to the physical and psychological torment of being confined in small, barren cages for their entire lives, the killing methods typically used on fur farms are equally distressing. Mink are killed by gassing, foxes and raccoon dogs are killed by anal electrocution and investigations also show animals commonly bludgeoned to death on farms in China.
- Wild animals like coyote and raccoons who are trapped for their fur, fare little better – they can languish in agony in cruel traps for hours or even days before dying from dehydration, starvation, attacks by predators or by being killed when the trapper returns. HSI’s 2022 joint undercover investigation into trapping in the US revealed shocking cruelty and animals suffering protracted and violent deaths. Report available here.
- Mink on almost 500 fur farms across 13 countries have been infected with COVID-19 which can be transferred from humans to farmed mink, between mink and from farmed mink to humans. Further, around 500,000 foxes, mink, raccoon dogs and sable have been ordered killed on public health grounds after Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) was found on more than 70 fur farms in Spain and Finland.
- The Conservative Government stated it would “explore potential action” on the fur issue under its May 2021 Action Plan for Animal Welfare. It launched a Call for Evidence which attracted around 30,000 responses, of which an FOI request revealed over 96% strongly agreed that it is wrong for animals to be killed for the sake of their fur. Its full findings are yet to be published. At a Westminster Hall Debate in June 2023, a Defra Minister confirmed the Animal Welfare Committee had been commissioned to produce a report, by end of 2024, on “the issue of responsible sourcing in the fur industry, including the animal welfare standards and safeguards that apply to fur imported into this country.” During the June 2023 debate, Labour’s shadow Defra minister, Alex Sobel MP, stated: “a Labour Government would take the necessary action on the importation of fur into Britain. We are committed to this. … A Labour Britain will be a compassionate, fur-free Britain.”
Akiyoshi, Rena Bakery, Rotruedee, and Tap Home Cook make the switch to cage-free eggs for a more humane future
Humane Society International / Southeast Asia
BANGKOK, Thailand—This World Egg Day, four beloved Thai restaurants are putting animal welfare first by celebrating World Hen Day instead. Akiyoshi, Rena Bakery, Rotruedee, and Tap Home Cook are proudly announcing their transition to using only cage-free eggs and ensuring that the hens who lay those eggs are treated with greater care and have room to move.
In collaboration with Humane Society International, these popular establishments are leading the way in Thailand’s shift toward more compassionate food choices. Japanese restaurant Akiyoshi, authentic Thai fusion western style Rena Bakery, renowned Thai restaurant Rotruedee and Tap Home Cook, famous for its home-style cooking, are all committing to a cage-free egg supply. This means hens will no longer be confined to cramped cages, and instead will have space to spread their wings, walk, and engage in natural behaviors like dustbathing and perching.
In Thailand, approximately 96.3 million hens are used for egg production, and the majority are confined in small wire cages so small that hens can’t spread their wings or take more than a few steps. In contrast, “World Hen Day is an opportunity to shine a light on the importance of animal welfare and make the point clearly that hens are individuals deserving of basic protections,” said Lalada Tangjerdjaras, Thailand Program Manager for Farm Animal Welfare and Protection at Humane Society International. “Thai consumers, like others around the world, care about animal welfare, and they support companies that share these values. We’re thrilled to work with companies that adopted cage-free policies and are advancing the movement toward cage-free egg production.
These four companies are responding to growing consumer demand for more ethical food choices. For them, the decision to go cage-free isn’t just about business—it’s about doing what’s right.
“Switching to using 100% cage-free eggs is an important decision for us because it fits with who we are and is what our customers want.” said a spokesperson for the Executive Management team at Akiyoshi.
Mr. Chatchai Komintr, CEO of Rena Bakery added: “After we learned more about how caged hens live, we decided that we needed to do something to help.”
These four businesses join over 50 companies in Thailand, including big names like Minor Foods and Marriott, that have pledged to use exclusively cage-free eggs. Other Thailand brands are also part of this growing shift toward more humane sourcing. Globally, more than 2,000 companies—including Burger King, Bimbo, and Accor—have committed to go cage-free.
The move to cage-free eggs reflects a broader shift toward ethical choices, as more Thai consumers seek out businesses that prioritize animal welfare, and make their preferences known. This is a step toward a brighter, more compassionate future for Thailand’s hens.
