AR-NEWS Digest 517

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) FWD: Causes of lymph cancers
     by Andrew Gach 
  2) Hudson denies trying to sell infected beef
     by Andrew Gach 
  3) Australian Activists Storm Battery Hen Farm
     by Coral Hull 
  4) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Animal Rights Activists Protest DWA
     by Greg Thomisee 
  5) (JP) Suit for animals and plants rejected 
     by Vadivu Govind 
  6) (LK) Environmental crusader to rescue Lankan elephant 
     by Vadivu Govind 
  7) (US) Wildlife Biologist's 'Beaver Deceiver' Confuses Critters
     by allen schubert 
  8) CAMPFIRE
     by shadowrunner@voyager.net
  9) (US) USDA May Toughen Regulation of Wild Animal Handling
     by allen schubert 
 10) (KY) Farm To Free Endangered Turtles
     by allen schubert 
 11) Hegins 97:  ALL OUT
     by Wyandotte Animal Group 
 12) Need info re Princess Diana on hunting and other a-r issues
     by LMANHEIM@aol.com
Date: Fri, 05 Sep 1997 21:09:38 -0700
From: Andrew Gach 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: FWD: Causes of lymph cancers
Message-ID: <3410D782.57AA@worldnet.att.net>
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==============Electronic Edition=================
.                                                               .
.           RACHEL'S ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH WEEKLY #562           .
.                    ---September 4, 1997---                    .
.                          HEADLINES:                           .
.                    CAUSES OF LYMPH CANCERS                    .
.                          ==========                           .
.         4TH NATIONAL GRASS-ROOTS CONVENTION OCT. 3-5          .
.                          ==========                           .
.               Environmental Research Foundation               .
.              P.O. Box 5036, Annapolis, MD  21403              .
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================================================

THE CAUSES OF LYMPH CANCERS

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is a group of cancers that arise in
the white blood cells. NHL is increasing rapidly in the U.S. and
elsewhere in the industrialized world. In the year 1950, 5.9
Americans per 100,000 were diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
In 1985, the incidence (occurrence) rate of this disease had
risen to 13.1 per 100,000.[1]  By 1991, the incidence rate had
reached 15.1 per 100,000 and was still climbing.[2]

Between 1973 and 1991, the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
increased at the rate of 3.3% per year, making it the third
fastest-growing cancer (after prostate cancer, growing at 3.9%
per year, and melanoma of the skin, also growing at 3.9% per
year).[2]  In recent years, AIDS patients have contributed to the
increase in NHL, but a steady rise in the incidence of this
disease was apparent long before the AIDS epidemic.  Together the
known "risk factors" for NHL --including immune-suppressing
drugs, rare immune-system diseases, and AIDS, explain only a
small proportion of NHL cases.

About 50,900 new cases of NHL were diagnosed in the U.S. in 1995
and about 22,700 deaths from NHL were reported that year.[3]  NHL
is a serious disease; half the people diagnosed with it are dead
within five years. The causes of NHL are not understood, but the
following factors have been implicated in many studies:

** Phenoxy herbicides, especially 2,4,5-T (the herbicide now
banned in the U.S.) and 2,4-D, the most popular chemical killer
of dandelions and crabgrass in lawns.[4]  More than a dozen
studies now indicate that exposure to these herbicides increases
the likelihood of getting NHL.

** Viruses.  The roles of viruses "appears to be minor," say Paul
Scherr and Nancy Mueller, who are experts in the viral causes of
cancer. However, the Epstein Barr virus (EBV) seems to be
implicated in some way in many cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma,
although the virus BY ITSELF does not seem to cause the disease.[1,5]

** People with compromised immune systems and/or autoimmune
diseases have a substantially increased likelihood of getting
NHL.  This is a consistent thread running throughout NHL
research: the NHL family of cancers tends to strike people whose
immune systems are degraded for one reason or another.  This was
first discovered among people who had had organ transplants.  The
body's immune system naturally tries to reject foreign organs.
To allow a foreign kidney or liver to be accepted, doctors
devised medications to suppress the immune system. In some
instances, suppressing the immune system gave rise to NHL. Since
that time, researchers have documented many different ways in
which suppressed or malfunctioning immune systems allow NHL to
develop.

