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1.
ANIMAL EARMARKS IN FEDERAL SPENDING BILL
On February 25th, House of Representatives
passed the 2009 omnibus spending bill, which determines
funding for federal agencies [see: http://tinyurl.com/bq354b
and http://tinyurl.com/dyk5to
]. Among the appropriations for the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) are a $2 million increase to
strengthen enforcement of “humane slaughter”
laws and $3 million for the USDA’s Food Safety
Inspection Service to maintain the Humane Animal Tracking
System. The USDA’s Office of Inspector General
(OIG), which helps audit and investigate “humane
slaughter” rules and implementation of the ban
on slaughtering non-ambulatory cattle, received $85,766,000,
a $6,274,000 increase above 2008. The OIG also investigates
federal cockfighting and dogfighting crimes and helps
prosecute offenders.
The Agriculture Appropriations subcommittee
commended the USDA “for the announcement that
it intends to move forward with closing the loophole
in the current rule governing non-ambulatory cattle”
[see: http://tinyurl.com/7xjoyd
] and strongly urged it “to expedite the rules
process and close this loophole immediately.”
It also expressed concern over the non-therapeutic
use of antibiotics in animal agriculture and urged
that the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
in farmed animals be addressed.
Other earmarked money includes: $1 million
for the USDA's Animal Care Division to help prepare
for the needs of animals in disasters (the same amount
as allocated in 2008), $1.8 million for swine odor
and manure management research in Iowa, $14.5 million
for the National
Animal Identification system ($4.8 million above
2008), and $40.3 million to ensure fair competition
and protect consumers from unfair practices by the
meat, milk and egg industries ($1.8 million above
2008). The Senate is expected to act on the bill soon.
INVESTING IN THE ANIMALS’ FUTURE,
AND OUR OWN
Animals & Politics, Michael Markarian, February
27, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/cc4s5v
HOUSE APPROVES $410 BILLION ‘OMNIBUS’
SPENDING BILL
Bloomberg News, Brian Faler, February 25, 2009
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aGcZFK6kDeQo&refer=us
2.
JUDGE RULES AGAINST CALIFORNIA SLAUGHTER LAW
A federal judge has ruled in favor of
the meat industry that non-ambulatory pigs can be
slaughtered for human consumption. At issue is whether
a new California law banning the slaughter of non-ambulatory
farmed animals as meat for human consumption takes
precedence over the 1907 Federal Meat Inspection Act
(see: http://tinyurl.com/ac6fk3
). The slaughter of non-ambulatory cattle is already
prohibited by federal law (though see
item #1) and was not part of the case. California
was joined in support of its law by the
Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), Farm Sanctuary,
the Humane Farming Association, and the Humane Society
of the U.S. According to ALDF, the ruling conflicts
with two federal appeals court decisions that allow
states to regulate animals entering the food supply.
If the ruling isn’t appealed, the National Meat
Association and the American Meat Institute will ask
the judge to make it permanent.
MEAT GROUPS WIN ROUND IN FOOD SAFETY
CASE
The Fresno Bee, John Ellis, February 19, 2009
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1211604.html
JUDGE SAYS PIGS TOO WEAK TO STAND CAN BE BUTCHERED
The Associated Press, February 20, 2009
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_11749800
3.
STATES FAVORING HORSE SLAUGHTER
Twelve states are considering measures
in favor of reestablishing horse slaughter in the
U.S. Resolutions opposing HR 503, a federal bill to
eliminate horse slaughter nationwide and prohibit
the export of horses to slaughter (see: http://tinyurl.com/adylqr
), have passed or are under consideration in Arizona,
Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah,
and Wyoming. Additionally, bills amending state laws
to promote private investment in horse slaughter are
pending in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Montana,
and Tennessee. The measures are said to have been
prompted by a resolution submitted in the National
Conference of State Legislatures in December. (NCSL
advocates for state governments' interests before
Congress and other federal agencies.) The resolution
encourages legislators in rural states to promote
horse slaughter in order to generate jobs and address
the issue of unwanted horses.