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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 / Europe
BRUSSELS—European Union Member States have agreed by majority to support the European Commission’s proposal to reduce the protection status of wolves under the Bern Convention. Humane Society International/Europe believes this regrettable move paves the way for wolf culling as a response to farmed animal depredation and undermines Europe’s efforts to protect and restore biodiversity. It also ignores the call by hundreds of thousands of citizens and organizations for the EU to step up human-wildlife coexistence efforts.
Dr. Joanna Swabe, HSI/Europe’s senior director of public affairs, said:
“We are bitterly disappointed by the decision of Member States to lower the protection status of wolves. While we understand the concerns of local communities, it is important to prioritise evidence-based approaches when managing wildlife.
Although wolves have made a remarkable recovery in parts of Europe, largely due to legal protection measures, the latest assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources found that six out of nine transboundary wolf populations remain vulnerable or near threatened. So, it’s clear that these large carnivores have yet to reach a favorable conservation status across the entire EU.
Reducing wolf protections at this stage, without solid scientific support, just to placate the farming and hunting lobbies, will jeopardise the progress made in restoring wolf populations and—if the Bern Convention is amended—will open the door to further weakening of protections for wolves under the EU’s Habitat Directive. Instead of focusing on lethal control, more concentrated efforts should be directed toward promoting coexistence with wolves. Proven measures such as better strategies to protect farmed animals can address concerns over wolf depredation more effectively than weakening the protections of large carnivores. We believe that fostering this kind of coexistence is the best path forward for both humans and wildlife.”
Facts about wolves in the EU:
- Wolves play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting biodiversity across Europe and are granted strict protection under both the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats Directive.
- Wolves are present in 24 of the EU Member States and their total population in the EU amounts to 20,000 individuals. However, the most recent assessments done under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive demonstrates that in six out of seven biogeographical regions in the EU their populations are in unfavorable or inadequate conservation status. Wolf recovery is still in progress and the primary objectives of the Bern Convention and Habitats Directive—restoring endangered species—have yet to be fully achieved.
- The Commission’s own detailed analysis shows no proof that culling effectively reduces depredation of farmed animals.
- Last week, a joint statement by more than 300 civil organizations, including HSI/Europe, was presented to decision makers, calling on EU Member States to reject the European Commission’s proposal to weaken the protection status of wolves under the Bern Convention and instead intensify efforts to achieve coexistence with large carnivores.
- An online petition urging EU Member State Environment Ministers to uphold the current conservation status of wolves and prioritize preventive measures to protect farmed animals from attacks has gathered more than 300,000 signatures to date.
- A survey, conducted in November 2023 in the rural areas of 10 member states, where local communities coexist with large carnivores, showed that 68% of participants support the strict protection status of large carnivores (including 61% of sheep farmers) and 75% claim that farmers should implement available measures to protect their animals from large carnivores. The vast majority of respondents believe that killing of problematic individual carnivores should be a last resort, when protective measures have failed and 69% insist that decisions on the management of wolves and other large carnivores should also consider the benefits and functions these animals provide.
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Media contact: Yavor Gechev: +359889468098; ygechev@hsi.org
Humane Society International / Latin America
LIMA, Peru—Attempts to bring back commercial whaling both directly and under the guise of food security have both failed at the 69th International Whaling Commission meeting in Peru this week, to the relief of animal protection and conservation non-profits including Humane Society International.
The draft resolution on food security had been submitted by the Republic of Guinea and co-sponsored by Cambodia, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Congo, Senegal and St. Kitts and Nevis, close allies of Japan which has sought to scrap the moratorium since it was first adopted in 1982. However, realising that they would have lost if put to a vote, the proponents withdraw it instead. They will work on it intersessionally before the next IWC meeting in Australia in 2026.
Dr Madison Miketa, wildlife scientist at Humane Society International, said: “While we are glad this proposal has been withdrawn, we don’t believe it should return in the future because the IWC is not the appropriate venue for addressing food security concerns. This proposal was never about food security; the nations that put forward this proposal have no history or cultural traditions of eating whale meat. In fact, 110 signatories from West and Central Africa (the region of the majority of proponents of this proposal) condemned the proposal and state that whale meat consumption doesn’t contribute to food security in their region. This proposal was about being a good ally to pro-whaling Japan which has continually attempted to erode the ban on commercial whaling.