In the authoritative reference book, CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY AND
PREVENTION, Paul Scherr and Linda Mueller conclude[1] that there
are two clear threads visible in NHL research:

1. People whose immune systems are continually challenged (for
example, by medications or by autoimmune diseases such as
rheumatoid arthritis, or by other factors) seem to lose control
of latent cancer-causing infections that may be caused by viruses
such as the Epstein Barr virus.

2. "Another group who appears to be at increased risk are
individuals with occupational exposures to chemicals," say Scherr
and Mueller. They continue, "There is mounting evidence
implicating phenoxy herbicide exposures, although the evidence is
still not conclusive."[1]

Scherr and Mueller do not say so, but there is also evidence that
the likelihood of NHL is increased by exposure to DDT, the
well-known organochlorine pesticide.[6]  In addition, recent
evidence suggests that another class of pesticides --the
organophosphates such as malathion and parathion --can cause
NHL.[7]  Thus organochlorines, organophosphates, and phenoxy
herbicides are now all implicated in the mushrooming problem of
NHL.

Most recently, provocative new research indicates that PCBs, too,
can cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  From 1929 until just recently,
PCBs were used in electrical equipment as fire retardants.  They
were also used in plastics, preservatives, varnishes, waxes, and
carbonless carbon paper.

The connection between PCBs and NHL was first suggested in 1996
by the Swedish researcher, Lennart Hardell.[8]  Hardell studied a
small group (28 individuals) with NHL and compared them to a
control group of 17 surgical patients in the same Swedish
hospital who did not have cancer. Hardell took tissue samples
from both groups and analyzed them for DDT and its breakdown
product, DDE; dioxins; hexachlorobenzene (HCB); and PCBs.  The
tissue concentrations of both groups were the same for DDT, DDE,
HCB and dioxins.  However, when it came to PCBs, the group with
NHL has significantly[9] more PCBs in their tissues than the
control group did.

This finding is biologically plausible because PCBs are known to
suppress the immune system of animals and humans.  Hardell
concluded his research report in 1996 saying, "Immunological
impairments have been shown after exposure to PCBs.  Since
immunosuppression is an established risk factor for NHL, our
results are of interest in the etiology [causation] of NHL but
need to be confirmed in larger studies."

Now a larger study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has
confirmed Hardell's results.[10] NCI researchers set out to
explore whether people with NHL had more than their fair share of
DDT in their tissues. They examined blood that had been taken
from nearly 26,000 healthy individuals in 1974 --a prospective
study known as the Campaign Against Cancer and Stroke [or CLUE I]
being conducted at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Within
the large group, they identified 74 individuals who had
eventually contracted NHL, and they matched them against 147
controls who did not have NHL.

The NCI researchers did not find any connection between DDT and
NHL but, quite unexpectedly, they found a 4.5-fold increase in
non-Hodgkin's lymphomas among people who had 1050 parts per
billion (ppb) of PCBs in the fat globules of their blood,
compared to people who had only 250 to 650 ppb PCBs.  The study
found a clear dose-response relationship between PCBs in the
blood and the likelihood of having NHL.

Furthermore, this NCI study provided additional evidence of the
role of the Epstein Barr virus in NHL. Individually, PCBs and EBV
each increased the likelihood of NHL.  However, together, the
presence of BOTH Epstein Barr virus AND elevated PCBs in
individuals had a synergistic effect, combining to produce a
22-fold increase in the likelihood of NHL.

The solution to this problem has two parts. One part involves the
use of pesticides.  Organochlorines, organophosphates, and
phenoxy herbicides all increase the dangers of NHL.  In the case
of these chemicals, it is not too late to make sensible,
precautionary decisions.  In our homes, our public buildings, our
schools, and our businesses we could avoid these products like
the plague.  Alternative ways of dealing with pests are
well-known.  If pesticides are needed at all, they are needed
only in emergencies.

The second part of the problem is PCBs.  Some 3.4 billion pounds
of PCBs were distributed into the environment --all of them
manufactured or licensed for manufacture by one corporation,
Monsanto of St. Louis, Missouri.[11]

The whereabouts of 30 percent of all PCBs (roughly a billion
pounds) remains unknown.  Another 30 percent resides in
landfills, in storage, or in the sediments of lakes, rivers, and
estuaries. Some 30 percent to 60 percent remains in use. The
characteristics of PCBs (their stability and their solubility in
fat) tend to move them into the oceans as time passes.  There
they decimate wildlife.  It is estimated that only one percent of
all PCBs have, so far, reached the oceans.

