Region: Europe

Her powerful images of animal parts support efforts to pressure policymakers to strengthen protections for endangered species and ban hunting trophy imports

Humane Society International / Europe

@Britta Jaschinski

BRUSSELS—Humane Society International/Europe congratulates photographer Britta Jaschinski on winning the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 award in the “Photojournalism” category. Organized by the Natural History Museum in London, this competition is recognized as one of the world’s most esteemed photography contests.

Jaschinski’s award-winning photo shows a new magnetic powder being applied to a confiscated elephant tusk. The technique can retrieve fingerprints up to 28 days after poachers handle the tusk, overcoming challenges posed by ivory’s porous nature. Over 200 kits of this powder have been distributed to border forces in Africa and Asia, aiding in cases involving trafficked ivory, tiger claws and rhino horn. The method is valued for its simplicity and effectiveness where DNA techniques cannot be used.

“Whether it is for trophies or to feed the demand for ivory, figures reveal that we are on track to wipe out one of the most iconic species by 2040.” says Britta Jaschinski. “Losing our beautiful elephants in the name of sport, power and greed is simply not acceptable. Lifting fingerprints of ivory and other confiscated wildlife is an important technique in the forensic tool kit and brings hope that we can disrupt and even dismantle entire trade chains.  If we can’t save our most charismatic species, what hope is there for others? I am grateful to organisations like Humane Society International/Europe for amplifying these issues and for pushing for real political action to strengthen wildlife protection and in particular right now, to end the import of hunting trophies.”

HSI/Europe admires Jaschinski’s powerful work and has collaborated with her on the Still Life. Delivered– The macabre business of trophy hunting exhibition, which is part of the #NotInMyWorld campaign of the organization. The campaign highlights trophy hunting—the legal and senseless killing of iconic wild animals for sport which has severe environmental, ethical, social and economic impacts. Endangered species such as the hippopotamus, African elephant, African lion, leopard, brown bear and polar bear, turned into lifeless objects—from bottle openers to ashtrays—rendered as such by the barrel of a gun and immortalized by the lens of the camera. HSI/Europe’s campaign calls on the EU and its Member States to ban hunting trophy imports and urges businesses to stop supporting this practice. The Still Life. Delivered exhibition has appeared in Rome and Warsaw, with plans to travel to other cities to spotlight these works that expose how majestic living animals are killed by trophy hunters and turned into grim lifeless objects for mere personal satisfaction.

Through her work, the London-based photographer explores the human-nature relationship and its implications. Known for her distinctive style, she documents wildlife crimes and collaborates with international authorities and environmental organizations. As co-founder of Photographers Against Wildlife Crime™ and creator of The Evidence Project, she advocates for public awareness and political action to protect wildlife and natural habitats.

Ruud Tombrock, HSI/Europe executive director, congratulates Jaschinski on her award and emphasizes the urgency of political intervention: “Britta Jaschinski’s powerful images reveal the brutal reality behind trophy hunting and the immense suffering and exploitation of animals it involves and send a strong message to European policymakers to take decisive action to stop the import of these grotesque trophies. This is not just about protecting individual animals but preserving ecosystems and safeguarding the future of endangered species worldwide.”

Between 2013 and 2022, the European Union imported over 27,000 trophies from animals threatened by trade and listed under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), making the EU the second-largest importer of hunting trophies after the United States. Among the species targeted are iconic animals such as hippos, rhinos, lions and polar bears.

Globally, there has been a strong movement away from the trophy hunting industry. Many countries, such as Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Kenya, Singapore, South Sudan and others already prohibit trophy hunting and/or trade in full or to a significant degree, while others, such as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, the Netherlands, the United States and others have some level of national trade restrictions for hunting trophies beyond CITES’ minimum requirements. Private industry has also emerged as a global leader in environmental sustainability and responsibility, with 45 transport companies prohibiting the transport of some or all hunting trophies on their carriers, including airlines from the world’s top five and EU’s top three largest airline groups.

View Jachinski’s award-winning photo. To download these visuals, email emheinen@hsi.org

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Media contact: Eva-Maria Heinen, senior manager media and communications, HSI/Europe, emheinen@hsi.org; tel: +39 333 8608589

Humane Society International / Europe

Raimund Linke/Getty Images

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.

