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AR-NEWS Digest 394
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) Baldwin for Congress
by Liz
2) Hog Factories Target Wisconsin
by Steve Barney
3) Feeding an industry-where did all the puppies/kittens come from ?
by Liz
4) (KP) Tiger slaughter
by Vadivu Govind
5) (KP) Bardot not a racist
by Vadivu Govind
6) (KP) Regulations to Be Enacted on Genetic Experiments
by Vadivu Govind
7) (SG) Of Ubin tiger tales and higher boat fares
by Vadivu Govind
8) (US) Investigation into tobacco industry
by Vadivu Govind
9) [UK] Drought devastates vulnerable birds
by David J Knowles
10) Asia magazine letters column
by Vadivu Govind
11) COK Activists Need Your Help NOW!!!
by Paul Shapiro
12) Fwd: Environmentalists Decry State Deals
by LMANHEIM@aol.com
13) Utah prisoner denied vegan food!
by ARAishere@aol.com
14) Subscription Options (admin note)
by allen schubert
15) Wal-Mart Drops Animal Exhibit
by Debbie Leahy
16) URGENT: Dolphin Death Bill Vote This Week!
by "Christine M. Wolf"
17) (US) List of Protected Wildlife Habitats
by allen schubert
18) (US) Mainers Aim To Preserve Migration
by allen schubert
19) (US) List of Animal, Plant Invaders
by allen schubert
20) Elk to be Killed in Wyoming
by SMatthes@aol.com
21) LA Times: Coyote Trapping (US)
by Marisul@aol.com
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 00:25:37 +0000
>From: Liz
To: ar-news
Subject: Baldwin for Congress
Message-ID: <336BD777.6BB0@earthlink.net>
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Watching CNN today I saw Alec standing at a podium - the voice over
said he was considering running for Congress,
Liz
Date: Sat, 03 May 1997 23:32:25 -0500 (CDT)
>From: Steve Barney
To: AnimalLib-List@list.acs.uwosh.edu, WISPUB@magoo.uwsuper.edu,
ar-news@envirolink.org, wisc-eco@igc.apc.org
Subject: Hog Factories Target Wisconsin
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970503233220.209f0086@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu>
MIME-version: 1.0
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--forwarded message--
HOG FACTORIES TARGET WISCONSIN
Giant "hog factories" are targeting Wisconsin. They are an immediate threat
to our environment, air quality, public health, groundwater, streams,
property values - the very survival of rural communities.
Concentrated hog feeding operations consist of thousands of confined swine
with lagoon and tank storage for millions of gallons of urine and feces.
Hog waste is spread upon thousands of contracted acres. The stench is
unbearable and the pollution inevitable. Factory hogs are bred for quick
slaughter, pumped up on drugs and feed additives, and are contrary to
sustainable farming.
Seghers Hybrid, a Belgium multinational, intends to build a 7,500 swine
breeding facility in Marshall Township near Richland Center despite
overwhelming local opposition. Farmland, a giant 'co-op' from Missouri, is
aggressively seeking Wisconsin hog factory sites.
Who is protecting Wisconsin? Not DATCP or DNR. The Department of
Agriculture and the Department of Natural Resources are spending our tax
money working with Seghers and Farmland to overcome citizen opposition.
They met together in Madison April 11 to strategize.
Just like stopping the Exxon/Crandon mine, this is a critical statewide
fight. Unless YOU help stop hog factories they will spread like a cancer
across our state as they have in North Carolina and elsewhere.
WHAT TO DO
Tell the DNR you want an Environmental Impact Statement required for Seghers
Hybrid and all large hog factories. Request that public hearings be held on
each new hog factory and ask to be notified. Write to:
Secretary George Meyer
Department of Natural Resources
Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707
Please send a copy of your DNR letter to:
Neighbors Against Hog Factories
PO Box 671
Richland Center, WI 53581
phone: 608-647-4499
--end
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 00:34:03 +0000
>From: Liz
To: ar-news
Subject: Feeding an industry-where did all the puppies/kittens come from ?
Message-ID: <336BD956.7D00@earthlink.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
(CNN) -- It's a marathon with
a twist -- and several
tails.
Animal adoption agencies have
launched the third
annual "Pet Adoptathon," aimed
at finding homes for
abandoned dogs and cats.
(768K/19 sec. QuickTime
movie)
More than 1,000 pet adoption
centers, most of them in
the United States, are taking
part in this weekend's
event. They hope to place at
least 25,000 animals.
The Adoptathon got its start
three years ago at an
animal shelter on Long Island,
New York. Marge Stein
said her North Shore Animal
League office would stay
open for 36 straight hours
this weekend.
Although it encourages people
to adopt furry friends,
the event is also aimed at
focusing attention on the
need to spay and neuter pets
to control the animal
population.
The Associated Press
contributed to this report.
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 15:25:37 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Cc: jwed@hkstar.com, ifkaps@msn.com
Subject: (KP) Tiger slaughter
Message-ID: <199705040725.PAA27344@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
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> Korea Herald
2 May 97 : In My View (Readers' Forum); Tiger in Tales
By Alain Burrese
Korea has a rich heritage, full of folk tales, proverbs and maxims.
Many of these tales and sayings focus on one of the most majestic
animals to live on our planet: the tiger. The oldest and most often
cited legend of the origin of the Korean people is about Tan-gun, and
although the tiger in this tale lacks the perseverance to remain in
the cave with the bear for 100 days, he is still a major character in
the story.
Sadly, this distinguished feline could soon very well only remain in
the legends and lore of yesterday. If you watch the STAR channel for
English television shows here in Korea, you are probably familiar with
the disturbing commercial that shows the various ways tigers are being
killed and used around the world, especially here in Asia. The
commercial ends with the statement that, if we do not do something,
the tiger could be extinct in the wild in five years.
Currently the worldwide tiger population has slumped to an all-time
low. Only 5,000 tigers exist in the wild. According to the Zoological
Society of London, there has been a drop of 10,000 tigers in the past
30 years. The decline has accelerated during the past decade, despite
concerted efforts from conservationists to save the species. Part of
this decline is due to habitat destruction, but more significantly, it
can be blamed on the recent growth in demand for tiger body parts for
use in traditional Chinese medicine.
Even though it is illegal under the Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species, the trade of tiger body parts constitutes a
large part of the global wildlife trade. Tiger bones and parts are
used in a variety of ways; from herbal medicines to the so called
delicacy _ tiger penis soup. It not only saddens me, but infuriates me
that people will exterminate a species of animal over nothing more
than magical potions to increase their libido.
According to Sarah Christie, the Zoological Society of London's tiger
co-ordinator, some tiger parts have anti-inflammatory and other
properties, but they are still not as good as an aspirin. The increase
in the Far East per capita incomes has meant that more people can
afford traditional herbal medicines, treated as luxuries, and they are
buying them to show off their wealth. Again, anger and anguish arise
as I think of these beautiful denizens of the jungle being slaughtered
for nothing other than people's vanity.
At least 1,900 kilos of tiger bone were exported to Japan from Taiwan
in 1990, according to Richard Burge, the society's director general.