Without major efforts to locate, capture, and destroy the
one-to-two billion pounds of PCBs that are "out there," future
generations will continue to be poisoned by PCBs, at great social
and individual cost.

Recently, we hear a drum beat of public relations from Monsanto,
claiming that it has turned over a new leaf and is now committed
to behaving in a civilized fashion.  If this is so, Monsanto
could demonstrate its awakening by leading a global effort to
locate and destroy PCBs, cleansing the planet (to the extent
possible) of this brain-damaging, immune-suppressing,
cancer-causing substance.  Has anyone seen a sign of serious
intentions from St. Louis?
                                                --Peter Montague
                (National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981/AFL-CIO)

===============
[1] Paul A. Scherr and Nancy E. Mueller, "Non-Hodgkin's
lymphomas," in David Schottenfeld and Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr.,
editors, CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PREVENTION (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1996), pgs. 920-945.

[2] Angela Harras and others, editors, CANCER RATES AND RISKS 4TH
EDITION [NIH Publication No. 96-691] (Bethesda, Maryland:
National Cancer Institute, 1996), pg. 17.

[3] C.L. Kosary and others, editors, SEER CANCER STATISTICS
REVIEW 1973-1992 [National Institutes of Health Publication No.
96-2789] (Bethesda, Md.: National Cancer Institute, 1995), Table
I-1, pg. 15.

[4] For example, see Shelia Hoar Zahm and others, "A Case-Control
Study of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and the Herbicide
2,4,-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D) in Eastern Nebraska,"
EPIDEMIOLOGY Vol. 1, No. 5 (September 1990), pgs. 349-356.  And:
Donald T. Wigle and others, "Mortality Study of Canadian Male
Farm Operators: Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Mortality and
Agricul-tural Practices in Saskatchewan," JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL
CANCER INSTITUTE Vol. 82, No. 7 (April 4, 1990), pgs. 575-582.
The earliest report came from Lennart Hardell, "Malignant
lymphoma of histiocytic type and exposure to phenoxyacetic acids
or chlorophenols," LANCET Vol. 1, No. 8106 (January 6, 1979),
pgs. 55-56.  Numerous other relevant studies are reviewed and
cited in Paul A. Scherr and Nancy E. Mueller, "Non-Hodgkin's
lymphomas," in David Schottenfeld and Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr.,
editors, CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PREVENTION (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1996), pgs. 920-945, and in Nathaniel Rothman
and others, "A nested case-control study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma
and serum organochlorine residues," THE LANCET Vol. 350 (July 27,
1997), pgs. 240-244.

[5] Nancy E. Mueller and others, "Viruses," in David Schottenfeld
and Joseph F. Fraumeni, Jr., editors, CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY AND
PREVENTION (New York: Oxford University Press, 1996), pgs.
502-531.

[6] J.S. Woods and others, "Soft tissue sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma in relation to phenoxyherbicide and chlorinated phenol
exposure in western Washington," JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER
INSTITUTE Vol. 78, No. 5 (May 1987), pgs. 899-910.  And: K.P.
Cantor and others, "Pesticides and other agricultural risk
factors for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma among men in Iowa and
Minnesota," CANCER RESEARCH Vol. 52, No. 9 (May 1992), pgs.
2447-2455. And: S.H. Zahm and others, "The role of agricultural
pesticide use in the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in
women," ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Vol. 48, No. 5
(September 1993), pgs. 353-358.

[7] Two studies are described briefly in John Wargo, OUR
CHILDREN'S TOXIC LEGACY (New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University
Press, 1996), pg. 237, footnote 13.  And see S.H. Zahm and
others, "The role of agricultural pesticide use in the
development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in women," ARCHIVES OF
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Vol. 48, No. 5 (September 1993), pgs.
353-358, which found a 4-fold increase in NHL among women exposed
to organophosphates.

[8] Lennart Hardell and others, "Higher concentrations of
specific polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in adipose tissue
from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients compared with controls
without a malignant disease," INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY
Vol. 9 (1996), pgs. 603-608.

[9] p < 0.06.

[10] Nathaniel Rothman and others, "A nested case-control study
of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and serum organochlorine residues," THE
LANCET Vol. 350 (July 26, 1997), pgs. 240-244. And see J. Raloff,
"PCBs linked to rise in lymph cancers," SCIENCE NEWS Vol. 152
(August 9, 1997), pg. 85.