ENDS

Media contact: Yavor Gechev: +359889468098; ygechev@hsi.org

Humane Society International

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

Fin whale with seagulls
Elizabeth Tighe-Andino

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

Ilfov Country Council and Humane Society International/Europe launch program to care for street dogs and cats, empower local authorities and increase responsible pet ownership

Humane Society International / Europe

HSI

BUCHAREST, Romania—Together with the animal protection organization Humane Society International/Europe, the Ilfov County Council, kicked off a community-wide program to deliver free veterinary care to street dogs and cats. Teams of veterinarians will provide services such as spay and neuter, vaccination, microchipping, deworming treatments and first aid, to better protect people and animals. The initiative, running through 2025, is part of a broader effort to support local authorities in adopting humane population control strategies while promoting public education on animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. Roundtable discussions will also be held to support local and county authorities in creating strategic humane management plans for the region’s street animals.

Hundreds of street dogs and cats are likely to benefit from this initiative, contributing to a safer and healthier environment for both people and animals. The program will focus on high-priority areas, ranging from public institutions, former military bases, company headquarters, courtyards and disadvantaged and neglected areas within Ilfov County.

Hubert Thuma, president of Ilfov County Council, said: “I am not ashamed to say to Humane Society International/Europe: teach us, help us, work with us! At the same time, it makes me sad because I realize that after years and years, we as a country have not been able to care for street dogs and cats at the level they deserve. In 2013, we voted against the law on mass killing of animals. I explained then that mass sterilization, information and education were the solutions. Later, in 2020, when I became county council chairman, lo and behold, I was able to demonstrate that humane and effective methods exist. I thank HSI/Europe for the partnership for good that we have started together!”

HSI/Europe’s Compassion for Companions program has been supporting projects dedicated to helping pets in disadvantaged communities in Romania since 2022. Through local partner organizations,  HSI facilitates access to veterinary care and assistance in communities where these services are non-existent or too expensive. More than 2,000 dogs and cats from shelters, from the streets or whose owners cannot afford the costs of veterinary care have been helped so far in several areas of Romania.

Andreea Rosetti, Romania country director at HSI/Europe says: ” We have launched the Compassion for Companions program in Romania because the animals here need as much support as possible. I have personally witnessed the desperate need for street animals to receive help and the veterinary medical care makes the difference between life and death. I also understand the struggle of those who care for the animals in a community who cannot take the burden of so many new puppies on the street. And this is where we help. We have started this collaboration with Ilfov County Council because Ilfov has already shown that they have an effective vision that puts the lives of all beings first.”

Dr. Katherine Polak, vice president of companion animal welfare and engagement at Humane Society International adds: “Humane Society International/Europe is ready to assist authorities in the humane management of stray dog and cat populations, drawing on data, rigorous research, and expertise in the field. HSI has a specialized Monitoring, Evaluation, Impact, and Assessment team that works globally to assist governments in identifying the best ways to manage free-roaming animal populations. We will help Ilfov authorities make informed and humane decisions for the benefit of the animals, as well as the community.”

HSI has successfully led animal population management programs all over the world to address companion animal welfare issues at a local or national level. Over the years, HSI’s MEIA team has provided support to local animal welfare organizations and governments with high-tech accuracy by developing mobile applications tailored to gather and track data for spay/neuter, catch-neuter-vaccinate-return of dogs and mass vaccination programs.

Download pictures of Romanian street dogs and cats receiving veterinary care through the Compassion for Companion program.

ENDS

Media contacts:

  • Andreea Roseti; aroseti@hsi.org
  • Hilde Tudora, Director of Animal Protection Ilfov; 0768.78.41.2

Humane Society International / Europe

Mass killing of street dog populations is neither humane nor effective

Humane Society International / Europe

HSI

MILAN—After receiving hundreds of thousands of emails from compassionate consumers around the world, thousands of phone calls, countless social media posts and even having a hot air balloon flown over its headquarters in Italy asking it to go fur-free, Max Mara Fashion Group has officially announced a fur-free policy.

