Region: Global

China is the world’s 2nd largest importer of rhino trophies after the U.S.

Humane Society International / China

African white rhino
Volodymyr Burdiak/Alamy Stock photo

BEIJING–China’s leading animal protection organizations have sent an open letter to President Xi Jinping urging the Chinese government to make China the first country in Asia to ban the import of rhino hunting trophies. At a press conference held in Beijing on World Rhino Day, Capital Animal Welfare Association (CAWA) together with wildlife and legal experts released the letter co-signed by more than twenty Chinese animal protection and conservation organizations as part of an appeal to eliminate Chinese demand for rhino products, including hunting trophies.

China is the world’s second largest importer of rhino hunting trophies after the United States. Between 2009 and 2018, China declared imports of 46 southern white rhino trophies – most imported from South Africa – in addition to 33 skins, eight bodies, 112 feet and six tails that also resulted from trophy hunts*. However, in a concerning discrepancy, South Africa reported exporting a total of 115 rhino horns and hunting trophies destined for China between 2013 and 2016 while China only reported importing 42 during the same period, raising suspicions of a vibrant black market for illegal rhino horns in China.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has identified China as a “focus country” to address the rhino poaching crisis and rhino horn trafficking, in addition to Viet Nam, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique. Indeed, 30% of recorded global rhino horn seizures between 2014 and 2018 involved China, suggesting that demand for rhino horn in the country is increasing. The number of overseas Chinese nationals arrested for crimes involving illegal rhino horn has also escalated significantly in recent years.

The Chinese NGO and experts’ letter states: “Trophy hunting is a bloody hobby and has been heavily chastised by members of the public in most countries around the world. However, this activity has become a pursuit for the wealthy few in China who can afford to spend a large sum to travel across the globe and take pleasure from killing rare and iconic wild animals, showing off by posing for morbid selfies by the slain animal bodies. Our country has become the target of aggressive promotion by the international trophy hunting industry that has been losing customers in the West and hope to lure Chinese customers…The International Union of Conservation of Nature’s Ethics Specialist Group has stated that trophy hunting is unethical. Trophy hunting is deeply rooted in Western colonialism and incompatible with Chinese history and tradition.”

Citing recent CITES reports, CAWA and co-signers of the letter also raised their concerns about the continuous transnational trafficking of rhino horns from Africa by Chinese criminal networks. Enforcement investigations have found evidence of strong and persisting demand for rhino horns within China.

Madame Qin Xiaona, founder of CAWA, said: “With China implicated as a major destination of illegal rhino horns, the additional distinction of China as the world’s second largest importer of rhino trophies is a stain on China’s international conservation image and runs counter to President Xi’s ecological civilization agenda. China does not need this cruel trade that panders to the whims of an extremely small number of the rich but does lasting damage to wildlife and to China’s reputation. We urge President Xi to adopt a ban on the import of rhino parts and products including rhino hunting trophies, similar to the existing, historic ban on the import of elephant tusks and their products.”

International wildlife experts also leant their voice of support for ending global trade in rhino trophies. Audrey Delsink, wildlife director at Humane Society International-Africa based in South Africa, said, “We applaud the Chinese animal protection groups and experts in calling to protect rhinos from trophy hunting. Trophy hunting and poaching of rhinos places a higher value on dead rhino parts than on the living animal, leading to this iconic species being decimated in the wild. The Chinese government has the power to show world leadership in how to save the rhino.

Rhinos are synonymous with South Africa’s natural heritage, and as the range state with the most rhinos in the world and therefore one of the last vestiges of hope for the species, the South African government should be doing all it can to protect rhinos rather than promoting activities that exploit them.”

Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D., vice president of HSI’s wildlife programs, adds: “Chinese animal advocates have seen through the pseudo-conservation claims of the global trophy hunting industry and are sending them a powerful message  – rhinos should not be hunted for fun and for bragging rights. China already has a ban on the import of elephant tusks and their products, including elephant tusk hunting trophies, and conservation efforts would be by a similar ban on the import of rhino trophies. However, stopping trophy hunting of rhinos is not China’s task alone. The United States is the world’s largest importer of rhino trophies and also has a critical role to play in protecting the world’s remaining wild rhinos.”  