[11] Carol W. Bason and Theo Colborn, "U.S. Application and
Distribution of Pesticides and Industrial Chemicals Capable of
Disrupting Endocrine and Immune Systems," in Theo Colborn and
Coralie Clement, editors, CHEMICALLY-INDUCED ALTERATIONS IN
SEXUAL AND FUNCTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: THE WILDLIFE/HUMAN CONNECTION
[Advances in Modern Environmental Toxicology Vol. XXI]
(Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Scientific Publishing Co., 1992),
pgs. 335-345.


4th NATIONAL GRASS-ROOTS CONVENTION OCTOBER 3-5

The CCHW Center for Health, Environment and Justice will sponsor
its fourth national grass-roots convention October 3-5 in
Arlington, Va., just outside Washington, D.C.

CCHW conventions provide grass-roots activists a chance to
celebrate victories, create and renew friendships, develop
strategies and learn specific skills for use in local fights.
This convention will be an exceptionally good one.

The agenda includes numerous practical workshops on a broad range
of subjects like "advanced organizing" and SLAPP suits and how to
do research.

In addition, there will be thought-provoking sessions on
big-picture topics, such as: sustainable economic development;
coalition building; expanding and diversifying the grass-roots
movement; "It's the economy, stupid;" and challenging corporate
control of our society.

Personally, I wouldn't miss this convention for anything. --Peter
Montague

For more details, contact CCHW: P.O. Box 6806, Falls Church, VA
22040; telephone (703) 237-2249.

#######################################################
                             NOTICE
Environmental Research Foundation provides this electronic
version of RACHEL'S ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH WEEKLY free of charge even
though it costs our organization considerable time and money
to produce it. We would like to continue to provide this service
free. You could help by making a tax-deductible contribution
(anything you can afford, whether $5.00 or $500.00). Please send
your tax-deductible contribution to: Environmental Research
Foundation, P.O. Box 5036, Annapolis, MD 21403-7036. Please do
not send credit card information via E-mail. For further
information about making tax-deductible contributions to E.R.F.
by credit card please phone us toll free at 1-888-2RACHEL.
                                        --Peter Montague, Editor
#######################################################
Date: Fri, 05 Sep 1997 21:11:51 -0700
From: Andrew Gach 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Hudson denies trying to sell infected beef
Message-ID: <3410D807.4387@worldnet.att.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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Hudson denies reports it wanted to cook recalled beef

The Associated Press 

DAYTON, Ohio (September 5, 1997 6:33 p.m. EDT) -- Hudson Foods Inc.
denied Friday it had considered cooking recalled beef at a high enough
temperature to kill any E. coli bacteria so the meat could be resold for
use in prepackaged foods.

"The Dayton Daily News" reported Thursday that the company had asked the
U.S. Department of Agriculture for permission to cook the meat so it
could be used as pizza toppings or tacos, then changed its mind and
rescinded the request.

Asked to comment on the newspaper's report, spokesman Robert Udowitz
said Friday that Hudson "has never considered using the returned meat
for consumption."

He said the company had only mentioned cooking at high temperature as a
method of recycling to illustrate "previous methods that the company had
been aware of."

The company was waiting for the USDA to finish its investigation and
tell the company what to do with the recalled meat before Hudson decides
how to dispose of it, Udowitz said.

An outbreak of illness traced to contaminated meat forced the Rogers,
Ark.-based company to recall 25 million pounds of ground beef processed
at its Columbus, Neb., plant. That plant has been closed and sold.

Udowitz said 6 million pounds of the meat have been recovered so far and
is being held in cold storage at various points around the country.
Date: Sat, 06 Sep 1997 18:33:14 -0700
From: Coral Hull 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Australian Activists Storm Battery Hen Farm
Message-ID: <3412045A.5D83@envirolink.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Media Release
September 5, 1997
ANIMAL WATCH AUSTRALIA

HAPPY HENS EGG WORLD RESCUE NUMBER 17 - AUGUST 26TH 1997

20 rights activists from ANIMAL WATCH AUSTRALIA stormed Happy Hens Egg
World in Meredith during the early hours of Tuesday August 26, 1997.
Happy Hens Egg World, west of Melbourne is Victoria's largest battery
egg farm. 160,000 laying hens are permanently caged in multiple tiers of
battery cages inside nine huge production sheds.

