International Fund for Animal Welfare | October 26, 2007
A Better World for Animals and People

Can you Help Protect Marine Wildlife?

Please contact msakoh [at] ifaw.org today if you can help!

IFAW needs your help in carrying out a crucial next step in a lawsuit to protect whales, dolphins, porpoises, sea turtles, fish, and other marine wildlife from mid-frequency active sonar used by the U.S. Navy. If you are an IFAW member who spends time in the Marianas Islands or The Gulf of Lyon, please help us protect marine wildlife.

These sonar systems can flood tens or even hundreds of square miles of ocean with sound waves which are suspected of causing injury and even mortality of whales and other marine mammals.

Yet the Navy is refusing to take common-sense measures to protect marine life. IFAW is a co-plaintiff in a case that, if successful, will set an important precedent for how this technology may be deployed in the marine environment.

With your help, we hope to send the message to the Navy that the American people want the military to adhere to protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act rather than granting itself a “national security” exemption.

As one of our strongest advocates for marine mammals, we are hoping that you might be able to help us. If you are an IFAW member who uses waters – recreationally or professionally – where the U.S. Navy has plans to use mid-frequency sonar, your participation is urgently needed! If you or someone you know, spends, or has ever spent time in the rich marine environment of the Marianas Islands in the Pacific Ocean (i.e. Guam, Saipan, Tinian and Rota) or The Gulf of Lyon in the northern Mediterranean Sea (for example, Marseille, Sete, Perpignan, Narbonne, Argelès-sur-Mer, and Agde) your participation is required to help us protect marine wildlife.

If you are interested in helping and meet the criteria, a representative from IFAW will interview you over the phone and write up a statement for you which you would print and sign. IFAW would file your statement in court along with others, but you would NOT become a party to the lawsuit. The whole process is easy and fairly quick and will lead us one step closer to saving countless whales and other marine wildlife. Please consider taking a few minutes to help us with this extremely urgent matter, we must act IMMEDIATELY.

If you think you or someone you know can assist us in our efforts, please email msakoh [at] ifaw.org.

As always, thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Fred O’Regan
President and CEO

P.S. If you know of someone else who uses these bodies of water and is willing to support IFAW, please forward this email to them as soon as possible.

IFAW © 2007

PO Box 193 • 411 Main Street Yarmouth Port, MA 02675

www.ifaw.org

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts ifaw International Fund for Animal Welfare navy sonar whales dolphins porpoises sea turtles fish marine wildlife wildlife conservation war on terra lawsuit class action lawsuit

Center for Biological Diversity: Oppose Aerial Herbicide Spraying on Public Lands

The Center for Food Safety: House to Vote on Farm Bill – Take Action Today!

DawnWatch: CNN’s Paula Zahn to cover dogfighting, Thursday 7/26/07

DawnWatch: Dan Mathews “Committed” summer tour — July-August 2007

DawnWatch tip: NBC Nightly news on calls for bullfighting bans 7/23/07

DawnWatch: Extraordinary coverage and commentary from NPR’s Scott Simon, Weekend Edition Saturday, 7/21/07

DawnWatch: Newsday piece on runaway steer and vegetarianism 7/22/07

Defenders of Wildlife: We Can End Aerial Gunning of Wolves: Sign the Petition Today!

Earthjustice: Adopt the Sky

Earthjustice: Restore Balance on Our Public Lands!

Environmental Defense: Tell Congress to Support Conservation Friendly Farming

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM): The “Fairness in Farm and Food Policy” amendment to the 2007 Farm Bill

Campaign Updates, Press Releases, etc.

The Animal Welfare Institute: “Barbaric, Barbaric, Barbaric!” / Vick Dog Fighting Charges Symptomatic of a Larger Problem

Carnivals

Carnival of the Green #87 (July 23 @ Hippy Shopper)

Newsletters

Earthjustice e-Brief: July 2007

International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW): Animal Update Online: July 2007

Sierra Club Insider: July 24, 2007

Petitions

Felony indictment for dog fighting in Georgia

Please help stop brutal murders of dogs in Chernihiv!

The animal welfare in Romania – Street cleansing with poison – Braila 2007

Stop Animal Cruelty Now!