ENDS

Media Contact:

  • China: Jake Cao, Secretary General, Beijing Capital Animal Welfare Association: vshinemz@163.com
  • USA: Dr Peter Li, China policy specialist, Humane Society International: pli@hsi.org
  • U.K: Wendy Higgins, director of international media, Humane Society International: whiggins@hsi.org

Notes

* stats from analysis of trade database from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Humane Society International / India

Lance Murphey

Dehradun—Café Maya A Culture, a Dehradun-based café, has teamed up with Humane Society International India to join the global movement towards serving more plant-based, sustainable food, and has committed to replace 30% of all their meat, dairy and egg-based menu items with delicious plant-based dishes by 2022. Further, the café is also increasing their current menu to include all-new plant-based options to their menu, including dishes made with tofu, vegan whipped cream, coconut milk and plant-based meat.  In responding to consumer demand for more plant-based options, Café Maya A Culture’s menu changes will impact more than 1 lakh meals per year.

Consumers across the globe are increasingly swapping out animal products for plant-based ones, and responsible food businesses and institutions are responding to this opportunity to better cater to this vibrant and growing market. Consumer demand for this change has been driven by the mounting evidence of links between the intensive rearing of animals on factory farms to produce meat, dairy and eggs and its negative impacts on the environment, public health and animal welfare. Research indicates that animal agriculture accounts for an estimated 14–16% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions, which is about the same as all transportation combined. Livestock production is also a highly inefficient use of scarce land and water, a principal driver of deforestation, habitat destruction and species extinction.

Avantika Chaudhary, owner of Maya A Culture, said, “Maya A Culture is committed to introducing animal welfare standards in its food supply chain. By changing the menu, we will be able to produce healthy food that is good for animals, our health and environment too”

Further, numerous studies indicate that a diet rich in plant-based foods can help improve health, and that people who eat fewer animal products have lower rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis and certain types of cancer. By choosing to eat more plant-based foods, we can ease the enormous burden our current consumption habits have on the environment, improve our health and reduce the immense suffering of millions of animals.

Humane Society International/India’s Managing Director Alokparna Sengupta said, “The Café’s laudable decision to commit to replace 30% of their animal-based products with plant-based options is a visionary choice not only for the future of how we eat but also for the future of this planet. We are grateful to have worked with Maya A Culture and hope that other cafés in the city and in the country will soon follow suit. Replacing just 30% of their animal-based meals with plant-based options impacts hundreds of thousands of animals and enables customers to make food choices that are better for animals, their health and the planet.”

Across the globe, HSI partners with food businesses, schools, colleges and other institutions to put more plants on plates. By working with institutions to design exciting plant-based menus, provide plant-based culinary trainings and other promotional activities, HSI is paving the way for more humane, sustainable eating.

For support in the development of animal welfare policies in your supply or procurement chains, to request a plant-based culinary training or to adopt our Meatless Monday program, contact HSI/India at +91 9632890083 or rrao@hsi.org

Reference in this article to any specific commercial product or service, or the use of any brand, trade, firm or corporation name is for the information of the public and does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation or approval by Humane Society International or its affiliates of the product or service, or its producer or provider.

ENDS

Media contact: Shambhavi Tiwari, +91 8879834125, stiwari@hsi.org

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Alamy Stock Photo Broiler chickens on the brooding area of a commercial poultry farm.

LONDON—The largest study ever conducted on the welfare of chickens raised for meat confirms that fast-growing breeds, which make up the majority of chickens raised for commercial meat production, suffer immensely. Around the world, a staggering 60 billion chickens are bred for meat, 1.1 billion a year in the United Kingdom alone, and 9 billion in the United States, which is second only to China.