The determined activists have rescued 282 sick and dying hens since June
1994 during their undercover investigations at the property. The rescue
on August 26th was the seventeeth time the peaceful and non-violent
activists gained access to the sheds to rescue hens. Three activists,
Patty Mark, Coral Hull and Ryder Mansen were arrested during the rescue
and taken into police custody for questioning. Threatened charges of
burglary, theft, unlawfully being on the premises and criminal damage
for stamping eggs are yet to be laid. (The activists stamp as many eggs
as possible with words: Made With Cruelty).

Eleven sick hens were rescued only to be confiscated by police and
returned to the farm workers in front of the distressed activists.

Conditions at the property remain appalling and outside the law
(Victorian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and National Code of
Practice For Poultry). Numerous appeals to the authorities (Department
of Agriculture, RSPCA and the Police) to prosecute have failed, despite
blaring evidence of violations documented on video, photographs and eye
witness accounts.

The rescue team consistently find sick and dying hens, many with their
body parts trapped in the cages unable to access food and water. These
hens are in pitiful condition literally starving to death while being
trampled and attacked by other hens in the cage. Rotting corpses, many
green and festering, some coming apart in pieces are routinely taken out
of cages. Eggs are always seen laying on or next to these rotting
corpses, later to roll down the collection tray and on to our
supermarket shelves.

Patty Mark who has led the rescue team since the first rescue on June
26, 1994 said today:

'The is absolutely no protection for battery hens. The RSPCA and
Department of Agriculture in Australia are united in their whitewash of
this cruel industry. They both have the power to prosecute yet
continually turn a cold blind eye.
The bottom line is our rescue teams won't stop until the hens are out of
those hideous cages, we are all they've got and we won't desert them.'

Further Information: Patty Mark phone (03)9531-4367 fax 03 9531 4257
                     Coral Hull animal_watch@envirolink.org

note: TODAY TONIGHT (Channel 7)ran an excellent exclusive on this story.
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 1997 08:48:59 -0400
From: Greg Thomisee 
To: AR News 
Subject: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Animal Rights Activists Protest DWA
Message-ID: <199709060849_MC2-1F5A-811@compuserve.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0

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PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     
September 6, 1997

Contact: Greg Thomisee or Kyle Cook     Phone: 972-623-6170

Animal Rights Activists Protest Permit Request of the Dallas World Aquarium
to Capture and Import Amazon River Dolphins

Dallas -- The Dallas World Aquarium has filed for a permit to capture and
import four Amazon River dolphins from Venezuela to Dallas for "breeding
and education".  We are opposed to this permit because the Amazon River
dolphins have a very low survival rate in captivity.  Since 1956 over one
hundred of these dolphins have been captured and put into captivity.  Only
one surviving river dolphin is in captivity out of over 100 captured for
aquariums.  An estimated seventy-percent of those dolphins were imported
into the United States and the remainder went to entertainment parks in
Europe, Japan and South America.  Only one Amazon River dolphin in
captivity in the US where it is kept at the Pittsburgh Zoo remains alive.

Many of these facilities claim that they foster research and scientific
study of marine animals therefore by displaying that they contribute to
education and research or to species enhancement and conservation. The
Dallas World Aquarium is not researched based and they are not equipped to
sustain the adequate environment for the threatened species for species
enhancement or conservation.

The intentions of the Dallas World Aquarium to obtain the permit to bring
these dolphins to Dallas has been condemned internationally by such
organizations as:  Earth Island Institute, Humane Society of the US, the
producers of Free Willy, the Six Flags Corporation, Fund for Animals,
Friends of Animals, PETA and In Defense of Animals.

The federal register has made notice of the 30 day comment period.  This is
the time when the public can voice their opinion about the permit.  There
have been numerous organizations as well as individuals letters pouring in
stating their outrage.  The Texas Establishment for Animal Rights will be
protesting at 1:00 p.m. in the West End, 1801 N. Griffin, Dallas.  A large
turnout is expected due to the time urgency of this matter.

TEAR
TEXAS ESTABLISHMENT FOR ANIMAL RIGHTS 
660 Preston Forest Center, Suite 354
Dallas, TX 75230-2718
Phone 972-623-6170
Fax 972-416-3555

-End-
Date: Sat, 6 Sep 1997 23:09:58 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (JP) Suit for animals and plants rejected 
Message-ID: <199709061509.XAA16087@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"


>Asahi Shimbun 
6 Sept 97

Suit for animals and plants rejected


KAWASAKI--The Yokohama District Court has recently rejected a suit filed by
lawyers on behalf of animals and plants inhabiting a green zone in Kawasaki,
Kanagawa Prefecture. 