``That's the equivalent of 400-500 tigers. The increase in the use of
tiger parts in herbal medicine is outweighing any increases in the
number of tigers we might hope for,'' he said. Tiger bones and parts
are also some of the most commonly found animal products smuggled in
to Britain.
My particular favorite sub-species is the white tiger, which hasn't
existed in the wild for years. Because of the drastically low numbers
of these tigers, in-breeding has heightened the rate of cub mortality
and genetic defects. Now as populations of their orange cousins
decline, the risks associated with in-breeding are appearing
elsewhere. Some sub-species are more at risk than others. The South
China tiger is currently closest to extinction, with just 20 specimens
recorded in the wild.
The society predicts a continuation of the decline, so they are
coordinating existing tiger sperm and egg banks around the world as
part of the fight to save the tiger. We all need to join this fight to
help eliminate the illegal use and trade of tiger bones and parts. If
there were no demand, those killing the tigers wouldn't make a profit,
and the tiger might have a fighting chance to continue living in the
jungles and forests of our shrinking planet.
There's an old Korean saying, ``Horangi tambae makul chok,'' which is
``When tigers smoked long pipes.'' This is equivalent to the English,
``Once-upon-a-time.'' Wouldn't it be terribly sad if our future
generations were to say, ``When tigers smoked long pipes, there were
tigers.''
The writer is a resident of Kangnung City, Kangwon Province.
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 15:25:44 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Cc: jwed@hkstar.com, ifkaps@msn.com
Subject: (KP) Bardot not a racist
Message-ID: <199705040725.PAA22534@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>Korea Herald
23 Apr 97 : Letters to the Editor; Animal Rights Activist
To the Editor
I have a few comments regarding an article about the French star,
Brigitte Bardot which appeared in The Korea Herald on Friday, April
18, 1997, on page eleven. The article was entitled, ``Defiant Bardot
attacks sheep slaughter ritual.''
As a brown woman, and as a lifelong vegetarian and supporter of animal
rights, I certainly do not consider Ms. Bardot to be a racist. She is
merely speaking the truth. After all, how can a person who defends
non-human animals be racist towards other humans? The anti-racist
organizations harrassing Ms. Bardot should reflect upon the violence
they are supporting. They should stop attacking her and spend their
time more productively, fighting racism where it really exists.
Ms. Bardot is a beautiful woman of great ethics and compassion. She
realizes that oppression of animals permeates virtually every facet of
society. Examples include the meat industry, trapping of fur bearing
animals, whaling. hunting/fishing, zoos, torture in labs in the name
of science, and in religious rituals. Ms. Bardot has been active in
the struggle against the Canadian seal hunt, and the fur trade.
Currently, she is protesting the killing of sheep in the name of
religion. This is common practice amongst certain religions such as
Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. It is ironic that in the
name of God, or Allah, the All-merciful, His innocent creatures are
violently killed by having their throats slit, while priests recite a
prayer. Common sense would seem to indicate that God be worshipped by
protecting his creatures. But of course, almost all religions are
known for their lack of common sense. They rigidly adhere to dogma.
Violence towards non-human animals is linked to violence towards
humans. For example Algerian Muslims try to advance their political
cause by murdering women and children in the same way they kill sheep
_ by slitting their throats. French nationals have been murdered in
this way. It is only natural for Ms. Bardot to be concerned about the
Islamization of her beloved France. Violent diets and violent rituals
beget violence towards people.
The converse is also true. One of the most successful leaders of the
twentieth century, Mahatma Gandhi, was a peaceloving, animal loving
vegetarian. In fact, the problems that plague France also exist in
India, which has one of the world's largest concentrations of Muslims.
Sikhs, Jains, and Hindus are vegetarian whereas Muslims ritually kill
and eat animals. This issue creates a great deal of tension in India,
just as in France as your article pointed out.
In fairness, Ms. Bardot should remember that it is not just Muslims
who violate animal rights. The French are known for foie gras which is
the result of extreme cruelty to ducks. As well, as reported in The
Korea Herald recently, some Paris restaurants serve monkey meat. This
is stepping dangerously close to cannibalism. In Korea, the practice
of eating man's best friend, the dog, is deeply disturbing to many
people. Pity the poor animals, Nowhere are they safe or free.
To reiterate, as a lifelong vegetarian, supporter of animal rights,
and as a brown woman, I fully agree with Brigitte Bardot. She is not a
racist; she is speaking the truth, no matter how bitter it may be to
some people. In the words of the great master Leonardo da Vinci, may
the day soon come when human beings ``look upon the murder of animals,
as they now look upon the murder of men.'' Prabhnoor Kaur Rangi
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 15:25:51 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (KP) Regulations to Be Enacted on Genetic Experiments
Message-ID: <199705040725.PAA00307@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>Korea Herald
22 Apr 97 : Regulations to Be Enacted on Genetic Experiments
A set of regulations to prevent potential mishaps which can arise in
the process of genetic manipulation and other genetics- related
experiments will be implemented beginning in July, the Ministry of
Health and Welfare said yesterday.
The occasion marks the first time that the government has taken charge
in regulating genetics-related research and development. Under the
regulations, which have been formulated in accordance with standards
used in advanced countries, research institutions will be required to
follow strict rules regarding sealing methods and guidelines for
mutational organisms that are produced during experiments.
Institutions will also be required to adhere to experimental
guidelines to ensure human and laboratory security while establishing
a safety committee. Further, institutions will be banned from
conducting experiments that tamper in any way with the sacredness of
human beings.
According to ministry officials, the regulations have been set amidst
the nation's increasingly brisk experimental activities employing
bioengineering in such diverse areas as medicine, agriculture,
manufacturing and environment. The enforcement of such regulations
also became a pressing matter as Korea joined the Organization of
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the officials said.
As of yet, there has been no known mishap done to humans or the rest
of the ecosystem as a result of genetic experiments in the nation.
Worldwide, 106 biosafety regulations or guidelines have been in effect
since 1994, most of which have been formulated in the late '80s.
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 15:25:59 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (SG) Of Ubin tiger tales and higher boat fares
Message-ID: <199705040725.PAA29918@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>The Straits Times
MAY 4 1997
Of Ubin tiger tales and higher boat fares
By David Miller and Melissa Heng
IT all began about two weeks ago when an elderly woman claimed
that she had come face to face with a tiger while picking sea
shells near a swamp.
The story soon spread and within days, villagers were claiming
that there were at least two such creatures roaming the island.
The latest rumour on Friday had it that one of the tigers had
sunk its teeth into a dog and hauled it away.
Like stories of the other so-called sightings, this one was
spread by word of mouth. No police reports were made and no
traces of the supposed predator was found.
So it would appear that all the talk about tigers is just that --
talk.
Police and zoo officials who combed the 1,019-ha island over
several days failed to find any solid evidence of tigers roaming
the island.
Yet villagers were eager to point out "tiger" paw prints, 11 cm
long, to picnickers and the press. But these prints are actually
those of dogs and wild pigs native to Pulau Ubin.
The prints of a real tiger would measure at least 14 cm long.
Said one zoo official: "If there was a tiger here, we would have
found something by now -- either paw prints, fur or droppings.