The University of Guelph, Canada, study included 7,500 chickens from 16 different strains and took two years to complete. While previous studies have also indicated that chickens raised for meat are prone to health and welfare problems, this new research demonstrates that, despite recent breeding objectives, selection for rapid growth and breast-meat yield continues to leave conventional chicken strains with significant welfare issues such as reduced mobility, foot pad lesions, muscle damage and disproportionate heart and lung development. Slower growing chickens tested in the same research trial had consistently better health and behavioral outcomes.

Most commercial chicken meat production around the world currently utilizes rapidly growing breeds, selectively bred over generations to grow unusually fast. These chickens grow from hatch to slaughter weight in just six weeks, the vast majority intensively reared in overcrowded sheds on factory farms devoid of environmental enrichment or natural sunlight.

As stated in the research summary report: “While this high productivity means affordable, consistent product, it has come at a cost to broiler welfare.”

Julie Janovsky, Humane Society International’s vice president of Farm Animal Programs, said: “More than 60 billion chickens are raised and slaughtered for meat around the world every year, and this study confirms that the fast growth and tremendous weight they have been bred to reach goes hand in hand with poor welfare and a life of pain. Responsible companies must work quickly to implement reform to reduce the suffering of billions of animals, moving away from these rapid-growth birds. And retailers, restaurants and consumers must also play their part by making more responsible purchasing choices, including reducing and replacing chicken altogether with plant-based proteins and meat-free chicken alternatives.”

The University of Guelph worked independently but accepted input and advice from chicken breeding companies, who provided the animals for the study and advised on their needs. However, even when tested under the carefully controlled environmental conditions specified by the breeders, the welfare of the fastest growing commercial strains was poor. Rapidly growing broiler chickens reared without carefully controlled ventilation, nutrition or temperature controls may suffer even further.

Based on the study’s results, Global Animal Partnership (G.A.P.), a leading farm animal welfare certification and labeling program, will revise its standard on the welfare of chickens to account for this important new science, and Humane Society International urges other welfare assurance schemes to  do the same. As hundreds of large food and hospitality companies have pledged to address animal welfare as part of their corporate social responsibility commitments, G.A.P. certification is a good path toward meeting those promises. The updated broiler chicken requirements in the G.A.P. program will help ensure companies are meeting science-based welfare standards.

The newly released summary report disseminates the initial results, with further analysis expected by the end of the year and more in 2021. The data is expected to be published in peer-reviewed journals, making a key contribution to the scientific literature.

ENDS

Media contact: Sarah Schweig: sschweig@humanesociety.org; +1 202-754-2428

Families from five municipalities and six SENASA regional offices received food for their dogs and cats

Humane Society International / Latin America

SENASA

SAN JOSÉ—More than 3,000 dogs and cats who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic received food for several weeks, thanks to a donation made by the animal welfare organization Humane Society International/Latin America. This donation is part of Mars, Incorporated’s recent donation to HSI for its global companion animal programs to help dogs and cats affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

These pets belong to 1,450 families that, due to the health crisis, cannot provide food for their animals. Families were identified in the municipalities of Alajuelita, Curridabat, Desamparados, Santa Ana and Montes de Oca, which have participated in an animal welfare pilot plan with HSI/Latin America since 2017, as well as in six regional offices of the National Animal Health Service (SENASA).

In total, HSI/Latin America and Mars delivered 6,423 kilos (weighing the equivalent of four cars) of dog and cat food.

“Pets are an important part of our families and a source of comfort and affection, particularly in difficult times. That is why, as the world fights against this pandemic, we seek to directly help dogs and cats who suffer as a result of the coronavirus crisis,” said Andrea Borel, executive director of HSI/Latin America.

In addition to the five municipalities of the greater San Jose metropolitan area, the food was distributed in communities through SENASA’s six regional offices: Western Central, Brunca, Chorotega, Huetar Norte, Huetar Caribe and Central Pacific.