The zone had been set aside as the construction site for a new museum
dedicated to artist Taro Okamoto, who designed the sun tower for Japan's
Expo 70 in Osaka. 

Presiding Judge Masaki Asano said present Japanese laws do not recognize the
admissibility of animals and plants in legal proceedings. 

The suit had been filed "on behalf of" foxes, raccoon dogs, dragonflies,
spiders and plants and asked the court to issue an order discontinuing the
museum's construction. 

Date: Sat, 6 Sep 1997 23:13:34 +0800 (SST)
From: Vadivu Govind 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (LK) Environmental crusader to rescue Lankan elephant 
Message-ID: <199709061513.XAA12813@eastgate.cyberway.com.sg>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"



>Daily News
Saturday 06, September 1997 

                                  Features 


An environmental crusader to rescue Lankan elephant
By Tharika Goonathilake 

He is an environmentalist of no mean repute. Having launched a successful
campaign in Australia to save the world's largest sea mammal, the whale,
with extraordinary results, he now is ready to do his bit for his country
and help to turn the tide against the slaughter of one of the most majestic
creatures
to walk this island - the elephant. 
Though resident in Australia, Dr. Brendon Gooneratne has travelled
extensively within Sri Lanka and is a practising physician, medical
academic, research scientist, medical author and historian. 

A highly acclaimed environmentalist in Australia Doctor Gooneratne is the
president of Project Jonah, an Australian whale and dolphin conservation
society and lobby group. 

The architect of the resolution sponsoring a permanent Indian ocean whale
sanctuary, which was ratified as a historic first in Colombo in July 1991,
Doctor Gooneratne's resolution led to a decision which now confers immunity
from slaughter on the great whale and small cetaceans (whales and dolphins)
in the Indian Ocean. 

Dr. Gooneratne's interest in wildlife, which was kindled long before the
word `environment conservation' became fashionable, has led him to lobby for
a number of environmental issues both here and abroad, and Project Jonah is
undoubtedly one of the most symbolic gestures of his commitment to
environmental issues. 

Speaking to the `Daily News' on his recent visit to Sri Lanka he commented
on some of his observations and the setbacks that most conservationists in
Sri Lanka face in redressing problems of elephant conservation and the
human-elephant conflict. 

Dr. Gooneratne who has done several studies and even written a book on
elephants feels that the human-elephant conflict which is growing rapidly is
ringing the death knell for the remaining elephants in the country. 

``If measures are not taken immediately, it will become too late for Sri
Lanka to stop the elephants from total oblivion,''he said. 

Dr. Gooneratne said that there is a cut-off point where any biological
species cannot sustain its numbers or multiply and that the Sri lankan
elephants are fast heading towards that direction. 

``Poor enforcement of conservation laws, lax procedures and irregular
planning, increase in poaching and burgeoning needs of population are fast
erasing past achievements of elephant conservation.
Recent studies on the plight of elephants also do not auger well for the
elephants whose numbers have dwindled precariously this century,''he says. 

According to Dr.Gooneratne conservation as practised in Sri Lanka is often
less a science than an ideology, a set of ideas reflecting not empirical
truths, but social needs and aspirations of politicians with vested
interests in validating its practice. 

``This is one of the main causes that has aggravated this problem further.
Short term planning aiming at quick economic gains, paying no heed to the
future consequences and its impact has brought in disastrous results to
these animals as well as untold damage and suffering to hundreds of people
living close to elephant habitats,'' he says. 

Citing the establishment of the Pelwatte Sugar Plantations as a good example
he said that Sri lanka would have been better off importing the sugar from
Cuba. 

``Sri Lanka could have saved a tidy sum importing the sugar from some other
country than bearing such high cost to manufacture it. Further more, this
ever-increasing elephant-human conflict could also have been avoided if the
elephant's jungle habitats had not been cleared to such a large extent. 

``We have gone into their territory and we kill them when they retaliate to
protect what was rightfully theirs' for thousands of years, ''he says. 

Dr. Gooneratne further stressed that Sri Lanka has the greatest
concentration of wildlife experts in the world, intellectually outstanding
in calibre but that the government had not made use of this pool of experts. 
``Even with this immense bank of knowledge, expertise and dedicated set of
people, why has Sri Lanka not been able to tap this resource bank, to stop
dwindling wildlife specially the elephant population ?,'' he asks. 