On February 24th, the Montana House voted 67-33 to
endorse a bill to allow private horse slaughterplants
to be built. Included in HB 418 is a provision that
anyone attempting to sue to block construction of
a horse slaughterplant must post a bond at 20% of
the estimated cost of the plant. Failure of their
lawsuit would result in the plaintiff being liable
for financial losses caused by delay. The bill says
a state court may not delay construction of a slaughterplant
once it is licensed by the state. Attempts to amend
the bill failed.
On February 19th, the North Dakota House approved
a bill (by 89-5) granting $50,000 to study potential
sites and costs for the construction of a horse slaughterplant
in the state as well as potential legal obstacles
to it.
See also: http://tinyurl.com/at2yvp
STATES LINE UP BEHIND HORSE-SLAUGHTER
LEGISLATION
BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly (source: Horse.com), February
27, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/bfpvoz
HORSE-SLAUGHTERING PLANTS ENDORSED BY HOUSE
Helena Independent Record, Mike Dennison, February
25, 2009
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/02/25/legi/85st_090225_horse.txt
SENATE OKS SLAUGHTER MEASURE
Bismarck Tribune, Brian Duggan, February 19, 2009
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2009/02/19/news/local/177139.txt
4.
WASHINGTON STATE SUED OVER CRUELTY EXEMPTIONS
Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARN)
has filed a lawsuit against the state of Washington
charging that animal cruelty criminal laws give industry
undue control over how farmed animals are kept and
killed. (See also: http://tinyurl.com/aehk8t
) Although animal cruelty can be charged as a felony
there, actions in keeping with "customary animal
husbandry practices” are exempt. NARN contends
that these exemptions “invite such a complete
delegation of legislative power as to allow the foxes
to guard the proverbial henhouse” and are unconstitutional
(see PDF link): http://tinyurl.com/dcskxp.
Specific changes are not spelled out in the suit but
a NARN spokesperson said that at minimum it requires
the Legislature to explicitly state what practices
are considered customary. Meat and dairy production
account for about a third of Washington’s agricultural
yield.
CRUELTY LAWS APPLY TO LIVESTOCK, LAWSUIT
SAYS
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Levi Pulkkinen, February
20, 2009
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/400950_slaughter21.html
5. ANIMAL PROTECTION LAWS RANKED
The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF)
has released its annual report ranking the animal
protection laws of the 50 U.S. states “based
on their relative strength and general comprehensiveness.”
The District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin
Islands and other U.S. territories are also included.
(For Canada, see: http://tinyurl.com/d8v644
and see: http://tinyurl.com/cq6xzu
) The unique report “is based on a detailed
comparative analysis of each jurisdiction, researching
fourteen distinct categories of animal protection
laws throughout more than 3,400 pages of statutes.”
Each jurisdiction is grouped into a top, middle or
bottom tier with a listing of the five best and five
worst states. The report can be accessed at (PDF link):
http://tinyurl.com/b4aj3j
and the state rankings map at: http://tinyurl.com/djo4gm.
ALDF also offers a collection of model animal protection
laws: http://aldf.org/article.php?id=262
and a compendium of U.S. and Canada animal protection
laws: http://aldf.org/article.php?id=259.
2008 STATE ANIMAL PROTECTION LAWS RANKINGS
The Animal Legal Defense Fund, December 16th, 2008
http://www.aldf.org/article.php?id=786
6.
WAR ON WILDLIFE
Drawing on a new report entitled “War
on Wildlife,” 115 environmental groups signed
a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
urging him to abolish the Department's Wildlife Services.
According to the report -said to be the first comprehensive,
national, independent assessment of the agency in
40 years- the $100 million program kills more than
1 million wild animals annually. “Wildlife Services
massacres our nation's wildlife mainly to benefit
agribusiness," said a WildEarth Guardians spokesperson.
The 108-page report was presented to the USDA, members
of Congress and the White House.
Some 70 animal agriculture groups and state agriculture
offices in 35 states countered with a letter citing
more than $125 million in annual losses to the cattle,
goat and sheep industries as a result of predation.
