Category: Press Release

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.

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

Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration urges European Chemicals Agency to step up compliance with mandates to prevent animal testing

Humane Society International / Europe

Bliznetsov/iStock.com

BRUSSELS—A new paper published this month in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology by Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Innospec and other members of the Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration has exposed numerous concrete examples of acceptance barriers to companies’ good-faith attempts to honour the requirement under European chemicals law that new animal testing may only be undertaken “as a last resort.”

The peer-reviewed article, “The last resort requirement under REACH: from principle to practice,” also provides recommendations to enhance the governance and enforcement of the legal requirement established in the EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. If implemented, the AFSA suggestions would significantly advance science and animal welfare by helping to inform upcoming plans to revise REACH and develop an EU roadmap for phasing out animal testing in the chemicals and other regulated product sectors.

Members of AFSA have issued the following statements:

“This paper highlights the challenges and type of barriers that REACH registrants often face when using non-animal methods to try to meet various test requirements,” said Anders Bergqvist, PhD, head of toxicology team for Global Product Compliance Europe. “While we will certainly continue to aptly use non-animal methods, we hope that the recommendations presented in this paper will be adopted by the European Commission and the European Chemicals Agency so that animal testing under REACH, before being phased out, can be reduced to the absolute minimum.”

“All scientists must uphold the legal requirement that animal testing is conducted only ‘as a last resort’ when addressing REACH information requirements,” said Dr Carl Westmoreland for Unilever’s Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre. “To ensure that this principle is transparently applied to all proposed testing, it is essential that new science which offers advanced approaches to adapting standard information requirements is robustly applied, discussed and submitted.”

James Dawick, senior toxicology and risk assessment manager, and Ian Callan, vice president global regulatory compliance and ESG, Innospec, together said: “Innospec is very proud to have collaborated with AFSA colleagues on this important publication. As an organisation we are working hard across multiple forums to eliminate the need for animal testing. This publication provided a great opportunity for us to highlight some of the challenges and opportunities on the subject, specifically in regard to EU REACH. Innospec sincerely hopes the case studies and solutions provided in this AFSA paper serves to stimulate dialogue with key stakeholders and catalyse the necessary changes to ensure animal testing is used as a last resort under EU REACH.”

“As P&G is a founding member of AFSA, we are happy to have contributed to hands-on ingredient examples evidencing how well animal-free methods address safety questions without the need for new animal data,” said Dr Xiaoling Zhang, senior scientist and toxicologist, Central Product Safety, Global Product Stewardship for Procter & Gamble. “We hope this paper will build trust and help accelerate the global adoption of non-animal methods for chemical safety assessments.”

“We are proud to support efforts that will help drive greater acceptance of new approach methodologies to validate the safety of ingredients around the world,” said Ben Carrick, head of global public policy at Kenvue.  “Through the implementation of these recommendations, we hope we can reduce the need for unnecessary testing on animals and only leverage these outdated methods as a last resort for chemicals regulation in the EU.”

“Companies should not be penalised for obeying the law and making best efforts to avoid new animal testing except as a ‘last resort’,” said Jay Ingram, director of chemicals for Humane Society International. “Chemicals, chemical regulations, guidance and regulatory compliance reviews by the European Chemicals Agency and EU Member States should facilitate, not impede, compliance with this legal mandate. We hope our publication sparks dialogue and action to ensure regulatory enforcement mechanisms are appropriately leveraged in the pursuit of protecting human and environmental health and animal welfare—a true win, win, win for everyone.”