In an internal memo to staff, Max Mara said, “The Company does not sell, online nor in any of its physical retail locations, any products made with fur, nor is there the intention to introduce any products made with fur into any upcoming collections of Max Mara Fashion Group brands.”

This was confirmed by a Max Mara executive, who added, “Max Mara, including the MMFG and any subsidiaries, has adopted a fur-free policy and has no intention of introducing fur into any upcoming collection for any of the MMFG brands.”

This announcement comes after the Fur Free Alliance, a coalition of more than 50 animal protection organizations―including Humane Society International― from over 35 countries, launched a global campaign during fashion weeks in February 2024 in New York City, London, Milan and Paris urging the Italian fashion giant to adopt a fur-free policy.  The campaign saw more than 270,000 emails, 5,000 phone calls and countless social media posts delivering a clear message asking Max Mara to go fur-free.

Max Mara Fashion Group has 2,500+ stores in 105 countries and was previously selling items such as mink gloves, fox fur cuffs and a raccoon dog key chain. The brand now joins the world’s major fashion-houses that have already gone fur-free, including Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Armani.

In February this year, Humane Society International/Europe and LAV flew a hot-air balloon over Max Mara’s headquarters in the city of Reggio Emilia during Milan Fashion Week, displaying a fur-free message.

P.J Smith, director of fashion policy at Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, said: “Congratulations to Max Mara for joining so many other fashion brands and retailers that have already taken a stand against the cruel fur trade. Activists around the world came together to ask Max Mara to do the right thing, and they listened, making it clear fur has no place in fashion. Let’s celebrate this win for animals and a fur-free future!”

Joh Vinding, chairman of the Fur Free Alliance, said: “The Fur Free Alliance applauds Max Mara for going fur-free. Max Mara was one of the last global fashion brands that still sold fur, so we’re glad they have now joined a growing list of fur-free brands that want nothing to do with animal cruelty associated with the fur trade.”

Today, over 1,500 brands and retailers have pledged to go fur-free by joining the Fur Free Retailer Program.

Fur facts:

  • Tens of millions of animals suffer and die each year in the global fur trade. The majority of the animals killed for fur are reared in barren battery cages on fur farms.
  • Fur farming has been banned in 21 European countries – the 15 Member States of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia plus Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guernsey, Norway, United Kingdom, North Macedonia and Serbia. In addition, two countries (Switzerland and Germany) have implemented strict regulations which have effectively brought fur farming to an end and three countries (Denmark, Sweden, Hungary) have imposed measures that have ended the farming of certain species.  Mink farming has also been banned in the Canadian province of British Colombia. Political discussion of a ban is underway in Bulgaria, Romania and Sweden.
  • Israel became the first country to ban fur sales, in 2021. In the United States, fur sales are banned in the state of California as well as ins 16 towns or cities. Political discussion on a fur import ban is underway in Switzerland
  • Mink on almost 488 fur farms across 13 countries in Europe and North America have been found to be infected with COVID-19. Millions of farmed mink, in countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands, were ordered to be killed on public health grounds. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) has been found on 72 fur farms (one in Spain, 71 in Finland) to date. Around 500,000 animals, including mink, arctic fox, red fox, raccoon dogs and sable, have been ordered to be killed on public health grounds.

Download visuals of the Max Mara hot-air balloon stunt. 

Media contact: Yavor Gechev, EU communications director: ygechev@hsi.org

 

Humane Society International / Europe

Help change the law and making this Iceland’s last whaling license

Humane Society International / Europe

Didier BAUWERAERTS/©European Union 2015 EP Paul Henri

The protection of animals is an issue close to the hearts of millions of EU citizens. This is also reflected in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which explicitly recognises that animals are sentient beings and that the EU and Member States must pay full regard to their welfare requirements in their policymaking.

Humane Society International/Europe is calling on the 720 Members of the European Parliament to become advocates for farmed, wild and laboratory animals to advance their welfare and improve their protection in the EU and beyond during the upcoming Tenth Parliamentary Term (2024-2029).

You can find detailed information about our asks for the next term of the European Parliament in our Manifesto.