“Whales are worth far more alive than dead and are critically important for healthy, productive oceans. For communities reliant on eco-tourism and whale watching income, or those dependent on healthy fish stocks, the presence of abundant whale populations is a lifeline. Furthermore, killing these long-lived, slow reproducing animals who are also impacted by myriad human-caused threats such as climate change, pollution and fisheries bycatch, would do nothing to ameliorate food insecurity. Not to mention that whale meat and blubber are often contaminated with high levels of pollutants and heavy metals such as mercury and PCBs, making them unsafe for human consumption.”
Since the ban on commercial whaling was implemented in 1986, the majority of nations that were previously engaged in commercial whaling have successfully transitioned to whale watching, which depends on healthy whale populations. Not only have they not suffered economic or nutritional distress as a result, but protecting whales, rather than killing them, delivers far better economic, social and environmental benefits to local communities.
Also withdrawn was a proposal aimed at undermining the more than 40-year-old ban on commercial whale killing. The draft resolution had been submitted by Antigua and Barbuda and co-sponsored by St. Lucia, close allies of Japan which has sought to scrap the moratorium since it was first adopted in 1982. These two countries supported Japan’s pro-whaling agenda when it was an IWC member, and although Japan withdrew from the IWC in 2019, it continues to project its pro-whaling influence via its allies.
Grettel Delgadillo, deputy director of Humane Society International/Latin America says: “We are relieved that the dark and dangerous resolution to resume commercial whaling was withdrawn and can no longer take up precious time here at IWC. Lead proponents Antigua & Barbuda with the support of St Lucia, chose withdrawal over inevitable defeat on the floor once they realised the majority of nations gathered would not support their attempts to dismantle the global moratorium. But for this twin-nation state to so persistently pursue a pro-whaling agenda despite having no dietary, cultural, economic or historical connection with whaling or whale meat, demonstrates how Japan continues to influence IWC despite no longer being a member. The global moratorium on whaling has spared the lives of hundreds of thousands of cetaceans and been instrumental in pulling many species back from the brink of extinction. Commercial whaling is unethical, unsustainable and unnecessary. Whales face myriad threats from commercial hunting, fisheries bycatch, noise and plastic pollution, ship strikes and the urgent climate crisis. They need the moratorium and the IWC now more than ever.”
HSI’s whale experts at the IWC meeting are available for interviews.
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Media contact: Wendy Higgins, Director of International Media, whiggins@hsi.org
Humane Society International / Latin America
LIMA, Peru—Delegates from Humane Society International attending the 69th International Whaling Commission meeting in Peru, expressed bitter disappointment today that pro-whaling nations have once again voted against the creation of a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic. The votes were 40 in favour, 14 opposed with 3 abstentions, therefore failing by just one or two votes to achieve the three quarters majority needed.
The proposal by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay has been put forward at successive IWC meetings for the past 26 years—it was first proposed in 1998 by the government of Brazil, during the 50th IWC meeting held in Oman. If successful, the sanctuary would have would have banned any commercial hunting of cetaceans within its waters, extending from the East coasts of Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina across to Western Africa and abutting the Southern Ocean Sanctuary that was established in 1994.
Grettel Delgadillo, deputy director of Humane Society International/Latin America, said: “It’s a bitter disappointment that the proposal for a South Atlantic whale sanctuary has yet again been narrowly defeated by nations with a vested interest in killing whales for profit. There was no legitimate reason to block this proposal except for vain self-interest. For the past 26 years, nations in the region have battled to create a safe haven sanctuary in their waters for whales who face continued threats from commercial whaling, entanglement in fishing gear, marine pollution, ship strikes and climate change. Some whale populations are also still struggling to recover following decades of commercial whaling in the twentieth century. It is a tragedy that once again the whales have lost the chance of a protection they need more than ever.”
Almost half of the world’s known species, subspecies and subpopulations of cetaceans, are listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. Species such as humpbacks, southern right whales and more inhabit the southern Atlantic, and these populations are still recovering from decimation due to intensive commercial whaling of previous centuries. It is crucial that the sanctuary is established to ensure that these whale species recover and thrive.