“We know that this crisis is directly affecting families, and therefore their pets. We believe that this food donation will be of great help to them and will contribute to alleviating the difficult situation they are experiencing,” said Iliana Cespedes, coordinator of SENASA’s Animal Welfare Program for Small Species.

In addition to this donation for companion animals, HSI also made financial contributions to wildlife centers in Costa Rica, Colombia and Guatemala, in order to alleviate the effects that the pandemic is having on their operations.

Download photos of dogs and cats being fed through the Mars grant.

ENDS

Contact: Alejandra Zúñiga, Humane Society International, (506) 7012-5598 (cell)

After 10 years with the fur trade, Mike Moser realised he was ‘defending what is indefensible’ and regrets not leaving sooner

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Finland fur farm
Kristo Muurimaa

LONDON—Mike Moser, who resigned as CEO of the British Fur Trade Association in 2018 after a decade of defending the fur industry, has come out in support of a UK ban on fur sales because he no longer believes fur can be produced humanely.  Moser is now publicly supporting the #FurFreeBritain campaign by animal charity Humane Society International/UK.

Moser also worked for the International Fur Federation from 2008 to 2015 during which time he visited fur farms on five continents.. He says it was coming home to his beloved Labrador Barney after visiting fur farms overseas that made him realise keeping foxes and raccoon dogs in wire cages barely bigger than they were was unacceptably cruel. His growing doubts solidified during TV and radio debates with HSI/UK’s executive director Claire Bass, during which he began to feel he was “defending the indefensible.”

Moser, who will address MPs and Ministers at a No Business In Fur virtual event for HSI/UK next week, says: “I spent ten years working for the fur trade, and in that time I visited fur farms across the globe so I’ve seen the reality of fur farming. Over time I realised that whatever soundbites we devised to reassure consumers, retailers and politicians, neither welfare regulations nor any industry certification scheme, would ever change the reality of these animals being stuck in tiny wire cages for their entire lives. I would come home to Barney my Labrador, who I loved dearly, and realise that he wasn’t that much different in size to some of the animals I saw languishing on fur farms, and the thought of him being treated like that was just unthinkable. I felt a complete hypocrite.

“On a number of occasions I was in media debates with Claire from Humane Society International, and my job was to counter her claims, but increasingly I found that I agreed more with their messages than I did my own. I no longer had the conviction that what I was doing was right  – defending what is indefensible. One of my main regrets is that I didn’t leave earlier. After I resigned, I met with HSI to express my respect for how they conducted their campaign, and in conversation realised I shared many of their views. I agree fully that the fur trade is out of time.”

In the ten years that Mike Moser worked for the fur trade, he witnessed caging of mink, foxes and raccoon dogs in countries as diverse as Denmark and Finland, China, Russia, and Latvia. He says that regardless of the country of origin and any associated welfare regulations, the basic cage-based model of fur farming is systemically cruel.

Mr Moser says: “It is universally accepted that the ability to exhibit natural behaviour is a fundamental tenet of good animal welfare. It is disingenuous of the fur trade to claim that mink and foxes bred over generations are now domesticated. It is still the instinct of a fox to hunt, to play and to dig and of a mink to swim and hunt. But even IF that were true, our dogs and cats are domesticated but we wouldn’t dream of keeping them in those conditions, it’s just not right.”

Moser is now a part-time consultant for Humane Society International/UK, using his knowledge and experience to support the charity’s #FurFreeBritain campaign for a UK fur sales ban. In 2000, the UK announced a ban on fur farming in Britain but didn’t prevent the import and sale of fur from animals farmed overseas. Since the ban came into effect in 2003, almost £800m of fur has been imported into the UK from fur farms in France, Italy, Poland, China and other countries. In 2018 almost £75m of animal fur was imported into the UK, based on pelt auction prices HSI UK estimates that this equates to some 2-3 million animals.