But there is nothing." All the same, the authorities took no
chances. The National Parks Board put up signs warning campers
not to stay overnight. And police warned islanders to stay
indoors after dark.
Even Outward Bound Singapore is keeping its training programmes
within its fenced compound on the island or at sea. Was there
some hidden motive behind the reported sightings?
Mr K. P. Tan, a member of the Nature Society of Singapore,
believes so.
His theory is that there is a "tiger conspiracy" hatched by a few
villagers, as revenge on the island's ferry operators for jacking
their fares up from $1 to $1.50 per trip recently.
He said: "Some people are angry about the fare increase and
started the tiger rumour to scare away visitors to the island, so
that the boatmen will have no business".
However, interviews with more than 30 people living on the island
showed that few of them saw any link between the tiger tales and
the fare hike.
Many accepted the fare increase with a typically laid-back
attitude.
Farmer Seh Koh, 74, who spoke in Hokkien, said of the ferry
operators: "Even if their business is poor, they still have to
make a living."
And boatman Chua Lee Seng, 50, said: "We still have to make the
same trip even if there are only three or four passengers. So of
course, we have to increase our fares."
Ferry fares were last raised five years ago, from 80 cents to $1.
There were no rumours of tigers then.
Operators like Mr Chua said the tiger scare has not affected
business.
"People will still come here over the weekend, and the villagers
will still need transport," he said dryly.
The 400-odd islanders are divided over the tiger tales. Some
believe them, some scoff.
Village headman Lim Chye Joo, 94, is prepared to give the benefit
of the doubt to those who claimed to have seen a tiger. "If an
elephant can come over here, why not a tiger?" he said.
In 1991, a young bull elephant was caught on the island after it
swam across from the Malaysian state of Johor.
Other residents, like Madam Neo Hong Eng, are sceptical. "What
tiger? It's all rubbish. There is nothing here to worry about. We
don't even lock our doors at night," said the 80-year-old woman
who lives with her three sisters in a wooden hut.
But the believers pointed out that it was easy enough for a tiger
to swim across the narrow waterway separating the island from
Johor.
The director of the Johor State Wildlife and National Parks
Department, Mr Zainuddin Abdul Shukor, is unconvinced.
On Friday, he told the Malaysian newspaper, New Straits Times,
that no tigers had been sighted in Pengerang in south-east Johor,
across the water from Pulau Ubin.
Police, who issued the "tiger alert" on Monday, said they will be
monitoring the situation. Meanwhile, some people are still
gripped by the image of a tiger burning bright in the forest of
an Ubin night.
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 15:26:07 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Investigation into tobacco industry
Message-ID: <199705040726.PAA15469@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>The Straits Times
MAY 4 1997
US govt steps up two-prong investigation into tobacco industry
WASHINGTON -- Newly available tobacco-industry documents have led
the Justice Department to step up a criminal investigation to
determine whether cigarette makers lied systematically to
Congress and government agencies about their business practices
and about whether nicotine was addictive, officials said.
The Justice Department has assigned a task force of FBI agents
and a supervisor from the bureau's white-collar crime unit to
review pages of internal industry documents.
Some of the documents have been provided as a result of recent
progress made in civil litigation against tobacco-industry
giants, the officials said on Friday.
The documents relate to the health effects of smoking and the
addictive nature of nicotine and are considered critical to a
widening grand-jury investigation of the tobacco industry,
sources familiar with the inquiry said.
FBI agents and prosecutors from the criminal division plan to
compare the company research documents and other records with
information provided previously to the federal government,
including the Food and Drug Administration. The Justice
Department is seeking to determine whether there are significant
inconsistencies between the information provided previously by
the firms and the newly available documents.
A federal law prohibits making false statements to government
agencies. The law, which also includes penalties for withholding
information, provides for a maximum penalty of five years in
prison and a US$10,000 (S$14,000) fine for each false statement.
The decision to assign FBI agents to the inquiry full-time was
made because of the massive number of documents that have to be
reviewed, officials said. Despite the expansion of the Justice
Department inquiry, anti-tobacco activists have complained that
the investigation has been too slow and that turnover among the
Justice Department investigators assigned to the probe has
impeded its progress.
Justice Department spokesman Bert Brandenburg disagreed on
Friday, saying: "Investigations are not horse races ... This is a
major investigation involving hundreds of thousands of pages of
documents. It is proceeding, deliberately, thoroughly and
expeditiously." Another law-enforcement official described FBI
agents as "drowning in documents".
To deal with the workload, the investigators have been broken up
into three main teams, one for each of the major cigarette
companies, Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds and Brown & Williamson.
Each team includes a federal prosecutor and several FBI agents.
Justice Department officials have also acquired thousands of
documents from the 30 million-document depository compiled by the
state of Minnesota as part of its effort to sue the tobacco
industry. Those documents come from each of the major tobacco
firms. It has also begun steps to review a set of internal
documents from the Liggett Group cigarette manufacturer. Liggett,
the smallest of the nation's major tobacco firms, agreed recently
to settle 22 state lawsuits and admitted that smoking causes
cancer, that nicotine is addictive and that the industry targets
underaged smokers.
Liggett has already released some documents. Some of the
documents turned over to courts concern the co-operative
activities of the entire industry, and other firms are fighting
to block their release on the grounds that they are privileged.
-- Washington Post.
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 00:51:27 -0700 (PDT)
>From: David J Knowles
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: [UK] Drought devastates vulnerable birds
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970504005154.34477148@dowco.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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>From The Electronic Telegraph - Sunday, May 4th, 1997
Drought devastates vulnerable birds
By Greg Neale, Environment Correspondent
THE drought across southern and eastern Britain is devastating vulnerable
birds, says a report to be released this week.
A survey by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, says the numbers
of some species have dropped by as much as 80 per cent because they are
either not breeding, or are unable to feed their young. Many valuable
marshes and wetlands are drying up, leaving birds short of food and habitat.
In some of the most important nature reserves in southern England, birds
such as the lapwing - used by naturalists as an indicator of environmental
stress - are either not nesting, or have not hatched eggs. Other species,
such as the redshank, are unlikely to be able to
feed their young on ground that is almost solid. There will be fewer such
birds next year.
Sarah Fowler, the RSPB's water policy officer, said that the drought was
affecting many other species than those dependent on wetlands. "Wading
birds are our immediate concern," she said, "but others are also dependent
on water levels remaining high, or soil staying moist." Among the other
species are those such as the reed warbler and water rail, which usually
nest in reeds, just above the water level. "As water levels fall, and
streams and marshes dry up, these birds are more vulnerable to predators,"
said Ms Fowler.
"The drought is mainly hitting sites in south and east England, with water
levels on many at the level we would expect at the height of the summer.
With evaporation increasing from now on, it will be a battle to keep them
wet. Sites in the north and west of England are generally faring better, but
if the drought continues, there will be concerns over some of them as well."
At the Northward Hill Nature Reserve in the north Kent marshes, numbers of
many wetland birds have fallen sharply. Alan Parker, senior RSPB warden for
north west Kent, said: "I've never seen anything like this in 20 years here.