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Media Contact: Emily Ehrhorn: eehrhorn@humanesociety.org; 202-779-1814

Notes:

  • Despite efforts from regulatory bodies to increase the use and acceptance of non-animal methods such as read-across, a popular non-animal approach, their use has remained static from 2016 to 2022. Given the predicted increase in the number of chemicals proposed in the EU over the next 30 years, it is vital that companies are adequately supported in the safety assessment process.
  • Co-operative efforts to further support the transition towards an animal-free future of chemical legislation require genuine intentions to execute the last resort requirement. The peer-reviewed article sets out recommendations for the European Commission, ECHA, and companies registering new products:
  • The study has revealed the redundancy of ECHA’s requested animal tests, Companies who adhere to REACH’s last resort requirement and sufficiently establish safety using non-animal methods have been asked by ECHA to reconsider their approach, being left with no option but to test on animals.
  • Some EU-based companies initially use animal tests rather than as a last resort, due to ECHA’s lack of provision, whereby those collecting data to register new chemicals and products face several challenges in satisfying the last resort requirement. For example, data from read-across is often rejected after ECHA reviews.
  • Inflexible administrative processes, non-acceptance of non-animal methods, and redundancy of testing can contribute to a fear of rejection from regulators, creating an environment not conducive to mainstream adherence of REACH’s last resort requirement.
  • In 2021, the European Parliament called for acceleration towards the transition to innovation without the use of animals in regulatory testing. A 2022 European Citizens initiative signed by over 1.4 million people echoed this notion, supporting the phasing out of animal testing in the EU. The European Parliament response to this initiative repeats its commitment to ‘reducing and potentially eliminating animal testing in the context of chemicals legislation’.

Humane Society International / Indonesia

Garry Lotulung/AP Images for HSI

JAKARTA, Indonesia—Twenty four dogs rescued from a slaughterhouse at Indonesia’s Tomohon “Extreme” Market in North Sulawesi province have flown from Indonesia to the United States in search of loving families. Poppy, Romeo, Wendy, Mia, Rocky and friends were saved by animal charities Humane Society International and Animal Friends Manado Indonesia after the organizations negotiated an historic ban on the dog and cat meat trades at the Tomohon market in July last year.

HSI transported the 24 dogs, including Abbie, Lano, Jilly, Oliver and Root,  to its care and rehabilitation center near Washington, D.C., in the United States, where they are now receiving soft beds, nutritious food, toys, veterinary care and time to heal from their ordeal. After this initial phase, they will be placed with shelter and rescue partners where they will be prepared for adoption into loving homes.

  • Photos/video of their journey to the USA HERE
  • Photos/video of their rescue HERE

On the day the market ban came into force, the HSI and AFMI campaigners saved a total of 25 dogs and three cats from being bludgeoned and blowtorched to death for human consumption. One dog named Daisy was subsequently adopted by HSI rescuer Lola Webber who lives in Indonesia, and all three cats also found loving homes on the island country. More than 130,000 dogs and countless cats annually are slaughtered in public markets across Indonesia’s island of Sulawesi, with more than 1 million dogs a year killed for the meat trade nationwide.

Lola Webber, HSI’s director of Ending Dog Meat campaigns, said: “For dogs like Daisy, change came literally just in time in Tomohon. As proud adopter of Daisy, who utterly stole my heart when we rescued her, I am filled with hope for these wonderful dogs as they begin their journey to find happy homes in the United States. Daisy was at one of the slaughterhouses we closed down that supplied Tomohon Extreme Market, and which alone had killed hundreds of these terrified animals every week for years. It was a filthy place with a blood-stained floor and emaciated dogs crammed in steel cages, peering out desperately. I will never forget the look of fear in their eyes.

These poor animals witnessed and experienced unimaginable brutality and traumatizing cruelty. But I know how transformative love can be for dogs and cats rescued from the meat trade. Sweet Daisy is living proof that with kindness, patience and compassion, these dogs can look forward to happy futures surrounded by families who love them. Daisy is adored by my husband and me and our four children, and is living the life all dogs deserve. I can’t wait to see the same happy ending for Romeo, Poppy, Rocky and friends.”

