Worldlog Week 20 – 2012

This week I informed the party executive that I will be available to head the list of candidates of the Party of the Animals for the upcoming elections on 12 September. We believe we are entering an inspiring campaign in which we intend to convince everyone of the importance of a sustainable, animal-friendly and clean world. We are currently doing very well in the polls which have us set to double our number of seats in the Lower House.

In Canada, senator Mac Harb has put forward a bill seeking to ban the seal hunt. Let us hope that his bill is supported by a majority in the Canadian senate so that this brutal seal hunt is consigned to history. The amendment of the law reflects the fact that there is no market (any more) for seal fur. This is partly because Russia, which was by far the largest importer of Canadian seal fur in recent years, has introduced an import ban. A similar ban was already in effect in the United States, Mexico, the European Union and other territories. Visit Mac Harb’s weblog to follow this story and find out if and when the bill is adopted.

Hashing out the definitive details of the “Kunduz Agreement” concluded in the Netherlands (see last week's Worldlog for more information) is still causing a lot of headaches. While it has been agreed that 200 million euros less will be cut from nature, 400 million euros in cuts will still go ahead. Moreover, the 200 million is not completely safe as the Christian-Democrats are deviously trying to reserve 50 million of the 200 million for sealed industrial-scale pigsties with air cleaners so that the livestock industry can again expand operations. We are following the negotiations excitedly. 12 September will be a new benchmark in Dutch politics.

Congratulations to the Belgian Minister of Public Health Laurette Onkelinx! She wants to reduce the overconsumption of meat and dairy products with immediate measures. In the interest of promoting a healthy lifestyle, she wants to introduce a tax on meat and dairy and make fruit and vegetables cheaper. The Netherlands should pay attention.

Confrontational but also beautiful pictures of the current situation in Afghanistan.

The debate on slaughtering animals without prior stunning is also flaring up in Great Britain. A prominent British veterinarian has written an article in the journal Veterinary Record calling for the slaughtering of animals without prior stunning to be banned. He writes that not only religious organisations are involved in the practice, but so are an increasing number of conventional butchers in order to cut costs. In the Netherlands the debate in the senate on our bill to ban the slaughter of animals without prior stunning will soon be resumed! To be continued…

Regards, Marianne