We have managed to keep one section of land quite moist, using a reservoir
that was filled during the winter. That is helping birds such as avocets,
which have concentrated there. Other than that, there is nothing we can do.
We could pump water on to the fields, but it is so dry that it would be a
waste of time. From an average of 50 pairs of lapwings in a normal year, we
have only about seven. Any rain now will just soak through the cracks in the
clay. In some fields the cracks are already an inch wide."
Many adult lapwings and redshanks might fly to coastal estuaries, but that
could mean inland wetlands losing their bird populations in future, Mr
Parker said. "Eventually, if conditions do not improve, they won't come
back." Those wetlands where water levels are higher are facing overcrowding
by birds which usually nest elsewhere.
Ms Fowler said: "Waders are flocking to sites such the Berney Marshes in
Essex but this increases competition for space, and the stress on the
birds." Among those nature reserves surveyed, Elmey, in north Kent has water
levels usually seen in high summer. Pulborough Brooks, in Sussex, has levels
below normal.
The RSPB will urge the public to do more to save water, and for the water
companies to step up efforts to stem mains leakages, and reduce consumer
demand. The Water Services Association said that the larger water companies
had saved 100 million gallons a day
because of maintenance work since 1995. But Ms Fowler said: "The water
companies and their customers must do better."
© Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1997.
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 16:10:57 +0800 (SST)
>From: Vadivu Govind
To: ar-news@envirolink.org, veg-news@envirolink.org
Cc: jandeb@mbox2.singnet.com.sg, Esther_NG@nac.gov.sg
Subject: Asia magazine letters column
Message-ID: <199705040810.QAA31671@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>Asia Magazine May 2 - 4 1997, Volume 35 M15
RIGHT ANIMAL WRONGS
Norma Moss' excellent Sting (Apr 4-6) article is a clear indication that
despite its promising success in economic development, Asia still has a long
way to go when it comes to animal protection and compassion.
How can we eat the penises of seals clubbed to death and the fins which are
hacked off from baby sharks before the sharks are thrown alive into the sea?
Asia is in urgent need for laws, more pro-active policy-makers and more
animal protection organisations with the clout to effect change to safeguard
animals from wealthy Asian perverts with penis/fin/paw envy with regards to
animals.
- Brian Ong, Singapore
Your magazine's piece on animal cruelty in Asia highlighted the situation
very well. We really need to raise awareness of animal issues around the
region. I shudder to think about the millions of animals suffering in Asia
with so few voices speaking up for them.
- Vadivu Govindar Rasu, Singapore
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 11:01:44 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Paul Shapiro
To: AR-News
Subject: COK Activists Need Your Help NOW!!!
Message-ID:
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Dozens of Compassion Over Killing (COK) activists converged on Miller's
Furs in D.C. on May 2nd for a peaceful demonstration. Approximately one
hour into the protest, an anonymous activist hurled "blood" on the
storefront, screaming: "The blood is on your hands, Miller's!" The
activist ran off, escaping arrest, leaving behind a bloodied window.
Moments later, police arrived on the scene, randomly arresting five
activists--activists who are "coincidentally" COK leaders. The charge:
simple assault! However, the entire demonstration was caught on
videotape, clearly showing that the ONLY assault was when a Miller's
employee pushed two COK activists.
The five are Sean Day, Elliot Gang, Peter Petersan, Paul Shapiro, and
Franklin Wade. As Paul is a minor, he was released after only eight hours
in custody. Franklin is being held at Central Cell Block while Sean,
Elliot, and Peter are at the 5th District until their arraignment on
Monday morning.
Please call the facilities and inquire as to their well-being. These
falsely accused and unjustly arrested activists desperately need your
support.
Central Cell Block: 202-727-4222 (for Franklin Wade)
5th District: 202-727-4490 (for Sean Day, Elliot Gang, Peter Petersan)
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 13:38:01 -0400 (EDT)
>From: LMANHEIM@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Fwd: Environmentalists Decry State Deals
Message-ID: <970504133800_-1064748945@emout11.mail.aol.com>
In a message dated 97-05-04 12:47:12 EDT, AOLNewsProfiles@aol.net writes:
<< Subj:Environmentalists Decry State Deals
Date:97-05-04 12:47:12 EDT
From:AOLNewsProfiles@aol.net
.c The Associated Press
By SCOTT SONNER
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Clinton administration increasingly is
striking deals with states and private companies to protect fish
and wildlife, ditching the Endangered Species Act as a regulatory
club except in the most dire circumstances.
The tactic landed the administration in hot water this spring
with three federal judges who felt the law should have been used to
protect jaguars in the Southwest, lynx in the Northwest and the
Barton Springs salamander in Texas.
It also has drawn heavy fire from environmentalists, who have
grown increasingly critical of President Clinton's willingness to
bargain away the law's stringent protections.
``We are seeing a very disturbing pattern here,'' said Mark
Hubbard of the Oregon Natural Resources Council, a nonprofit
conservation group based in Portland, Ore., that has sued the
government for what it considers lax enforcement.
``We have gone from surprised to disappointed to just plain
angry with the Clinton administration over their refusal to protect
endangered species,'' he said.
Architects of the administration's policy say negotiating with
state and private land owners to save species makes sense in a
political climate where property rights carry much weight.
The carrot works better than the stick, they argue.
``It is not a win to see a species driven to the verge of
extinction and then be able to save the last of that species by
hammering someone with the Endangered Species Act,'' said Katie
McGinty, director of the White House Council on Environmental
Quality.
The administration is using the law ``to its fullest and most
creative extent and reaching out to save those rare ecosystems by
working in partnership with people who own the land,'' McGinty
said.
By year's end, the administration will have negotiated habitat
conservation plans covering more than 18 million acres of state and
privately owned land.
Such pragmatism is no virtue in the eyes of Clinton's
environmental critics.
``Essentially it is a new way to get around enforcing the
Endangered Species Act,'' Sierra Club lobbyist Melinda Pierce said
of the habitat conservation plans.
``It's just feel-good politics. They have junked the law,'' said
Mike Bader of the Missoula, Mont.-based Alliance for the Wild
Rockies, which wants federal protection for the bull trout in the
northern Rocky Mountains.
Environmentalists' biggest beef is with a ``no surprises''
clause in the habitat conservation plans, which promises land
owners that if they fulfill protection criteria, they'll be
insulated from any future federal conservation requirements.
``It's the only way companies would ever enter into such
agreements,'' said Chris West, vice president of the Northwest
Forestry Association in Portland, Ore.
In March, federal judges in Arizona, Texas and Washington state
chided the administration for refusing to order protection for the
jaguar, Barton Springs salamander and lynx.
In the case of the jaguar, the Fish and Wildlife Service was
ordered to declare the rare cat endangered and set aside land to
protect it.
In Washington, the agency was told to reconsider its decision to
keep the lynx off the list; only a few hundred of the cats remain
in a handful of states.
``The Fish and Wildlife Service has consistently ignored the
analysis of its expert biologists,'' wrote U.S. District Judge
Gladys Kessler in Seattle.