SAY NO TO JAPANESE SCHOOLCHILDREN VIEWING WHALES BEING BUTCHERED

I am not a nugget!

Fight Against Asthma by Adopting the Sky!

Pledge to Live a One Planet Life!

Tim Horton’s – Making the Cups Recyclable!!!

Is God Green?

Your Daily Click-Through Reminders

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I am sorry to report that the Inslee-LoBiondo amendment failed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 188-242 late yesterday. This amendment sought to halt funding for one year for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to issue permits for the importation of sport-hunted polar bear trophies. Too many lawmakers caved in to the NRA and Safari Club International, and that provided the margin of defeat.

Click here to see how your Representative, voted: community.hsus.org/ct/V1S7Mss1RXhl/

If the vote was “AYE” please make a short polite phone call to (202) 225-2865 to say thanks. If the vote was “NO,” let your Representative know you are disappointed.

Thank you for your efforts to protect polar bears from trophy hunting. We have had some victories and some setbacks on this issue. Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a funding cut for polar bear trophy imports. We will continue to press forward to include this funding cut in the final Interior Appropriations bill, and to pass the Polar Bear Protection Act, which will permanently ban polar bear trophy imports. Click here to urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor this important animal protection legislation: community.hsus.org/campaign/FED_2007_polar_bear_trophy2/

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Currently I have three emails in my inbox pertaining to tomorrow’s vote on the loophole that allows for the importation of polar bear trophies from Canada into the US. I’ll post all of them below, and update this post as needed with any new developments/alerts.

Humane Society of the United States: Help Polar Bears Pass the House

At a time when polar bears are facing multiple threats, including from global warming, we should minimize human-caused forms of mortality. Sport hunting of adults can cause a catastrophic population crash, because sport hunters target the largest and most fit animals and are not always able to distinguish females from males in the field. The animals that are targeted may be critical to ensuring the survival of polar bear populations already under stress from climate change and habitat degradation.

An amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill—the Inslee-LoBiondo Amendment—has been introduced which would restrict the use of funds for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to issue the necessary permits for the importation of sport hunted polar bear trophies. The amendment would discourage trophy hunters from killing polar bears because they couldn’t bring the heads and hides into the U.S. This is a major legislative opportunity, passage of which would effectively put a stop to importation of polar bear trophies into the United States. [Click here to read more and take action.]

International Fund for Animal Welfare: Protect Polar Bears From Trophy Hunters

Even though numerous studies show the effects of warming temperatures on declining polar bear populations and ice habitats — from drowning and starving to reports of cannibalism among bears – the US government still supports the importation of polar bear heads and hides that are killed for sport in Canada by US sport hunters. This is due to a loophole in the law that sport hunters pushed through a number of years ago and must now be closed.

Please contact your representative and urge him or her to support the Inslee-LoBiondo Amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that would stop funding for the US Fish and Wildlife Service to issue permits for the importation of sport-hunted polar bear trophies.

Society for Animal Protective Legislation: Your Help is Needed Urgently: Please Tell Your US Representative to Vote for Polar Bears!

The US House of Representatives is slated to vote TOMORROW on an amendment to the House Interior Appropriations bill that would prohibit the import of sport-hunted polar bear trophies into the United States. Introduced by Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), the measure would stop funding for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s issuing of permits for the importation of sport-hunted polar bear trophies.

While Americans have not traditionally been allowed to import polar bear trophies under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, in 1994, Congress created a loophole that allows their trophies to be brought in from Canada. More than 800 import permits have been issued in the years following its implementation. Polar bears are already imperiled due to melting ice floes in their Arctic habitats, and with an annual loss of approximately 14,000 square miles of sea ice, many scientists predict these animals could become extinct within the next century.

A measure similar to the House amendment was approved by a Senate committee last week, and we need your help to ensure legislators vote to discourage American trophy hunters from traveling to Canada to shoot polar bears. [Click here to read more and take action.]