Despite this setback, whale-friendly nations voted by a resounding majority to accept a resolution proposal to reaffirm the global ban on commercial whale killing. The draft resolution was submitted by the European Union with 37 yes votes, 12 no votes and 8 abstentions.
Delgadillo said: “The EU tabled this compassionate and conservation-minded proposal to remind countries of their legal obligations pertaining to commercial whaling. Considering the persistent attempts by pro-whaling nations to dismantle the 40-year-old ban, the message behind this proposal is much needed. Thanks to the moratorium, the lives of hundreds of thousands of whales will have been saved and many species brought back from the brink of extinction. Commercial whaling is unethical, unsustainable and unnecessary so we welcome the passing of this proposal as a signal to all nations that the world must continue to save the whales.”
The global moratorium on commercial whaling was agreed to in 1982 and implemented from 1986 onwards because the high number of whales being killed was threatening the survival of whale populations. The moratorium is widely considered to be one of the most major conservation successes of our time. It has likely prevented the killing of tens or even hundreds of thousands of whales, blocked the expansion of commercial whaling for decades and allowed some whale populations to recover from cruel and unsustainable mass slaughter.
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Media contact: Wendy Higgins, Director of International Media, whiggins@hsi.org
Humane Society International / South Korea
SEOUL—As South Korea’s government today published its much-anticipated Basic Plan for the phase out of the dog meat industry, animal campaigners at Humane Society International/Korea have welcomed it as an “important milestone in this historic plan” and called on other countries across Asia to follow suit. However, more action is needed to prevent unnecessary dog suffering, says HSI/Korea.
Sangkyung Lee, HSI/Korea’s end dog meat campaign manager, made the following statement:
“Publication of the government’s Basic Plan to phase out South Korea’s dog meat industry marks an important milestone in this historic ban that will see it through to completion and end our country’s dog meat era for good. We hope that other countries across Asia where the dog meat trade persists despite public opposition will follow South Korea’s lead so that our Special Act and Basic Plan can be the catalyst for similar compassionate action around the world. HSI/Korea stands ready to further advise the government on dog welfare, and to rescue dogs where we can so that innocent victims of this brutal dog meat industry have a chance of a happy life.”
Regarding the financial support plan for dog meat farmers, HSI/Korea’s Lee said: “We are disappointed that the government’s Basic Plan provides financial support for dog farms based on the number of dogs. While limits are set based on the reported capacity of waste disposal facilities, this approach risks potentially increasing dog breeding with the aim of getting more money from the scheme, with more puppies being born into suffering. This completely goes against the purpose of the special law, risks subjecting even more dogs to unnecessary suffering and could actually make the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ job of dog farm population management even harder in the long-term. We urge MAFRA to rethink this idea and switch instead to a fixed financial amount or support package based on each farmer’s transition business plan.”
On the issue of managing the remaining dogs during and after the phase-out period, Lee added: “More urgent discussions are clearly needed about practical steps that must be prioritized to stop puppies being born on farms during the phase out period. The government must actively engage with local governments and animal protection groups like HSI/Korea, to ensure that farmers immediately separate male and female dogs on farms to stop breeding. There is no excuse for even more innocent puppies to be born into this cruel industry precisely at a time when the goal is to end it.”
Facts:
- With over 6 million pet dogs now living in Korean homes, demand for dog meat is at an all-time low. A 2023 Nielsen Korea opinion polls shows that 86% of South Koreans won’t eat dog meat in the future and 57% support a ban.
- Since 2015, HSI/Korea has helped 18 dog farmers across South Korea switch to growing crops such as chili plants and parsley, or water delivery and other livelihoods as part of its Models for Change program.
- South Korea joins a growing list of governments across Asia that have banned the dog meat trade (with varying degrees of enforcement) including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, Siem Reap province in Cambodia, and more than 60 cities, regencies and provinces in Indonesia.
Click here to view video and photos of HSI/Korea’s dog meat farm closure program. Contact whiggins@hsi.org to download visuals.