In Austin, U.S. District Judge Lucius Bunton ruled that Interior
Secretary Bruce Babbitt had violated the Endangered Species Act
after ``strong political pressure was applied to the secretary to
withdraw the proposed listing of the salamander.''
Babbitt subsequently declared the salamander threatened. But
environmentalists were up in arms again when the National Marine
Fisheries Service decided April 25 against federal protection for
Oregon's coastal coho salmon, opting instead to give the state a
chance to try its own $30 million recovery plan with support from
the timber industry.
Environmentalists say an industry pledge to log more responsibly
and to help restore damaged stream beds was little consolation for
the Oregon coastal coho, whose stock has dropped from as many as
1.4 million in the early 1900s to about 80,000 today.
``Many of these coho runs are dangerously close to extinction
and need protection right now,'' said Ken Rait, conservation
director for the Oregon Natural Resources Council.
``The Clinton administration has surpassed the Bush
administration in both their zeal to change the Endangered Species
Act and their reluctance to implement it,'' said Bader, a former
park ranger at Yellowstone National Park.
But George Frampton Jr., a former president of The Wilderness
Society who was an assistant interior secretary in Clinton's first
term, calls the environmental community ``totally out to lunch on
the Endangered Species Act.''
``A listing alone, that and a quarter is going to get you a cup
of coffee,'' said Frampton.
Frampton said the fewest complaints about the habitat
conservation plans are heard among conservationists in California,
where wildlife habitat is threatened most by development.
``Environmentalists in Southern California know that anything we
don't get protected today will be paved over in 20 years. So if we
can save 300,000 or 400,000 acres of habitat for species, they look
at that as a tremendous victory,'' he said.
``More than 70 percent of all critical habitat is on private
land,'' McGinty said. She said that without habitat conservation
plans, ``none of these species would receive protection until they
are on the brink of extinction.''
Currently, 1,081 plant and animal species are protected as
threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
The Clinton administration has added 305 species to the list,
compared with 228 during the four-year Bush administration and 257
during the eight-year Reagan administration, said Interior
Department spokeswoman Lisa Guide.
Nearly 400 habitat conservation plans have been approved or
developed in the past four years. They affect tracts ranging from
one-half acre to 2 million acres, last as long as a century and
cover up to 100 species. >>
---------------------
Forwarded message:
>From:AOLNewsProfiles@aol.net
Date: 97-05-04 12:47:12 EDT
.c The Associated Press
By SCOTT SONNER
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Clinton administration increasingly is
striking deals with states and private companies to protect fish
and wildlife, ditching the Endangered Species Act as a regulatory
club except in the most dire circumstances.
The tactic landed the administration in hot water this spring
with three federal judges who felt the law should have been used to
protect jaguars in the Southwest, lynx in the Northwest and the
Barton Springs salamander in Texas.
It also has drawn heavy fire from environmentalists, who have
grown increasingly critical of President Clinton's willingness to
bargain away the law's stringent protections.
``We are seeing a very disturbing pattern here,'' said Mark
Hubbard of the Oregon Natural Resources Council, a nonprofit
conservation group based in Portland, Ore., that has sued the
government for what it considers lax enforcement.
``We have gone from surprised to disappointed to just plain
angry with the Clinton administration over their refusal to protect
endangered species,'' he said.
Architects of the administration's policy say negotiating with
state and private land owners to save species makes sense in a
political climate where property rights carry much weight.
The carrot works better than the stick, they argue.
``It is not a win to see a species driven to the verge of
extinction and then be able to save the last of that species by
hammering someone with the Endangered Species Act,'' said Katie
McGinty, director of the White House Council on Environmental
Quality.
The administration is using the law ``to its fullest and most
creative extent and reaching out to save those rare ecosystems by
working in partnership with people who own the land,'' McGinty
said.
By year's end, the administration will have negotiated habitat
conservation plans covering more than 18 million acres of state and
privately owned land.
Such pragmatism is no virtue in the eyes of Clinton's
environmental critics.
``Essentially it is a new way to get around enforcing the
Endangered Species Act,'' Sierra Club lobbyist Melinda Pierce said
of the habitat conservation plans.
``It's just feel-good politics. They have junked the law,'' said
Mike Bader of the Missoula, Mont.-based Alliance for the Wild
Rockies, which wants federal protection for the bull trout in the
northern Rocky Mountains.
Environmentalists' biggest beef is with a ``no surprises''
clause in the habitat conservation plans, which promises land
owners that if they fulfill protection criteria, they'll be
insulated from any future federal conservation requirements.
``It's the only way companies would ever enter into such
agreements,'' said Chris West, vice president of the Northwest
Forestry Association in Portland, Ore.
In March, federal judges in Arizona, Texas and Washington state
chided the administration for refusing to order protection for the
jaguar, Barton Springs salamander and lynx.
In the case of the jaguar, the Fish and Wildlife Service was
ordered to declare the rare cat endangered and set aside land to
protect it.
In Washington, the agency was told to reconsider its decision to
keep the lynx off the list; only a few hundred of the cats remain
in a handful of states.
``The Fish and Wildlife Service has consistently ignored the
analysis of its expert biologists,'' wrote U.S. District Judge
Gladys Kessler in Seattle.
In Austin, U.S. District Judge Lucius Bunton ruled that Interior
Secretary Bruce Babbitt had violated the Endangered Species Act
after ``strong political pressure was applied to the secretary to
withdraw the proposed listing of the salamander.''
Babbitt subsequently declared the salamander threatened. But
environmentalists were up in arms again when the National Marine
Fisheries Service decided April 25 against federal protection for
Oregon's coastal coho salmon, opting instead to give the state a
chance to try its own $30 million recovery plan with support from
the timber industry.
Environmentalists say an industry pledge to log more responsibly
and to help restore damaged stream beds was little consolation for
the Oregon coastal coho, whose stock has dropped from as many as
1.4 million in the early 1900s to about 80,000 today.
``Many of these coho runs are dangerously close to extinction
and need protection right now,'' said Ken Rait, conservation
director for the Oregon Natural Resources Council.
``The Clinton administration has surpassed the Bush
administration in both their zeal to change the Endangered Species
Act and their reluctance to implement it,'' said Bader, a former
park ranger at Yellowstone National Park.
But George Frampton Jr., a former president of The Wilderness
Society who was an assistant interior secretary in Clinton's first
term, calls the environmental community ``totally out to lunch on
the Endangered Species Act.''
``A listing alone, that and a quarter is going to get you a cup
of coffee,'' said Frampton.
Frampton said the fewest complaints about the habitat
conservation plans are heard among conservationists in California,
where wildlife habitat is threatened most by development.
``Environmentalists in Southern California know that anything we
don't get protected today will be paved over in 20 years. So if we
can save 300,000 or 400,000 acres of habitat for species, they look
at that as a tremendous victory,'' he said.
``More than 70 percent of all critical habitat is on private
land,'' McGinty said. She said that without habitat conservation
plans, ``none of these species would receive protection until they
are on the brink of extinction.''
Currently, 1,081 plant and animal species are protected as
threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
The Clinton administration has added 305 species to the list,
compared with 228 during the four-year Bush administration and 257
during the eight-year Reagan administration, said Interior
Department spokeswoman Lisa Guide.