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts hsus Humane Society of the United States ifaw International Fund for Animal Welfare sapl Society for Animal Protective Legislation bears polar bears hunting trophy hunting canada us united states border import Marine Mammal Protection Act wildlife conservation

Your Voice against Trade of Ivory

In an effort to protect their elephants, many African countries are supporting a proposal by Kenya and Mali calling on this year’s Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to adopt a total worldwide ivory trade ban for 20 years. Such a ban would provide elephants with the time they desperately need to recover; a break which could also be used to crack down on poaching and illegal trade.

An estimated 20,000 elephants are slaughtered annually to supply illegal ivory markets. More and more potentially illegal ivory is now offered over the Internet where there is little risk to traders of being detected or prosecuted. Thousands of illegal ivory auctions take place every day on eBay. Thanks to pressure from supporters like you, on June 5th, 2007 Ebay announced that they are implementing a global ban of all cross border ivory trade. This step forward underlines that global players like eBay have recognized their responsibility in ending illegal ivory trade. However, continued weak enforcement, both on the ground and increasingly on the Internet, enables the illegal ivory trade to continue.

Ivory trade anywhere is a threat to elephants everywhere. No trade in ivory should be allowed, especially while domestic ivory markets all over the world remain unregulated. And the legal ivory trade serves as a cover for the unbelievable levels of illegal trade that encourages poaching across Africa and Asia.

Thirty years ago, over one million elephants roamed. Today that number has been cut in half because of habitat loss, human encroachment and the killing for ivory. The ivory trade, perhaps the greatest threat to elephants today, could be stopped by governments at CITES and by the online marketplaces which permit it.

We must end this gruesome trade and we must act quickly. Please join the global community in adding your voice to our international online protest.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts ifaw International Fund for Animal Welfare wildlife conservation ivory elephants poaching ebay cites

Bidding for Extinction

The Internet represents a considerable threat to the survival of wild animals. Wild leather and fur handbags, shoes and clothes from endangered reptiles, tiger bone “medicine”, all kind of ivory items and much more are easily available online. A new IFAW global survey “Bidding for Extinction” reveals how the rampant trade in elephant ivory is being conducted online, particularly across eBay’s global network of auction sites. This increasingly vast illegal trade is enabling consumers to literally bid for the extinction of the world’s largest land mammal. [...]

IFAW recently conducted an in-depth survey of ivory products for sale on eBay. During a one week investigation of eight eBay sites, a whopping 2,275 ivory items were found. More than 94% of these ivory items did not comply with eBay’s own stated standards and the remaining 6% were most likely illegal. [...]

After a recent meeting between IFAW and eBay Inc., eBay has expressed its commitment to a global policy on the ivory trade and a willingness to work closely with IFAW on drafting such a policy and its enforcement. But words are not enough.

Please take a moment to send a letter to eBay corporate headquarters, urging eBay to enforce a complete global ban on ivory sales immediately.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts ifaw International Fund for Animal Welfare ebay auction online online auction ivory endangered species wildlife conservation elephants

See also: Protect Polar Bears From Trophy Hunters, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, for a similar alert and sample letter.

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Via Defenders of Wildlife:

Help Close a Deadly Loophole for Polar Bears

Even as global warming and Big Oil’s drills threaten North American polar bears, a loophole in the Marine Mammal Protection Act allows U.S. trophy hunters to kill Canadian polar bears and bring them back to this country. This adds additional pressure to Canada’s vanishing polar bear populations, which — like those in the U.S. — are already declining.

The Polar Bear Protection Act would put an end to imports of polar bears taken as trophies from Canada — and help safeguard the world’s remaining polar bears.

Tell your Senators & Representative to support the Polar Bear Protection Act today!

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts defenders of wildlife bears polar bears trophy hunting hunting canada wildlife conservation Marine Mammal Protection Act Polar Bear Protection Act ifaw international fund for animal welfare

5 Ways You Can Help Protect Whales

Commercial whaling is both cruel and unnecessary. Here are five things you can do right now to help save whales from whaling and the increasing threats from ocean noise, ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear and climate change.

1. End the Raw Deal for Whales

Write a letter to True World Foods, the premier sushi quality seafood distributor in the US, asking them to persuade its partner Kyokuyo Co. Ltd. to permanently cease the production, distribution and sale of all whale products.