The ban at Tomohon market introduced by Mayor Caroll Senduk not only shut down this cruel trade at the market itself, but also impacted the vast network of animal thieves and traffickers across the entire province for whom sales at the market were a prime motivation. As a leading member of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition, HSI has helped achieve bans on the dog and cat meat trades in 40 cities and regencies so far, with provinces also pledging action to eradicate the trade, and the charity aims for further victories in 2024. The ultimate goal is a nationwide ban on the dog and cat meat trades, which HSI hopes Indonesia’s policy makers will feel inspired to introduce following the ban just passed in South Korea.

Ms Webber says: “In addition to the immense animal suffering the dog and cat meat trades cause, they also pose a very real danger to public health, particularly through the spread of the deadly rabies virus. Dog capture, transport, killing, butchery and consumption can all facilitate rabies transmission, and rabies-positive dogs have been found for sale at markets throughout Indonesia. So, there are compelling animal and human welfare reasons for Indonesia to be the next country in Asia to finally ban this trade.”

In November last year a host of Hollywood and Indonesian stars wrote a letter to President Joko Widodo urging him to ban the dog and cat meat trades. The letter, signed by stars including Kim Basinger, Courteney Cox, Andie McDowell, Dame Judi Dench, Alicia Silverstone, Leona Lewis OBE, Daisy Fuentes, Billie Eilish, Charlize Theron and Clint Eastwood, alongside Indonesian mega-stars Bubah Alfian, Cinta Laura Kiehl, D.J Bryant, Davina Veronica, Luna Maya, Prilly Latuconsia, called for a ban “so that we can soon celebrate a truly dog and cat meat-free Indonesia.”  The stars went on to say: “We stand strong with the overwhelming majority of Indonesian citizens and international visitors who oppose the dog and cat meat trades and believe in protecting animals from cruelty and exploitation.”

HSI’s rescues and dog transports are conducted in compliance with national and local animal and public health recommendations. Following their rescue, the animals were evaluated by a veterinarian, treated for endo- and ectoparasites, vaccinated against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parvo virus, parainfluenza, leptospira and screened for illness as needed to ensure the health of each animal and to comply with international export and import requirements. On arrival in the United States, the dogs were further cleared by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention before being received at the care and rehabilitation center.

Download photos and video of the dogs and cats being rescued here

Download photos and video of the dogs on their Indonesia to USA journey here

Download photos and video of the dog meat trade at Tomohon Extreme Market (May 2023) here

A list of the shelter and rescue partners at which the dogs are placed will be available here once that information becomes available.

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Media contacts:

‘This is history in the making I never thought I would see in my lifetime,’ says JungAh Chae, director of HSI/Korea

Humane Society International / South Korea

Jean Chung

SEOUL—South Korea’s National Assembly has today voted through a ban on the dog meat industry in what animal campaigners at Humane Society International/Korea have called “history in the making.” Up to 1 million dogs a year are factory farmed and killed for human consumption in the country. The ban, which comes into force in six months’ time with a three-year phase out, will make the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs and dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027, with penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.*

This news follows considerable public and political momentum. 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 poll shows that 86% of South Koreans won’t eat dog meat in the future and 57% support a ban.

JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea, which has campaigned tirelessly for a ban, welcomed the news by saying: “This is history in the making. I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement. We reached a tipping point where most Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books, and today our policymakers have acted decisively to make that a reality. While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog-friendly future.”

Dog farmers, slaughterers and restaurant owners will be eligible to apply for compensation, and after review, government support will be offered to transition or close those businesses, similar to the Models for Change program run by HSI/Korea. Since 2015, HSI has helped 18 dog farmers across South Korea switch to growing crops such as chili plants and parsley, or water delivery and other livelihoods.

HSI/Korea urges the government to use the three-year phase out period to work with animal groups including HSI/Korea to rescue as many dogs as possible in a state-sponsored, coordinated effort.