Nearly 400 habitat conservation plans have been approved or
developed in the past four years. They affect tracts ranging from
one-half acre to 2 million acres, last as long as a century and
cover up to 100 species.
AP-NY-05-04-97 1238EDT
Copyright 1997 The
Associated Press. The information
contained in the AP news report may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without
prior written authority of The Associated Press.
To edit your profile, go to keyword NewsProfiles.
For all of today's news, go to keyword News.
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 10:45:47 -0400 (EDT)
>From: ARAishere@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Utah prisoner denied vegan food!
Message-ID: <970504104546_550037385@emout05.mail.aol.com>
CALLS NEEDED FOR HUNGRY, SICK, AND NEGLECTED ANIMAL RIGHTS PRISONER
SALT LAKE CITY -- The Salt Lake City Jail is denying vegan inmate, Jacob
Kenison, nutritionally adequate meals, despite attempts by the prisoner,
a civil liberties group, and a physicians group to assist them with meal
planing.
Kenison, who has been incarcerated since April 23 has gone without
proper vegan meals for over a week, eating only the odd apple or orange
provided at the meals.
Members of the Civil Liberties Defense Fund have faxed information from
the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine on a vegan diet and
food preperation to Jail Captain Paul Cunningham, Head Nurse Christie
Fields, and the Head of Food Service Bob Foringer.
Follow-up calls from the civil ciberties group have requested the prison
recognize Kenison's deeply held religious and moral beliefs by providing
him a vegan diet. The jail is STILL refused to take action.
Kenison's lack of food has made him sick and despite sending over 20
forms requesting either proper food or medical attention, the jail
continues to ignore his dilemma.
CALL THE JAIL AND DEMAND THEY FEED HIM!
It's time the Utah authorities recognize the strength and unity of our
movement. So let's show it to them! Let them know their violations and
abuse is being exposed and that people will NOT tolerate it. Demand they
feed Jacob vegan food! Demand they give him medical attention! Here are
the numbers to call:
Seargeant: 801-535-5075
Administration: 801-535-5885
SEND JACOB LETTERS OF SUPPORT!!
Letters to Jacob would also be appreciated to keep his morale high and
let him know that we aren't forgetting about him. Address them to:
Jacob Kenison
Political Prisoner
450 South 300 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
NOTE: The police not only read his mail, but censor it as well by
cutting out "offensive" statments -- such as "fuck cops!" etc.
ROCK ON!
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 16:31:04 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Subscription Options (admin note)
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970504163101.0068c07c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
just another routine posting..........
Here are some items of general information (found in the "welcome letter"
sent when people subscribe--but often lose!)...included: how to post and
how to change your subscription status (useful if you are going on
vacation--either by "unsubscribe" or "postpone").
---------------------------------------------------------------
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POSTING
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Appropriate postings to AR-News include: posting a news item, requesting
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Discussions on AR-News will NOT be allowed and we ask that any
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For all commands, use a blank Subject line.
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To switch back to immediate mail, and to get copies of *your* postings
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If you have problems, please contact:
Allen Schubert
alathome@clark.net
allen
********
"We are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Walk your talk
and no one will be in doubt of where you stand."
-- Howard F. Lyman
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 18:28:44 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Debbie Leahy
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Wal-Mart Drops Animal Exhibit
Message-ID: <01IIHCCY3WMA9EJHD5@delphi.com>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
NEWS RELEASE
WAL-MART DROPS ANIMAL EXHIBIT
ORLAND HILLS, IL - Wal-Mart management responded immediately
to complaints brought by Illinois Animal Action (IAA) members
and told an animal exhibiter to leave its store located at
9265 W. 159th Street. Over the weekend, Wildlife Inc.
Presents had brought a cougar, Siberian tiger, hedgehog, and
python for photo opportunities with the public. According to
witnesses, the cougar was displayed in a cage so small the
animal was unable to turn around. A tiger, led around on a
leash, appeared frightened by the crowds.
"Wal-Mart reacted very responsibly. These photo opportunities
with wild animals in crowded stores are stressful for the
animals and endangers the public," says IAA president Debbie
Leahy. "Many children have been bitten and mauled while
posing for pictures. No reputable wildlife facility would
ever drag its animals around to busy malls."
IAA is an all-volunteer, non-profit, animal rights
organization dedicated to promoting the humane and ethical
treatment of animals.
###
Illinois Animal Action
P.O. Box 507
Warrenville, IL 60555
630/393-2935
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 15:29:53 -0700 (PDT)
>From: "Christine M. Wolf"
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: URGENT: Dolphin Death Bill Vote This Week!
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19800307155224.27e70686@pop.igc.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
URGENT ACTION ALERT !
CONGRESS LIKELY TO VOTE ON DOLPHIN DEATH BILL
THIS WEEK (May 5-9, 1997)
Efforts by the Mexican government, the Clinton administration, and five
so-called environmental groups have resulted in legislation that COULD BE
VOTED ON THIS WEEK in the U.S. House of Representatives. H.R. 408,
sponsored by Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), would re-define "Dolphin
Safe" to allow these sensitive creatures to be chased and encircled in nets.
Cans of tuna would deceptively wear the "Dolphin Safe" label, even though
dolphins may have been severely injured and harassed in the process of
catching the tuna.
CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON AT 202-225-3121 (HOUSE SWITCHBOARD)
TELL HIM OR HER TO OPPOSE H.R. 408 !
For further information or to find out who your elected officials are, call
Christine Wolf at The Fund for Animals (301-585-2591). Thank you for your help!
******************************************************************
Christine Wolf, Director of Government Affairs
The Fund for Animalsphone: 301-585-2591
850 Sligo Ave., #300fax: 301-585-2595
Silver Spring, MD 20910e-mail: ChrisW@fund.org
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead)
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 20:01:29 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) List of Protected Wildlife Habitats
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970504200126.006b5b0c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from AP Wire page:
-------------------------------
05/04/1997 13:54 EST
List of Protected Wildlife Habitats
By The Associated Press
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service expects 18 million acres of fish and
wildlife habitat
to be protected on private lands by the end of the year under habitat
conservation
plans. A look at the 20 largest plans, their location and species affected:
1. State of Washington, 1.6 million acres specified in management plan for
state's
2.1 million acres of forestry lands; northern spotted owl, marbled
murrelet, salmon,
steelhead trout.
2. Balcones Canyonlands, Travis County, Texas, 633,000 acres; golden-cheeked
warbler, black-capped vireo, borianthos plant, cave bugs.
3. Riverside County, Calif., 540,000 acres; Stephens' kangaroo rat.
4. Clark County, Nev., and Southern California, 525,000 acres; desert
tortoise.
5. Simpson Timber Co., Northern California, 300,000 acres; northern
spotted owl.
6. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Carolina, working with U.S. Army
Fort Bragg,
six neighboring counties and private land owners, 300,000 acres; red-cockaded
woodpecker.
7. Metropolitan Bakersfield, Calif., 262,000 acres; San Joaquin kit fox,
blunt-nosed
leopard lizard, Tipton kangaroo rat, Bakersfield cactus, San Joaquin
woolly-threads.