2. Sign Up to Receive Mobile Text Alerts

Be the first to learn about breaking whale news when you join IFAW’s free mobile whale network. When IFAW needs your help to save whales we’ll let you know by sending an action alert directly to your mobile phone.

3. Host a House Party for Whales

Encourage others to join you in becoming an active member in the global campaign to end whaling by hosting a party to view the unique film “What to Do About Whales”.

4. Tell Others to Help Protect Whales

It only takes a few seconds to spread the word about the cruelty of whaling and our efforts to end it, yet the impact on the campaign is enormous. Please invite your friends, family, and colleagues to help save the whales.

5. Promote StopWhaling.org

Let others know about our campaign to end whaling by hosting our free whale banners on your site or by telling others about IFAW through MySpace.

Well, that’s #1, 4, and 5 down for me. Now, anyone wanna party?

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist action alerts IFAW International Fund for Animal Welfare whales whaling whale meat scientific whaling True World Foods sushi seafood wildlife conservation Kyokuyo Co. Ltd. house party hunt hunting whale hunt

300,000 actions for 300,000 seals

Canada’s annual commercial seal hunt is a cruel and unethical practice that produces a product nobody needs. 98% of the animals killed in the past two years have been baby seals between 2 weeks to 3 months old. And despite the potentially devastating effects of global warming to harp seal breeding grounds, the Canadian government has raised the annual seal hunt quotas to the highest levels in history.

Please urge the Canadian Prime Minister and Canadian Ambassador to end the cruelty of the seal hunt by completing the letter below and clicking submit. Please add your own comments to make your letter even more effective. After your letter is submitted, you will be prompted to enter your profile into the 300,000 Actions for 300,000 Seals global community.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts IFAW International Fund for Animal Welfare Canada seal seal hunt Newfoundland seal slaughter fur skin

Two new ways to help polar bears

Numerous studies have shown the effects of warming temperatures on declining polar bear populations and ice habitats — from drowning and starvation to reports of cannibalism among bears. But did you know these amazing animals are also facing threats from American trophy hunters?

Here’s how you can help.

Sport hunters are not allowed to kill polar bears in the US. But thanks to a loophole in US law they can apply for a permit to kill a polar bear in Canada and bring their “trophy”— a polar bear’s head or hide — into the US.

At the same time, the US government is beginning to recognize the plight of the bears and their possible fate due to climate change. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is now calling for the public to submit comments on whether or not the polar bear should be listed as threatened on the endangered species list. If polar bears are listed, the species will be protected and “managed” for recovery, an excellent first step toward long term survival for the bears.

However, even if polar bears are listed on the endangered species list, it does not mean that the trophy hunting loophole will be closed. In fact, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has stated on its website that even if the species is listed as threatened, the Service would work with the Marine Mammal Commission, Congress, and all interested parties to consider a special rule allowing the continued import of trophies from healthy bear populations!

Your Help Is Needed Now to Save The Polar Bears — Here Is What You Can Do:

1. Contact your Representative and Senators and urge them to cosponsor and strongly support The Polar Bear Protection Act. Ask them to close the loophole that allows sport hunters to kill polar bears in Canada and bring their “trophies” back into the US.

2. Write to the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Interior Department (at Polar_Bear_Finding [at] fws.gov) before April 9th and urge them to list polar bears as a threatened species. Let them know these species deserve a break from climate change as well as trophy hunters.

Then please pass this alert on to everyone you know and urge them to save the polar bears before it’s too late.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts ifaw International Fund for Animal Welfare bears polar bears esa endangered species act endangered species wildlife conservation hunting trophy hunting

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Gretel Going – gretel [at] rosengrouppr.com
Date: Jul 19, 2007 1:48 PM
Subject: Haley’s Act: New bill seeks to protect the 10,000 big cats that are captive in the U.S. and reduce the large number of big cat attacks that occur here annually

Hi Kelly,

I know you’ve mentioned Haley’s Act in the past. Here’s some more information for you. Please feel free to post if you would like.