Mike Moser says: “The fur trade is anachronistic. It still fails to recognise that social attitudes towards animals have changed dramatically, that we understand much more clearly sentiency and what constitutes good welfare. The Zeitgeist today is that caging and killing animals for an unnecessary fashion product, that has only vanity value, is unacceptable. The UK banned fur farming two decades ago but for as long as we import and sell the fur from overseas, the UK is still supporting fur farming and trapping by proxy. That’s morally and politically ambiguous, and that’s why I support a UK fur sales ban.”

A new YouGov opinion poll, commissioned by animal charity Humane Society International/UK, reveals that 93% of the British population never worn fur, or no longer wear it, and the majority (72%) support a ban on the sale of fur in the UK.

Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, said: “British people and politicians take pride in being a nation of animal lovers, and so it doesn’t surprise me that it was Mike’s love for his dog Barney that was at the heart of his epiphany that caging and killing animals for their fur is wrong. If the idea of locking a pet dog in a cage for life and then electrocuting and skinning that animal for fur is unthinkable, then it’s not a big leap to feel similar empathy for animals like foxes who endure this cruelty on fur farms. I fully respect Mike’s change of heart, and he now has an important and powerful message for the UK government — if someone like him with a decade’s experience inside the fur industry says it’s right to ban fur sales, then it’s time to take action and end the suffering.”

An Early Day Motion 267 urging the government to introduce legislation banning the import and sale of real fur products has so far been signed by 126 MPs, including Tracey Crouch, Maria Eagle, Dr Lisa Cameron and Tim Farron.

Fur facts:

  • More than 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year worldwide including mink, fox, raccoon dog, chinchilla and coyote – that’s equal to three animals dying every second, just for their fur. Rabbits are also killed for their fur, likely to be in the hundreds of millions.
  • Fur comes with a hefty environmental price tag. Whilst all materials have some eco-footprint, when compared to other textiles, fur takes a significant toll in terms of the C02 emissions associated with keeping and feeding tens of thousands of carnivorous animals on a farm, the manure runoff into lakes and rivers, and the chemicals such as chromium and formaldehyde used to preserve the fur and skin to stop it from rotting.
  • An increasing number of fashion designers and retailers are dropping fur cruelty. In the last few years alone Prada, Gucci, Armani, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry, Chanel and other high-profile brands have announced fur-free policies. In addition, online fashion retail platforms Net-A-Porter and Farfetch have introduced no-fur policies.

Sign the #FurFreeBritain petition

See Mike Moser’s interview

Download fur farm photos and video

ENDS

Media contact: Leozette Roode, HSI/UK Media and Campaigns Manager, email: Lroode@hsi.org telephone: 00 27 713601104

Notes to the editor:

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,682 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th – 5th March 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

Humane Society International / Europe

Multiart/iStock.com

The European Union’s precedent-setting ban on cosmetic animal testing and trade has been undermined from within by two recent decisions to require cosmetic ingredients to undergo new animal testing.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) Board of Appeals recently upheld a decision by ECHA staff to require German chemical company Symrise to carry out several tests on vertebrate animals to fulfill ‘tick-box’ registration requirements under the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation.

The chemicals in question, homosalate and 2-ethylhexyl salicylate, are used exclusively as cosmetic ingredients in sunscreens. As such, the animal testing requirements of the REACH Regulation directly conflict with the animal testing ban under the Cosmetics Regulation.

To its credit, Symrise contested ECHA’s demands for multiple new animal tests – which together would subject several thousand animals and their offspring to suffering and death – arguing that such tests cannot be required for substances used exclusively as ingredients in cosmetic products. Further, one of the core tenets of REACH is to promote alternatives to animal testing for assessing chemical hazards.