8. Potlach Corp., Arkansas, 233,000 acres; red-cockaded woodpecker.
9. Weyerhaeuser Co., Coos Bay, Ore., 210,000 acres; northern spotted owl.
10. Orange County, Calif., 200,000 acres; California gnatcatcher, Southern
arroyo
toad, American peregrine falcon.
11. State of Massachusetts, coastal counties, 200 coastal miles; piping
plover.
12. Plum Creek Timber Co., Kittitas County, Wash., 170,000 acres; northern
spotted
owl, marbled murrelet, grizzly bear, gray wolf.
13. Oregon Department of Forestry, Elliott State Forest, 94,000 acres;
American bald
eagle, northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet.
14. Coachella Valley, Riverside County, Calif., 70,000 acres, Coachella
Valley
fringe-toed lizard.
15. Gulf Coast Prairies Safe Harbor, Southern Texas, 64,000 acres; brown
pelican,
prairie chicken.
16. Alpomado Falcon Safe Harbor, Texas Gulf Coast, 64,000 acres; alpomado
falcon.
17. Murray Pacific Corp., Lewis County, Wash., 55,000 acres; northern
spotted owl.
18. Volusia County, Fla., 50,000 acres; nesting sea turtles.
19. Weyerhaeuser Co., Arkansas, Oklahoma, 40,000 acres; American burying
beetle.
20. ARCO Western Energy, Kern County, Calif., 31,360 acres; San Joaquin
kit fox,
blunt-nosed leopard lizard, Tipton kangaroo rat, Glant kangaroo rat.
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 20:06:31 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Mainers Aim To Preserve Migration
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970504200628.00684a20@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from AP Wire page:
-------------------------------
05/04/1997 12:02 EST
Mainers Aim To Preserve Migration
By GLENN ADAMS
Associated Press Writer
DAMARISCOTTA MILLS, Maine (AP) -- Russ Williams points to an eagle's nest
bulging from the branch of a towering tree, then mentions he's counted as
many as
two dozen ospreys at once circling in the sky above.
It's no wonder the great birds of prey find the local pools along Maine's
jagged coast
so inviting. About this time each spring, thousands of alewives migrate up
the
Damariscotta River to their freshwater spawning grounds.
The name Damariscotta is taken from the American Indian word for ``place of
abundance for alewives.'' The herring-like fish were long a staple of food
and
industry among coastal inhabitants.
But the runs have dwindled here and elsewhere along the East Coast. Malcolm
Smith of the state Marine Resources Department attributes that in part to the
appetites of seals, eagles and ospreys, not to mention humans.
``Everybody gets their belly full from the alewives,'' said Smith, a
marine scientist.
Still, alewives remain the soul of this tiny village of neat cedar-shingle
homes,
restored clapboard farmhouses, a bed-and-breakfast and a shop called
``Alewives
Fabrics.''
The reduced migration has spawned an aggressive conservation effort led by
Williams and others who live in town. The effort, which has seen some
success, is
centered at the site of a unique combination of natural features and a
fish-catching
work of engineering that only a Yankee mind could dream up.
After reaching maturity in the Atlantic, the alewives follow the
Damariscotta River as it
etches its way up the coast toward a stream that leads to the Damariscotta
Lake
spawning area. Just past a natural pool along the way, the alewives for
years had to
make a choice.
A hard right takes them up a primitive ladder, a serpentine conduit of
football-sized
stones and mortar that leads to a dam above. Once at the dam, the fish
flip-flip
one-by-one over wooden gates and into a stream leading to Damariscotta Lake.
Fish taking the left side of the fork faced a rushing, frothy torrent at
the base of a falls
that is almost impossible for them to maneuver. Turning back, the hapless
alewives
were scooped up by huge, black, iron ``dippers'' that transferred them to
an elevated
sluice.
That, in turn, carried them back to a shed where they were beheaded, cleaned,
pickled or smoked, and shipped worldwide or cut up for lobster bait.
Today, the dippers are idle and the processing house is closed down. The
fish are
all corralled away from the falls to the 1807-vintage fishway with hopes
that they will
spawn.
In the early 1800s, prodigious volumes of alewives were swept up each
spring by
fishermen with hand nets. That practice continued until the 1940s when the
mechanical dippers, powered by electrical hoists, were installed.
It was a grand industry for a time. Some years, as many as 28,000 bushels
were
pulled from the stream. But the haul slipped to about 18,000 bushels in
1950, and
the 1990 total was just over 1,000 bushels. As a conservation measure, the
two
towns along the stream imposed an eight-year moratorium on commercial alewife
fishing.
Even though the harvests decreased dramatically, the old fishway is still
so thick with
alewives during the migration that you can stick in a hand and yank out a
wiggling
fish. And an old smokehouse along the stream is still in operation each
spring.
While the commercial fishing is on hold, some of the alewives are still
taken from
the stream each spring to satisfy an 1807 law requiring that each widow in
Newcastle and Nobleboro -- the two towns separated by the stream -- get
two free
bushels of alewives each year.
``Last year, 10 widows got them,'' said Frank Waltz Sr., who is said to
know more
about the towns's alewife fishery than anyone. The widows give most of the
alewives
to the smokehouse owner, who in turn sells them.
Waltz said he thinks conservation efforts will bring back the alewives to
a point where
the dippers may hum and clank again.
However, he said, ``I doubt I'll ever see as many (alewives) as I did
years back.''
The Damariscotta River Association is working to restore the alewife runs by
repairing the fishway and its network of pools a little at a time, as
donations allow.
Leaks that have sprung over the years drop the water to dangerously low
levels, and
fallen rocks change the flow and disorient the fish.
The local hydroelectric power plant shuts off its turbines when the young
alewives
head to sea to keep them from getting chopped up.
An annual Alewives Festival, a big potluck feed in town that usually
coincides with the
spring run, raises money for the restoration efforts.
One of the biggest contributors to the cause has been John Hay, a
naturalist and
writer from Cape Cod, Mass., who has a summer home in Bremen.
The restoration effort seems to be having an effect, according to Pete
Noyes of the
river association, who says the number of alewives entering Damariscotta
Lake was
three times higher in 1996 than the year before.
Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 20:12:05 -0400
>From: allen schubert
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) List of Animal, Plant Invaders
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970504201203.006f5f90@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
from AP Wire page:
-----------------------------
05/03/1997 11:23 EST
List of Animal, Plant Invaders
By The Associated Press
Every day, ecologists estimate, a new animal or plant species enters the
United
States. Many don't survive in their new homes, and most go unnoticed. But
a few
dozen have become notorious pests, causing billions of dollars in damage and
permanently altering natural ecosystems. Among the most troublesome
culprits:
GYPSY MOTH:
Type of Pest: Insect
Place of Origin: Eurasia
Damage Caused: Caterpillars eat leaves of oak trees
Range: Northeastern United States.