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Media contact:
- Wendy Higgins: whiggins@hsi.org
Tortuguero aims to become Costa Rica’s first animal-friendly community with the support of Humane Society International
Humane Society International / Latin America
TORTUGUERO, Costa Rica—As part of a pilot project by Humane Society International to make Tortuguero, in Limon province, an animal-friendly community, 64 dogs and 19 cats received free preventive care during a two-day veterinary clinic. Tortuguero is a rural, isolated community in Costa Rica where access to veterinary care is limited.
During the clinic, a team of veterinary professionals provided free medical examinations, vaccinations, deworming, blood tests and other preventive care services for Tortuguero’s animals. A total of 83 companion animals received care at no cost, including 30 from the neighboring community of San Francisco, who were brought over by boat. Pet owners also learned about the impact companion animals can have on local wildlife and vice versa.
“The first phase of the program involved engaging with the community of Tortuguero to understand their concerns pertaining to animals. After understanding the community’s needs, we organized the program’s very first outreach clinic, and identified local individuals eager to champion animal welfare efforts. These ‘Animal Ambassadors’ will receive ongoing training and resources to develop, implement and sustain these activities over time,” Andrea Borel, executive director for HSI/Latin America explained.
One of those ambassadors, Víctor Barrantes, brought his two cats, Menguito and Frescolino, to the clinic for vaccinations and deworming. Victor rescued Menguito after finding him abandoned in a box and adopted Frescolino when the cat began visiting his yard searching for food. Victor says that caring for them has given him a new appreciation for animal welfare.
“I want Tortuguero to have a population of healthy pets who receive proper care, stay indoors and don’t disrupt the beach by digging into the turtles’ nests, With the Animal Ambassadors’ group, I believe we can gradually raise awareness and encourage people to treat pets as members of the family, as they should be,” Barrantes said.
Daneysha Rankin, a 16-year-old girl resident, also visited the clinic with her mother and her dog, Chopper, to ensure he received proper care: “I think it is very important to take responsibility for our pets. Today’s youth are consumed by technology―they prefer robot dogs over real ones. We need to change that mindset and appreciate the living beings around us. Sometimes we pay more attention to TikTok than to the animals that are always by our side,” she shared.
This pilot project has been developed in close collaboration with the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC–MINAE), the Tortuguero National Park, the National Animal Health Service (SENASA), the School of Veterinary Medicine of the National University, the National Commission for Biodiversity Management (CONAGEBIO-MINAE), ASVO Costa Rica, the Tortuguero Environmental Committee, and Sea Turtle Conservancy, among others.
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Media contact: Alejandra Zúñiga: alezuniga@outlook.com
It’s time for the law in Iceland to reflect science and ethics by banning commercial whale killing, says Humane Society International
Humane Society International / Europe
REYKJAVÍK, Iceland―Iceland’s Pirate Party―the sixth largest political party in the country with six seats in Parliament― has introduced a legislative bill aimed at banning the country’s commercial whaling. Leading animal protection charity Humane Society International―which together with the Avaaz platform is set later this month to hand in more than 2 million petition signatures to the Icelandic government in support of a ban―welcomed the bill.
Iceland’s commercial whaling activity is conducted by just one whaling company, Hvalur hf., run by owner and CEO Kristján Loftsson. Earlier this year, Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir renewed the company’s commercial whaling licence for one year despite clear evidence in a report by the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority that some whales killed in Icelandic hunts took up to two hours to die, with 41% suffering on average 11.5 minutes before dying, in contravention of the Animal Welfare Act.
Claire Bass, Humane Society International/UK’s senior director of campaigns & public affairs, said: “This bill is Iceland’s crossroads moment, where politicians can choose between continuing the brutal and bloody slaughter of these ocean giants to satisfy the demand of just one single whaler in Iceland, or protecting whales from needless suffering. Whales face myriad threats including ship strikes, underwater noise, climate change and entanglement in fishing gear. Killing whales threatens Iceland’s global reputation and is contrary to national animal welfare laws. It’s time for the law in Iceland to reflect science and ethics by banning commercial whale killing once and for all and so we urge Iceland’s legislators to vote in support of this legislation.”
The bill proposes to make whaling illegal by repealing the Act on whaling, no. 26/1949 , and by including whales in the law on the protection, preservation and hunting of wild birds and wild mammals, no. 64/1994 . The bill text makes the case that “Whaling is not Icelandic cultural heritage; Whaling and animal welfare cannot go together; Whales are important in the marine ecosystem; Most of the public is against whaling; The economy and business relationships are at stake; Iceland should be a leading model when it comes to the protection of marine areas and animal species in the sea.”