Attributing political appointments with vested interest and the lack of
coordination among departments as a major draw-back in the efforts for
conservation, Dr. Goonaratne said that one of the first steps that should be
taken is to draw up a long term and short term plan using the expertise
of these people. 

``A wide array of conservation plans have been launched within the past few
years but we have not seen a decline in the problem. What is now needed is
an effective plan which addresses the present problem and contribute to the
conservation of the elephants in the longer run. A time frame should
also be given to monitor each stage of the plan and the departments
concerned should work towardsit,''he says. 

The government should also bring the Wild Life Department under the
Environment and Forestry Ministry to ensure a more effective network of
operations in the implementation of this plan. 

``It is essential to combine the Wild Life Department with the Forestry and
Environment Ministry to implement such a conservation plan successfully. The
isolation of the Wild Life Department from the Environment Ministry is like
a car without a radiator and a fan belt. The car cannot go far.
Implementing a conservation programme isolated from other departments has
the same effect,''he warns. 

According to him another drawback in introducing a conservation plan was the
political interference that those in authority faced. 

``The concerned authorities are beholden to the people who appointed them.
So they cannot function independently with the interest of the issues and
the country at heart. This is a very serious situation which has to be dealt
with, if one has to improve performances in department,''he said. 

According to Dr. Gooneratne this has resulted in even the most dedicated of
people working for conservation causes losing hope and becoming disillusioned. 

``The morale of the officers, guards and rangers of the Wild Life Department
is at an all time low, the worst I have seen in the last 50 years. So how
can you expect them to carry-out conservation activities,'' he said. 

He further said that while the government should be rightly committed to
recognising the economic aspirations of the people who seek to improve their
lives without compromising the land which they depend upon, measures should
also be taken to protect the elephants as well. 

``Where there are severe elephant-human conflicts relocation is the only
option. Though this might not go down with many people there is no other
option since you cannot ask the elephants to relocate,''he said. 

According to Dr. Gooneratne most of the natural corridors in the jungles
have been cut off due to various reasons and these animals go on rampage
since they are unable to go through their haunts they have been accustomed to. 

``Time is running out and there is no more time for half measures or
unfulfilled programmes and hap hazard methods of conservation. These are
issues that should be redressed. Now is the time to do it if we are to save
not only the elephants but also the country's wild life as well,'' Dr.
Goonaratne
stressed. 

Date: Sat, 06 Sep 1997 11:55:50 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) Wildlife Biologist's 'Beaver Deceiver' Confuses Critters
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970906115547.0068f33c@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
------------------------------------------
9:00 a.m. EDT, Sept. 6, 1997

Wildlife Biologist's 'Beaver
Deceiver' Confuses Critters

By HOLLY RAMER
Associated Press Writer

ARGYLE, Maine (AP) -- He admits it: Skip Lisle wants to put some beavers
behind bars.

Or at least behind the cedar posts and wire fencing of his Beaver Deceiver
- - a contraption he invented to prevent the washed-out roads and other
damage wrought by the web-footed rodents.

Beavers blocking your brook? Critters clogging your culverts?    
The solution is to confuse, not kill, the animals, says Lisle,   
wildlife biologist for the Penobscot Indian Nation and           
self-proclaimed "beaver buster."                                 
                                                           
When it comes down to it, beavers just want a little peace and   
quiet. They can't abide the sound and sensation of running       
water, Lisle says, so they are compelled to build dams to quiet  
the noise. They prefer shallow water along narrow stream outlets 
and tend to build dams perpendicular to the water's current.     
                                                                 ----------
The Beaver Deceiver prevents damming by blocking access to such
sites. Wooden posts form a four-sided pen around the upstream end of the
culvert. Sheets of wire fencing are strung between the posts, with openings
wide enough to allow fish and other animals through.

Although culverts themselves are sometimes made more level so water flows
through them more quietly, it's the angle of the fence that provides the
key detractor for the beavers by preventing them from building dams at a
right angle to the water flow.

"If they were intuitive, they'd just dam right across the front of the
fence," Lisle said. "I hate to say it, but they're just not very smart."

They are fast, however. According to Lisle, beavers can block a 12-inch
culvert in about 20 minutes.