Control Efforts: Insecticides used to retard spread
MELALEUCA:
Type of Pest: Plant
Place of Origin: Australia
Damage Caused: Crowds out native plants
Range: South Florida
Control Efforts: Deeper water in Everglades may prevent its growth
ZEBRA MUSSEL:
Type of Pest: Shellfish
Place of Origin: Caspian and Black Seas
Damage Caused: Crowds out natives, blocks pipes and fouls underwater
structures
Range: Great Lakes, Mississippi and tributaries
Control Efforts: Prevention of spread to other water bodies
TAMARISK:
Type of Pest: Plant
Place of Origin: Eurasia
Damage Caused: Consumes large amounts of water in arid regions
Range: Western and Southern United States
Control Efforts: Removal, cessation of grazing
ROSY WOLF SNAIL:
Type of Pest: Snail
Place of Origin: Latin America and Southeastern United States
Damage Caused: Preys on native snails
Range: Hawaii
Control Efforts: Prevention of spread, toxic baits
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 21:44:11 -0400 (EDT)
>From: SMatthes@aol.com
To:
Cc: alf@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us, OneCheetah@aol.com, nnetwork@cwnet.com
Subject: Elk to be Killed in Wyoming
Message-ID: <970504214403_-964049980@emout08.mail.aol.com>
OK all you animal rights activists who out there looking for something to
really get involved in, try this:
According to USA Today, May 2, 1997, "the Wyoming state Game and Fish
Department will sell 725 cow and calf elk licenses in six hunt areas this
year in an effort to reduce the animals' population, estimated at 105,000.
Officials hope hunters will kill at least 23,000 elk this fall."
Wyoming has approximately 17% of its population licensed as hunters. This
percentage is second highest in the United States exceeded only by Montana.
Even so, this means that 83% of the population of Wyoming do not possess a
hunting license and are assumed not to be hunters. Are these people in favor
of this killing? Also, who made the estimate of the elk population and how
was it made? (Bet it was the Game and Fish Department, but how did they
count the elk?)
Is there no other place in the U. S. where these elk could be relocated?
Does everyone have a surplus of elk? If too many calves are being born, why
can't immunosterilization be used?
Come on gang -- I've just scratched the surface -- Let's ask the hard
questions and get this killing stopped. We've got a little time (unlike with
the bison in Yellowstone) -- so let's get some national attention on this one
right now.
Sumner Matthes, Wildlife Coordinator, Sarasota In Defense of Animals
P.O. Box 15653, Sarasota, FL 34277-1653; Phone (941) 924-2505; Fax (941)
925-8388
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 21:53:06 -0400 (EDT)
>From: Marisul@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: LA Times: Coyote Trapping (US)
Message-ID: <970504215256_840932535@emout08.mail.aol.com>
Copyright 1997 Times Mirror Company
Los Angeles Times; May 4, 1997, Sunday, Valley Edition SECTION: Metro;
Part B; Page 4; Zones Desk
PET PEEVES; PUG'S DEATH PITS ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AGAINST CITY
AGENCY IN
ONGOING CONTROVERSY OVER COYOTE TRAPPING
BYLINE: MARTHA L. WILLMAN, TIMES STAFF WRITER
The brouhaha over how an Encino pug dog was skinned and left to die,
whether by man or coyote, reflects the continuing controversy over coyote
trapping, a fight that pits an obscure city agency against passionate, often
vehement animal rights activists.
The animal lovers, backed by several independent veterinarians, insist
that human hands removed the dog's pelt--and to the untrained eye, graphic
photos of the slain creature's neatly sliced skin seem to support their
claims.
But other experts say the clean cuts are typical of a carnivore attack,
whether it be a coyote, another dog or a predatory bird, such as an owl or
eagle.
"I'm surprised they're not saying it was aliens from outer space," said
Dr. Charles Leathers, a leading research veterinarian. Indeed, one animal
rights advocate claims with certainty that the killing was the work of a
satanic cult.
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles--which
has enforcement powers under state law--is continuing its investigation to
track down a human attacker.
Meanwhile, animal rights activists are accusing the city's embattled
Animal Services Department of inventing coyote attacks to justify a renewal
of coyote trapping, abandoned four years ago to mollify the activists.
Department officials vehemently deny the charge.
The case of the unfortunate pug, left to fend for itself overnight in the
suburban jungle, has taken on a whole array of meanings in the minds of all
who hear about it and is unlikely to be resolved to anyone's satisfaction.
What the case has revealed are the contentious battles among the varied
schools of animal advocates.
"There is more bickering and infighting in the humane community than in
any group of people I have seen in my entire life," said Gini Barrett, a city
animal regulation commissioner and western regional director of the American
Humane Assn. "If we would all spend as much time working for animal welfare
as some of us do bickering, a lot more animals would be better off and more
people would join us in our work."
But the controversy over Pal the pug has triggered a new barrage of
name-calling and accusations. City Council members are pointing fingers at
one another and at Animal Services officials. Animal Services alleged
"obstruction of justice" in its investigation and obtained a warrant to
search the office of the private veterinarian who first treated the dog.
Department officials proposed unsuccessfully to the city attorney's office
that the perished pug's elderly owner, who is deaf and nearly blind, be
charged with negligence for failing to get her pet's wounds treated
immediately.
The SPCA lashed out at Animal Services, accusing General Manager Gary
Olsen of "political bickering" and "public whining." The Southern California
Veterinary Medical Assn. stepped in to quiet the fighting among its members.
And in the end, wildlife supporters were once again accusing the city of a
subterfuge to overturn the Animal Services commission's ban on coyote
trapping while those on the other side of the fence say the real danger is to
ignore the presence of coyotes in the city--and the need to protect pets from
them.
*
Following dozens of cities and counties throughout the state, the Los
Angeles City Council in 1993 banned trapping coyotes and other wild animals,
except in extraordinary cases requiring a special permit.
The ban brought complaints from many residents, particularly those in the
west San Fernando Valley who complained of attacks on pets and other small
animals and threats to small children. But animal rights advocates fought
back even harder.
Initially, the Animal Services Department supplied traps to homeowners in
special circumstances, but halted even that practice in May 1995, said Peter
Persic, the department's spokesman.
No permits have been sought to trap coyotes in the last two years, he
said.
But "this case has absolutely nothing to do with coyotes and coyote
trapping," he emphasized.
"With this dog attack, we investigated the case, we reached a conclusion
and that is the only issue that should be involved in this."
He added, however, that he is not surprised by the outbreak of new
accusations. Whether or not coyotes should be trapped "is a perennial issue
and there is absolutely no way that everyone is going to be satisfied with
any policy," he said.
The fear that the department is moving to renew trapping "is absolutely
not true," he said. "Trapping is simply not an effective way of coexisting
with wildlife."
Barrett said the arguments repeatedly put animal control officials
"between the devil and the deep blue sea. The way you know you have picked
the right option is when everybody is mad at you."
Despite the infighting, all the animal advocates agree on one point: The
best way to reduce the number of mutilated and missing pets is to keep them
inside at night, remove pet food from outside and cover garbage cans--all
steps to avoid attracting coyotes.
"If Pal's death is to go to good, what needs to happen is not for all of
us to scream and holler at each other about right and wrong, but to use this
as an opportunity to learn how to protect our pets," Barrett said. "If we
know how to protect our pets from coyotes, then they will also be protected
from people."
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