On August 18, the ECHA Board of Appeals ruled against Symrise, citing that REACH does not contain an automatic exemption from new testing, even if a substance is used exclusively as an ingredient in cosmetics. This decision is the latest in a series of positions taken by ECHA which act at variance to the animal replacement mandate under REACH, and now also the celebrated ban on animal testing for cosmetics. The ruling also contradicts numerous calls by the European Parliament to ensure the EU ban is not weakened, including a motion passed on July 10th this year, stating specifically that animal testing bans set by the Cosmetics Regulation “must not be compromised by testing conducted under other legislation such as REACH”.

Once the global leader in the move away from animal testing – with the European Parliament in 2018 calling for an international ban on cosmetics testing and trade by 2023 – the actions of certain ECHA and Member State bureaucrats are increasingly eroding the EU’s reputation and leadership status in this area. By contrast, U.S. chemical authorities in the Environmental Protection Agency are being duly applauded for their efforts to replace vertebrate animal testing for chemicals, and EPA’s policy commitment to eliminating both requirements and funding for mammalian animal testing by 2035.

Humane Society International, a leading advocate for cruelty-free cosmetics laws and animal-free safety assessment worldwide, is calling for transformational change within ECHA that reflects its mandated focus on the promotion of alternatives, including actively minimising and progressively replacing animal testing with new human-relevant, non-animal scientific approaches. Without active leadership from ECHA, the EU’s ban – and the increased development of alternative testing methods seen as a result – will be seriously undermined.

HSI will continue to work will EU policymakers and relevant stakeholders to reverse the decisions by ECHA and its Board of Appeals, and to ensure the integrity of the EU’s hard-won ban on cosmetic animal testing remains strong.

Early closure will spare 13.5 million mink from being born to suffer wasted lives

Humane Society International / Europe

Mark Hicken, Alamy Stock photo

AMSTERDAM—The Dutch government has agreed that all mink fur farms must permanently close by March 2021, according to Dutch national news service, NOS. Mink fur farming was banned in the Netherlands in 2013 with a deadline for complete phase out by 2024, so this decision sees that closure fast-tracked to prevent long term COVID-19 virus reservoirs forming on affected farms.

Since April, an estimated 2 million mink have already been preventatively culled following the outbreak of coronavirus on 41 fur farms. Leading animal charity Humane Society International applauds the Dutch cabinet for ordering the early closure of fur farms in the Netherlands and closing this chapter on this animal abuse industry.

Today’s announcement will not require mink on the 120 remaining fur farms to be preventatively culled unless new COVID-19 outbreaks occur. Mink on unaffected farms will be slaughtered for their pelts in November this year, but breeders are not permitted to restock, meaning fur farms will close forever. By March 2021, all remaining mink operations will be bought out by the government.

Speaking from Amsterdam, Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, said: “This signals the end of suffering for millions of animals confined to small wire cages on fur farms in the Netherlands. We commend the government on its decision to end this incredibly cruel and completely unnecessary industry and protect citizens. With 41 fur farms and an estimated 2 million mink now having been infected, the risk of keeping these virus reservoirs operating, is far too great. Over the past weeks, the Dutch government has failed to act as infection numbers rose. Without this early termination of fur farming, up to 13.5 million more animals would be forced to suffer short and miserable lives solely to supply the fickle fashion industry. It is a sick industry both literally and figuratively. There has never been a more compelling time for the Netherlands to shut down this industry for good”.

Last month, the Dutch Government announced its plans to implement a one-stop voluntary closing scheme that allows mink companies to voluntarily end their business operations in the short term. It requested advice from the Outbreak Management Team on Zoonosis (OMT-Z) and promised to announce its decision on future steps in August 2020. Ministers Hugo de Jonge of Health, Welfare and Sport, and Carola Schouten of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, together with the fur farming sector and experts, tightened the hygiene protocol since 10 July in hopes of putting the spread to bed. However, following the news of further infections, the OMT-Z was asked to elaborate on the risk assessment and measures in the light of public health. Over the course of the next months, until the termination is fully implemented, Minister Schouten will tighten up COVID-19 measures on existing operations. She will also conduct an investigation into compliance with the COVID-19 rules by the sector.

