Worldlog week 8 - 2015 - Hoofdinhoud

Last week, I visited the Biofach in Nuremberg, Germany. It hosted interesting lectures on the word food problem, and presentations were made of state-of-the-art innovations in the field of organic farming. Professor Harry Aiking of the Amsterdam VU university was also present and he emphasised in his lecture that Dutch people are still eating way too much animal proteins, which is not sustainable, is unhealthy and, what’s more, causes animal suffering. He explained that a decrease in meat consumption will also result in a substantial decrease in food prices, since animal feed determines the world price. So, you can also help the poor by eating less meat.

This year, a public campaign on domestic violence will be held in the Netherlands. In this campaign, information will be given about domestic violence, child abuse and parent abuse. At our request, the relationship between animal abuse and domestic violence will also be included in the campaign. In this way, the government recognises the link between animal abuse and domestic violence. The Party for the Animals has repeatedly insisted on this recognition in debates. Research has shown that domestic violence occurs in one third of the number of established cases of animal abuse. It is good that these signs are now acted upon so as to enable a timely identification of violence against humans and animals in the future.

Hunters from the province of Limburg have organised a competition to shoot as many geese as possible in one day, on 21 February. Disgusting! I asked Parliamentary Qustions this week about this ‘goose shooting day’. A call to kill as many animals as possible in a one-day competition goes against all legal principles in the area of duty of care and careful fauna policy. In the Netherlands, more competitions to kill a maximum amount of animals are organised, for example, with crows earlier. I also asked Parliamentary Questions then. Although the State Secretary simply allowed the crow shooting day to take place that time, the competition was eventually called off by the hunters themselves, because of the social unrest it created. I hope the goose shooting day will also be called off!

Last week, the European Union remedied an error in the law on the import of hunting trophies of lions and other animals. Hunting trophies used to be considered ‘household and personal belongings’. As a consequence, almost 1,500 lion trophies were imported between 2008 and 2012 only, whereas the lion is a protected species which cannot be traded! I already asked Parliamentary Questions about this last year. Fortunately, the import of animals hunted during trophy trips in Africa has now been banned after all.

The parent company of fashion chains such as Zara, Bershka and Pull&Bear has stopped selling clothes that contain angora wool. PETA, the animal welfare organisation, insisted on this - congratulations PETA! The company will donate its remainder of stock to Syrian refugees in Libanon. This is an important message about compassion for animals and human beings. “Only people with a desperate lack of basic needs have an excuse to wear fur that has been ripped out of live animals.” said a spokes woman of Peta Netherlands.

A good week to you all!

Regards, Marianne