EU accused of blocking recovery of endangered mako sharks in the Atlantic
Brussels is putting business before science and conservation, say leading wildlife groups
Humane Society International / Europe
Wildestanimal/Alamy Stock Photo Shortfin mako shark
BRUSSELS The European Union must stop allowing the fishing industry to keep and profit from endangered shortfin mako sharks ‘accidentally’ caught in the North Atlantic, or risk the species going extinct, warn leading animal protection groups Pro Wildlife, Humane Society International/Europe, and Sharkproject. While scientists, NGOs, and the EU’s environmental authorities agree that a mako shark retention ban is needed, the EU’s Directorate-General for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs (DG MARE) is still pushing for a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) quota of 500 tonnes for mako sharks in the North Atlantic. During a virtual webinar – hosted by Portuguese MEP Francisco Guerreiro (Greens/EFA) – the NGOs expressed their disappoi
Translator Posted on April 15, 2021 by Serbian Animals Voice (SAV)
COVID-19 first detected in European mink farms a year ago – NGOs and the public urge the EU to act
13 April 2021
Press Release
12 months after the SARS-CoV-2 virus was first detected in animals in a mink farm in the Netherlands, the EU has failed to take decisive action to shut down these coronavirus reservoirs despite huge public support for a ban on fur farming.
In recent months, almost 500.000 people have signed a
calling for an end to the cruel and deadly fur trade. A new survey also shows strong support for emergency EU action to put an end to fur farming and breeding, to protect the health of EU citizens and animals.
Leading animal protection organisations urge European Commission to recognise wildlife crime as a serious offense
Humane Society International / Europe
Tikki Hywood Trust
BRUSSELS At an online event on the revision of the EU Environmental Crime Directive organised in collaboration with MEPs for Wildlife Humane Society International/Europe and International Fund for Animal Welfare issued a call for wildlife crime to be recognised as a serious criminal activity.
Dr. Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for HSI/Europe, said:
“Tragically, wildlife trafficking is often seen as a low-risk and highly profitable activity which makes it highly attractive to transnational organised crime networks, especially those with smuggling capabilities. Many law enforcement agencies treat wildlife trafficking and other forms of wildlife crime as a low priority and many EU Member States still only invoke relatively weak penalties. In its EU Biodiversity Strategy, the European Commission
New report finds that all mink farms should be considered “at risk” of COVID-19 infection
Humane Society International / Europe
Jillian Cooper/iStock.com Wild mink
BRUSSELS On the cusp of the mink breeding season, which is set to resume at the end of this month, the European Food Safety Agency has released a report finding that all mink farms should be considered at risk for COVID-19 outbreaks and must be strictly monitored. Following the release of this report, animal protection groups FOUR PAWS, Humane Society International/Europe, Eurogroup for Animals and Fur Free Alliance and their member organisations have issued a strong call urging the European Commission to instruct Member States to immediately suspend mink production.
BREAKING: Sweden suspends mink fur farming in wake of COVID-19
Humane Society International urges Sweden to permanently ban fur farming to protect people and animals
Humane Society International
Mark Hicken, Alamy Stock photo
LONDON The Swedish government has today announced it will suspend mink fur farming throughout 2021, in the wake of the SARS-CoV-2 virus having been found on 13 mink farms in Sweden so far. Sweden has approximately 40 mink fur farms and produced around 500,000 mink pelts in 2020.
Humane Society International, which campaigns globally for an end to the fur trade, welcomes the news but urges the Swedish government to permanently end the cruelty and public health risks by permanently ending fur farming. Thus far the government has said breeding mink will not be culled. In December, HSI published a white paper highlighting the link between fur farming, poor animal welfare and infectious zoonotic disease.