The Netherlands farmed around 4.5 million mink in 2018. Since April, two fur farm workers are believed “extremely likely” to have contracted the virus from mink.

Mink fur farms and COVID-19 timeline

  • 26 April: SARS-CoV-2 identified on two mink farms in Netherlands.
  • 9 May: SARS-CoV-2 found on two more mink farms in Noord Brabant as well as in dust particles in the barns in which they are kept in.
  • 15 May: SARS-CoV-2 diagnosed in three cats living at a mink farm where the presence of the virus was detected.
  • 19 May: First farm worker reported to have contracted COVID-19; Minister confirms compulsory screening is extended to all mink farms in the Netherlands.
  • 20 May: Dutch Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten tells MPs it is likely mink infected with SARS-CoV-2 passed the virus to a worker.
  • 22 May 2020: Seven of 14 employees of a mink farm in La Puebla de Valverde (Spain) test positive for SARS-CoV-2.
  • 25 May: A second farm worker contracts COVID-19, Minister confirms transmission from mink to humans now “extremely likely.”
  • 28 May: Ministers’ confirm mandatory screening of all Dutch mink farms is underway.
  • 1 June: SARS-Cov-2 found on another three mink fur farms in the Netherlands, with a fourth case confirmed on 3 June bringing the total to nine farms.
  • 3 June: Dutch Ministers publish final report confirming animals on the infected farms will be culled, a measure taken “in the interests of both public and animal health”.
  • 23 June: Dutch Parliament votes in favour of shutting down all mink fur farms in the Netherlands, with early closure of farms with compensation to be paid to fur farmers to end the practice earlier than the phase out due date of 31st December 2023.
  • 1 July: The Dutch Government says it will consider a one-stop voluntary closing scheme and breeding ban for mink fur farms in the Netherlands. It aims to make a decision in August 2020 and must notify Parliament before the new mating season starts in February 2021.
  • 6 July: 20th mink fur farm in the Netherlands confirmed with COVID-19
  • 9 July: Two more mink farms in the Netherlands confirmed with COVID-19. Another 75,000 mink culled.
  • 9 July: Brabant-Zuidoost regional safety board calls on Minister Schouten to implement preventative clearing.
  • 13 July: The 23rd mink fur farm in the Netherlands was confirmed as being infected with COVID-19.
  • 15 July: Another Dutch mink fur farm infected with COVID-19. This brings the total of infected farms to 24. The Dutch mink death toll reaches 1 million mink, according to national media sources.
  • 16 July: First farm in Spain identified with corona-infected mink. The Aragonese Minister of Agriculture, Joaquín Olona, during the press conference in which he reported the extermination of the farm with 92,700 minks Health orders to exterminate a farm of 92,700 minks invaded by the Covid in Teruel. The authorities recognize that there are indications that point to a cross contagion between humans and animals on that farm.
  • 10 August 2020: 28th and 29th farm confirmed by Ministers, in Elsendorp (12,000 dams) and in Vredepeel (6,000 dams) respectively.
  • 13 August 2020: 30th farm confirmed by Ministers, in Ven-Zelderheide (municipality of Gennep), with approximately 1,800 mother animals.
  • 14 August 2020: 31st farm confirmed by Ministers, in Altforst (municipality of West Maas en Waal), with approximately 12,000 mother animals.
  • 14 August 2020: Forth farm identified in Denmark. All four farms identified are located in North Jutland. No details of the number of mink on the farm.  The mink will not be killed.
  • 16 August 2020: Infections on Netherlands farms 32 and 33 confirmed by Ministers, in De Mortel and in Ottersum.
  • 17 August 2020: USDA Confirms first confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 in mink at two farms in Utah, United States.
  • 18 August 2020: Three new Dutch farms confirmed, taking the total number of farms to 36.
  • 24 August 2020: Three new farm infected with Covid-19. An infection with SARS-CoV-2 has been established on a farm in De Rips, as well as in Vlierden and in Ven-Zelderheide. A total of 40 mink farms in the Netherlands have now been declared infected.
  • 27 August 2020: 41st farm infected with Covid-19.
  • 27 August 2020: Dutch government announce agreement to fast track the permanent closure of all mink fur farms in the Netherlands by March 2021.