Fast facts:
- The International Whaling Commission agreed to enact a global moratorium on all commercial whaling in 1986.
- Iceland left the IWC in 1992 but returned in 2002 with an exception to the moratorium, despite objections from multiple nations. Since re-joining the IWC, Iceland has killed more than 1,500 whales, including fin whales.
- Iceland suspended hunting fin whales in 2016 due to a declining market for whale meat in Japan. Hunting resumed for the 2018 season when 146 fin whales were killed, including a pregnant female and a rare fin-blue hybrid whale, plus six minke whales. Icelandic whalers killed a single minke whale between 2019 and 2021, 148 fin whales in 2022, 24 in 2023 and no whales (so far) in 2024.
- Whales support climate goals by capturing large amounts of carbon and cycling nutrients through the ecosystem. A single whale stores an average of 33 tons of carbon dioxide in their body over a lifetime, which then falls to the seafloor when the whale dies and cycles through the deep-sea ecosystem rather than re-entering the atmosphere. Whales also cycle nutrients between habitats, supporting phytoplankton and increasing carbon capture from photosynthesis. Fin whales are classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List as globally vulnerable, which means they are considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, despite decades of recovery since the commercial whaling moratorium.
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Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
Nineteen scarlet macaws, victims of illegal trafficking, returned to their habitat thanks to wildlife protection and conservation organizations
Humane Society International / Latin America
PETEN, Guatemala―Once the transport cages were opened, a multicolored plumage again adorned the jungle in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve, in Guatemala. Nineteen scarlet macaws (Ara macao cyanoptera), an emblematic species in the Central American region, returned to their natural habitat, after having been rescued and confiscated from illegal wildlife trafficking.
While the scarlet macaw is currently classified as “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, several countries throughout Central and South American list the species as under greater threat. Researchers estimate there are between 150 and 200 scarlet macaws remaining in Guatemala, where they are listed as threatened. The northern subspecies is considered in danger of extinction in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica and Panama; a species of concern in Honduras; and protected from take in Nicaragua. Rainforest habitat loss and wild capture and exploitation for the illegal pet trade are the main threats to this species. Snatched from their nests in the wild, these birds can be trafficked for hundreds of dollars each to countries around the world including the United States, where the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lists scarlet macaws as threatened.
The release of these threatened and colorful birds was the result of joint work by non-governmental, non-profit organizations, Asociacion Rescate y Conservacion de Vida Silvestre (known as ARCAS) and Humane Society International/Latin America, with the support of the Luis Von Ahn Foundation and Defensores de la Naturaleza, as well as the National Council of Protected Areas, known as CONAP.
All of the released macaws were victims of illegal wildlife trafficking. While most were hatched at ARCAS’s Wildlife Rescue Centre from parent birds rescued from the wildlife trade, two were confiscated directly by the authorities. Fernando Martinez, director of ARCAS Petén, explains: “The two confiscated juveniles were kept in boxes and were destined for the illegal pet trade. Since they arrived at the rescue center when they were young, they had the opportunity to join the rest of the group and return to the habitat from which they were extracted.”
“Through our rehabilitation process, all nineteen young birds have learned the skills necessary to live free and increase the wild population of macaws in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve.”
Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America, said: “Illegal wildlife trafficking in Guatemala poses a major threat to endangered species such as macaws, as traffickers remove chicks from their nests to sell as pets. Such trafficking puts a price tag on these species, leading to unsustainable population declines. In addition to further threats from habitat loss, this illegal activity causes suffering and distress to the birds who are stolen from the wild and smuggled long distances to be sold on the black market for the pet trade. That is why, since 2007, HSI/Latin America has been working with our local partner, ARCAS, on wildlife protection and conservation in Guatemala.”
The release of the macaws to their natural habitat was facilitated by members of the non-governmental organizations listed above, under the supervision of CONAP. The released birds will be observed and monitored for 15 days to track their progress.
ENDS
Media contacts:
- Global media: Wendy Higgins whiggins@hsi.org
- Spanish language media: Grettel Delgadillo, gdelgadillo@hsi.org