Kitty Block and Jeff Flocken, respectively CEO and president of HSI globally, issued a joint statement, saying: “This is a truly momentous day for our campaign to end the horrors of the dog meat industry in South Korea, and one we have been hoping to see for a very long time. Having been to dog meat farms, we know only too well the suffering and deprivation these desperate animals endure in the name of an industry for whom history has now thankfully called time. This ban signals the end of dog meat farming and sales in South Korea, and we stand ready to contribute our expertise until every cage is empty.”

South Korea now joins a growing list of countries and territories 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 45 cities, regencies and provinces in Indonesia.

Download video and photos of HSI/Korea’s dog meat farm closure program in action here.

ENDS

Media contacts:

  • South Korea: Haewon Lee, media and communications manager; hlee@hsi.org
  • United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins, director, international media; whiggins@hsi.org

Notes: The legislation includes a penalty of up to two years of imprisonment or a fine of up to 20 million KRW for the breeding and sale of dogs for consumption, and up to three years of imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW for the slaughter of dogs for human consumption.

Bulletin 13,966-11 passed unanimously by Senate, making Chile the third country in South America to abolish animal testing for cosmetics

Humane Society International / Latin America

Meredith Lee/HSUS

SANTIAGO, Chile—after a multi-year campaign by Humane Society International and ONG Te Protejo, cosmetic animal testing as well as the manufacturing, import and marketing of cosmetics tested on animals elsewhere in the world has been officially banned in Chile. This followed a unanimous vote by the full Senate session chaired by Juan Antonio Coloma on Dec. 20.

The Bill was further supported by the Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration—a global initiative that brings together corporate and non-profit leaders, including Lush, Unilever, Avon, L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble, the Chilean cosmetics industry association Camera Cosmetica, and other cosmetic and chemical manufacturers.

“Thanks to the passion and determination of animal loving consumers, progressive beauty brands, and politicians across the globe who share our desire for a cruelty-free world, animal testing for cosmetics has been banned in 45 countries,” said Daniela Benavides Sanchez, Humane Society International country director for Chile. “HSI and our partners have been instrumental in securing many of these bans, including in Brazil, Mexico, Canada, India, South Korea and Australia. Today we are delighted to welcome Chile to this list of nations and commend Juan Antonio Coloma and members of Senate for making the landmark legislation a reality.”

“This is a milestone for our organization and for animals. Thanks to this initiative, countless animals will be saved from unnecessary cruelty in Chile,” stated Nicole Valdebenito, director of awareness and advocacy at NGO Te Protejo. “In addition to suffering, these experiments are outdated compared to new methods that do not require living beings.”

“This is a historic step forward thanks to the determined support of Te Protejo and Humane Society International,” said Senator Juan Luis Castro, president of the Health Commission. “We are pleased that we have taken a step in the right direction for animal protection so that cosmetics will never be tested on animals again in Chile.”

The launch of HSI’s stop-motion animated short film #SaveRalph—the heartbreaking story of a rabbit “tester” who was brought to life by a star-studded multinational and multilingual cast—influenced legislative momentum and garnered the support of the national cosmetics industry association, Camera Cosmetica and the Institute of Public Health. Upon its launch in 2021, the HSI film went viral worldwide, with more than 150 million social media views, over 865 million tags on TikTok, and generated more than 300,000 petition signatures in Chile.

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Media contact:  Emily Ehrhorn, senior specialist for media relations at HSUS, eehrhorn@humanesociety.org ; +1 2027791814

Humane Society International / Europe

HSI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Humane Society International / Brazil

HSI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ENDS

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

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

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

Cage-free hens
Michelle Riley/The HSUS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Humane Society International / South Korea

Jean Chung/For HSI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Download Images of the Dogs Leaving South Korea at Incheon Airport

Download Images of the Dog Farm Rescue

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

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

Humane Society International

Chau Doan/AP Images for HSI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cat meat trade facts:

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

Download video and photos of the dog slaughterhouse closure operation.

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

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