Media contact:

To request an interview with HSI spokespeople (Dutch and English speakers) please contact Leozette Roode, HSI/UK: LRoode@hsi.org

Notes

Latest available figures show approximately 35 million mink were farmed in 2018 in Europe, including Denmark (17.6m), Poland (5m), Netherlands (4.5m), Finland (1.85m), Greece (1.2m) and Lithuania (1.2m).  Figures for the same period show that mink were farmed for their fur in China (20.7m), the United States (3.1m) and Canada (1.7m), bringing the total to approximately 60million mink globally on fur farms.

Humane Society International / Global

Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services along with Karnataka Forest Department executed the program in collaboration with Humane Society International India in an effort to reduce zoonotic disease transmission

Humane Society International / India

Erin Van Voorhies Street dog in India.

DHARWAD—On the occasion of World Dog Day, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (AH&VS) at Dharwad, Dharwad division of the Karnataka Forest Department and Humane Society International/India (HSI/India), an animal protection organisation, joined hands to conduct a vaccination camp to vaccinate dogs in Dopenatti village.

With the village bordering a reserve forest, chances of zoonotic disease transmission from owned and feral dogs to wild canids is relatively high. Periodic vaccination drives against common diseases such as rabies is vital for the health and well-being of the dogs themselves, people around them as well as wild animals in the region. As a part of this camp, dogs were vaccinated against rabies and a host of other commonly seen diseases such as canine distemper, parvoviral enteritis and leptospirosis.

Dr Vineeta Poojary, program manager of Veterinary Sciences, HSI/India said: “The concept of regularly vaccinating your companion animals is often lacking in most parts of the country. While vaccination of livestock is still done as they are production animals, dogs are often ignored – especially in rural areas. It is a known fact that dogs do venture into protected areas and often come in conflict and contact with wild animals. While only vaccinating them will not resolve the issue, it is definitely an important tool to achieve it. We are very grateful to the respective government agencies for collaborating with us for the same”

A recent study based on camera trapping data showed more dogs than tigers in core areas of 17 tiger reserves across the country. Experts believe that presence of dogs in a forest landscape leads to competition between wild animal and domestic dogs for resources. Further, a study conducted in 2017 demonstrated that domestic dogs contributed to 11 vertebrate extinctions and pose a risk to at least 188 threatened species worldwide.

Shri Yashpal Kshirsagar IFS, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Dharwad division said: “While we recognize the threats posed by proximity between domestic animals and wildlife in terms of disease transmission, we would like to explore sustainable and humane solutions to this conflict. We are happy that the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services has come forward to join hands with us for this initiative. We would also like to thank Humane Society International/India for coordinating and helping execute this camp with their resources and expertise.”

Dr Parameshwar Naik, Deputy Director, AH&VS, Dharwad said: “Disease surveillance, monitoring and prevention of zoonotic diseases is the need of the hour as demonstrated by the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, we are happy to collaborate with the Karnataka Forest Department and Humane Society International/India to conduct this mass vaccination camp. To further aid in management of conflict between domestic dogs and wild animals, more stringent policies on responsible pet ownership is required.”

HSI/India in Dharwad and Gadag districts has been working over the last two years in building capacity of various government agencies on animal welfare, helping animals in times of disasters and providing training to several interested individuals in the district on first-aid for animals in distress.

***Keeping with the precautions that one needs to be mindful of with the COVID 19 pandemic, the organizers will be distributing face masks to all attendees. Further precautions such as physical distancing norms and sanitization of the premises and staff/volunteers will be done at regular intervals.

ENDS

Media Contact: Shambhavi Tiwari; stiwari@hsi.org; +91 8879834125

Humane Society International / Global

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