Below are a few of our key priorities:

Improving farm animal welfare

The existing body of EU animal welfare legislation must be revised to fully reflect current scientific understandings of animal welfare and its scope expanded to cover all animals kept for economic purposes. It is imperative that this legislative revision includes the phasing-out of all caged confinement for farm animals, such as laying hens and pigs.

Making fur farming history

A full ban on the keeping, breeding and killing of animals for the sole purpose of fur production must be introduced. The cruel and unnecessary practice of fur farming must be relegated to the annals of history everywhere in Europe.

Restricting hunting trophy imports

EU Member States are currently only required to issue import permits for hunting trophies from species listed on Annex A and just twelve species on Annex B of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. For as long as the import of hunting trophies remains legal, this import requirement must be extended to ALL species listed in Annex B to ensure that these hunting trophies are of legal and ‘sustainable’ origin.

Closing the loopholes in the EU wildlife trade Regulations

A loophole in EU legislation allows nationally protected wild animal species, trafficked into international trade flows, to be sold legally in Europe as exotic pets. The EU must commit to adopting supplementary legislation that prohibits the importation, transhipment, purchase, and sale of wildlife taken illegally in the country of harvest/origin.

Ensuring animal-free science

The EU chemicals legislation (REACH) must be revised to close loopholes that allow testing of cosmetic ingredients. Both REACH and the regulation for chemicals classification, labelling, and packaging (CLP) must be updated to maximise adoption non-animal methods for safety assessment and it is crucial that no new or expanded animal testing requirements are introduced via revisions or delegated acts. In research, where the largest number of animals are used in experiments, the EU should commit to a scientific and technological shift towards non-animal approaches.

Promoting sustainable food systems

EU policymaking, including any future Sustainable Food Systems Framework Law, should actively promote the transition to a more plant-based diet and a decrease in the production and consumption of animal products, as well as introducing measures to reduce the number of farmed animals in production and their stocking densities, to mitigate the environmental and climate impacts of intensive animal agriculture.

Learn more and help

  • Read our Manifesto for detailed information about our priorities for the next term of the European Parliament.
  • Are you willing to support our key priorities? Please, get in touch with us: info@hsi-europe.org

Humane Society International / Europe

Simon Eeman/Alamy Stock photo

BERLIN—In an interview published yesterday evening, former Botswana President Ian Khama called on the German government to ban the import of hunting trophies, countering a recent political push to squash commitments made by Minister Steffi Lemke to protect species already threatened by trade. As the EU’s largest importer of such species as hunting trophies, Germany has the opportunity to enhance national regulation to safeguard against the illogical trade protection exemptions for hunting trophies currently permitted under the Convention on Threatened and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

“Many species that are now endangered were not at risk before; some have already become extinct,” said Ian Khama in the interview. “Animals whose populations are relatively stable today could one day face the same danger. We all bear responsibility for this world. I urge the German people and government to take this courageous step. Ban the import of hunting trophies.”

Sylvie Kremerskothen Gleason, country director for HSI/Europe in Germany, stated: “Attempts to politicize the issue of trophy hunting imports won’t change the facts that there are real biological, ecological and social detrimental impacts from trophy hunting. Germany must take responsibility at the national level to promote alternative sustainable solutions to protect wildlife where Germany has a direct influence, such as through their own international trade in hunting trophies. Commitments to reduce hunting trophy imports, made by Minister Lemke, are in line with public opinion in Germany, and must be progressed.”

Through the #NotInMyWorld campaign, Humane Society International/Europe is advocating for national and EU-wide bans on the import of wildlife species threatened by trade, a policy that several EU member states have already partially or fully implemented, including Belgium, France, Finland and the Netherlands. According to a survey, 89% of German citizens support such a ban, which would represent a significant step toward wildlife conservation. HSI/Europe is working with champions across Europe to support countries in moving from extractive, harmful industries such as trophy hunting, into sustainable, humane industries that could provide a much wider suite of benefits for both animals and humans alike.

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Media contact: Eva-Maria Heinen, communications senior manager at HSI/Europe: emheinen@hsi.org; 3338608589

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