A zookeeper is attacked and visitors watch on as a lion eats her arm … At a child’s birthday party, a 62-pound cougar mauls a 4-year old guest … An escaped thirteen-month old bobcat, living in a residential community, assaults three dogs … There were 103 big cat attacks in 2005, 44 in 2006, and 12 so far this year …

The U.S. represents 4% of the global population yet 78% of ALL captive cat incidents happen in the U.S. Florida represents lass than 6% of the total US population yet 11% of ALL captive cat incidents in the U.S. occur in FL.

In the past couple of weeks alone, big cat attacks have made headlines, with maulings in Texas and Arkansas, just as IFAW (The International Fund for Animal Welfare) pushes ahead with initiatives to nationalize “Haley’s Act,” a bill designed to protect both the public and big cats from further senseless tragedies.

An IFAW representative is available to discuss:

* There are more than 10,000 big cats in captivity in the U.S., many of whom are in facilities licensed by the USDA (some are even kept as pets in homes). Although a USDA license might seem reassuring, the harsh reality is that a USDA-licensed facility can be anything from a fenced-in backyard to a roadside zoo.

* “Haley’s Act,” This bill, which prohibits the direct contact between the general public and big cats, came in response to the death of a 17 year-old who was attacked and killed while taking a graduation photo with a big cat at a USDA-certified wildlife facility.

* Even USDA certified facilities are not safe. IFAW stresses the fact that although a facility is certified, big cats are dangerous, and should not be treated as domestic animals. Not only is the public at risk when coming into contact with these animals, but many of these facilities barely meet the minimum welfare conditions for big cats who are forced to live a life behind cages and in chains.

* Legislative Efforts: In April 2007, Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-Kan.) introduced Haley’s Act. If passed, the law would crack down on illegal animal dealers and create humane care standards for the cats.

* What can YOU do: Find out how you can get involved at: www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=474&aid=7199. Write your Federal representative and urge him or her to cosponsor Haley’s Act, H.R. 1947. Specific initiatives include: North Carolina: www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=186263; Washington: www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=186263.

To schedule an interview with an IFAW representative, to receive more headlines, or for more information on IFAW and “Haley’s Act”, please contact me at 212-255-8455 or Gretel [at] rosengrouppr.com.

Best,
Gretel

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UPDATE, 5/8/07:

See also: Federal: Urge Your Representative to Protect Big Cats and the Public! Support Haley’s Act!, via the ASPCA.

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Via the International Fund for Animal Welfare:

Keep Big Cats Wild and Your Family Safe; Pass Haley’s Act

One year ago 17-year old Haley Hilderbrand went to a USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) licensed facility in Kansas to have her senior picture taken with two tiger cubs. Just before the shoot, a 550-pound Siberian tiger was substituted for the cubs. During the photo shoot, Haley was tragically attacked and killed by the tiger and the tiger was then shot. Unfortunately, attacks by big cats are not rare or isolated, nor are USDA licensed facilities that allow direct contact between these dangerous wild animals and the public. More recently, a four year old boy was scratched by a tiger while he sat in an adjacent cage during a photo shoot with a kangaroo. The tiger reached through the bars and sliced the child’s head.

There are more than 10,000 big cats in captivity in the U.S., many of whom are in facilities licensed by the USDA. Although this license might seem reassuring, the harsh reality is that a USDA-licensed facility can be anything from a fenced-in backyard to a roadside zoo. The USDA lacks authority when it comes to public safety. Not only is the public at risk, but many USDA facilities barely meet the minimum welfare conditions for big cats who are forced to live a life behind cages and in chains.

Thankfully, there is now an effort underway to improve conditions for these wild animals and protect the public from big cat attacks. Soon Haley’s Act, named in honor of Haley Hilderbrand, will be reintroduced into the 110th session of congress. Haley’s Act is a needed bill that will give the USDA the authority it needs to prohibit direct contact between the public and big cats. Haley’s Act will also significantly increase penalties for violations of the animal welfare act.

Please email your Federal representative and urge him or her to become a cosponsor of Haley’s Act which will soon be introduced by the Kansas delegation.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts ifaw International Fund for Animal Welfare exotic animals big cats Haley’s Act congress 110th congress USDA United States Department of Agriculture Haley Hilderbrand zoo roadside zoo pet companion animal public safety tiger lion aspca american society for the prevention of cruelty to animals