"Without non-lethal and lethal predator control
by Wildlife Services, these numbers could easily double
or even triple," said a spokesperson for Public
Lands Council, which spearheaded the letter along
with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. War
on Wildlife concludes that the "sledgehammer
approach" to wildlife management could in many
cases be replaced by non-lethal alternatives.
The Environmental Protection Agency recently denied
a petition against the use of poison laced capsules
and collars intended for predators of cattle and sheep.
The Public Lands Council and National Cattlemen's
Beef Association say that losses of cattle and sheep
to predation -estimated to cost $18.3 million and
$51 million, respectively- could double or triple
without effective predation management.
CALL FOR END TO USDA'S WILDLIFE KILLING
AGENCY
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Associated Press), Scott
Sonner, February 17, 2009
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/400383_wildlife18.html
DEMISE OF BAN ON PREDATOR-CONTROL TOOLS LAUDED
BEEF Cow-Calf Weekly (source: Public Lands Council),
February 20, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/ce7ccj
7.
HBO TO AIR "DEATH AT A FACTORY FARM"
"Death at a Factory Farm,"
an 87-minute documentary, will air on Home Box Office
(HBO) on March 16th, 19th, 26th and 31st. The documentary
features an Ohio pig farmer who was acquitted of animal
cruelty charges stemming from the hanging of a pig
on his farm (see: http://tinyurl.com/avpxck
). Ken Wiles and his employee, Dusty Stroud, were
found not guilty of animal cruelty charges. Wiles'
son Joe was found guilty of one charge of animal cruelty
for carrying an animal in a cruel or inhumane manner.
(A veterinarian testified in court that hanging pigs
was a humane way to kill them.)
The documentary includes undercover video taken at
the farm and also covers the hearing. An investigator
for the Humane Farming Association documented such
scenes as: piglets being hurled across a room into
a crate where they crash into each other or onto the
floor; an unhealthy piglet being taken by the feet
and slammed against a wall; impregnated pigs crammed
into pens for up to 116 days, and a sick pig being
hung from a forklift by a chain and convulsing for
five minutes, according to a public-relations representative
for the documentary.
HOG FARMER FEATURED IN HBO DOCUMENTARY
FOUND NOT GUILTY OF ANIMAL CRUELTY
Cleveland Plain Dealer, Michael Sangiacomo, February
25, 2009
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/02/hog_farmer_found_not_guilty_of.html
DEATH ON A FACTORY FARM
Dairy Herd Management, February 24, 2009
http://www.dairyherd.com/news_editorial.asp?ts=nl1&pgid=675&ed_id=8224
8.
UNEP PLAN TO FEED THE WORLD
The United Nations’ Environment
Program (UNEP) has unveiled a 7-point plan to feed
humanity without increasing pollution through efficiency
and reduced waste. "Over half of the food produced
today is either lost, wasted or discarded as a result
of inefficiency in the human-managed food chain,"
said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. Nearly
80% of all endangered species are threatened due to
agricultural expansion, and Europe has lost over 50%
of its farmland birds during the last 25 years of
intensification of European farmlands, according to
the report. "There is evidence within the report
that the world could feed the entire projected population
growth (of about three billion by 2050) alone by becoming
more efficient while also ensuring the survival of
wild animals, birds and fish on this planet,"
Steiner said.
Over one third of the world's cereals are being used
as animal feed, which is expected to rise to 50% by
2050. Continuing to feed cereals to growing numbers
of farmed animals will aggravate poverty and environmental
degradation, the report contends. It recommends using
the cereal for human consumption by developing alternative
animal feeds based on new technology, waste and discards.
The 104-page report, entitled “The
Environmental Food Crisis: Environment's Role in Averting
Future Food Crises,” can be accessed at: http://www.grida.no/publications/rr/food-crisis.
It is widely illustrated with photographs and with
graphics for free use in publications.
UNEP GIVES FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Gristmill (source: Agence France-Presse), February
18, 2009
http://www.grist.org/news/2009/02/18/index.html?source=daily
GREEN REVOLUTION WITH A CAPITAL G IS NEEDED TO FEED
THE WORLD
United Nations Environment Program, February 17, 2009
http://tinyurl.com/czyz2p
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