Lisle developed the contraption at the request of the tribe's Department of
Natural Resources, which was faced with flooded roads caused by culverts
blocked so solid Lisle had to climb into the pipes and clear the massive
debris with a rake.

A former carpenter, Lisle tinkered with his initial design until he found
the best fencing material (wire grids used to reinforce concrete) and the
best shape (trapezoidal).

Two years and more than a dozen Beaver Deceivers later, he appears to have
succeeded in bewildering the beavers. Although active lodges remain near
all the sites, the beavershave done little more than pile a little mud
along the sides of the fences.

In Massachusetts, where Lisle recently has built two Beaver Deceivers, the
animals have been observed tugging in vain at the wire.

 "They really hate it," he said. "They want to get in there in
 the worst way."
 
 Costing between $150 and $1,000, the Beaver Deceiver may seem
 expensive, but Lisle reasons that it is a small price to pay for
 something that could keep beavers at bay for the next 20 years.

 Towns or states may be more willing to pay for such contraptions
 if they view them as part of a road design rather than a
 wildlife issue, he said.
 
 But some still ask: wouldn't it be cheaper just to shoot the
 pests?

 "If you shoot one, as soon as you turn around, another will come
along," he said.

Elsewhere in Maine, state officials have found other solutions   
to beaver problems, said Edwin Butler, state director of the     
U.S. Department of Agriculture's program for animal damage       
control.                                                         
                                                                 
Butler, who estimates that 80 percent of the state has some kind 
of beaver damage, said fences similar to the Beaver Deceiver     
concept have helped some, but not all, sites. In other           
locations, wire mesh is rolled into cylinders that are placed in 
a horseshoe shape around culverts to block beavers' access. In   
other places, beavers are trapped and moved to new locations.    

Lisle credits the Penobscot tribe with giving him free rein to develop a
creative solution to the beaver problem and urges other agencies to take a
less adversarial approach to the animals.

"There are hundreds of possibilities out there that haven't been explored,"
he said. "People need to focus on the positive benefits, and not see them
as threatening. It doesn't have to be a disaster. ... Beavers are part of
the landscape, like water. They're here to stay."

Date: Sat, 6 Sep 97 21:56:25 -0000
From: shadowrunner@voyager.net
To: 
Subject: CAMPFIRE
Message-ID: <199709070154.VAA11857@vixa.voyager.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

      9/5/97

        LIGHTING A "CAMPFIRE" UNDER THE ANIMAL EXTREMISTS

     On Thursday, September 4, hunters worldwide achieved
victory, as the U.S. House of Representatives voted down the
Fox-Miller Amendment (Reps. Jon Fox [R-Pa.] & George Miller [D-
Cal.]) to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill by a vote of
159 - 267. This amendment would have prohibited the use of
CAMPFIRE development assistance funds to promote or support
trophy hunting. CAMPFIRE funds go to villages in Zimbabwe, Africa
to help them become self-sufficient and thus, less dependent on
foreign aid.  For example, as we've seen in the U.S. with the
overpopulation of whitetail deer, in Zimbabwe, they have a
similar problem with elephants, which cause significant crop
damage and other problems.  CAMPFIRE funds go toward the funding
of elephant  hunting permits that allow sportsmen to help control
the elephant population.  In turn, the Zimbabwe villages get to
keep the money raised from the sale of these permits that can be
used for schools, water filtration systems, etc.  Similarly,
since the villagers benefit from the sale of these permits,
CAMPFIRE funds also serve as an incentive to clamp down on
poachers, who illegally harvest elephants without contributing
any financial benefits to the local villages.  The overly broad
language of the Fox-Miller Amendment not only  ignored the vital
economic role of hunting, but to the detriment of all African
wildlife, would have blocked legitimate, proven conservation
efforts.  The defeat of this amendment was vital to the hunting
heritage of sportsmen around the world and their legacy of
wildlife conservation. According to REASON magazine (Oct. 1997),
"[E]lephant numbers are on the increase in Southern Africa,
soaring in Zimbabwe to 66,000 from 46,000 in the span of the
CAMPFIRE years."  The NRA appreciates the leadership of
Representatives Don Young (R-Alaska), Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), Sonny
Callahan (R-Ala.), Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) and those Members of
Congress who voted against the  animal extremists and poachers.

                    MORE H.R. 339 CO-SPONSORS

     Since we last reported, H.R. 339, Rep. Cliff Stearns's (R-
Fla.) national right to carry reciprocity bill, has garnered
three more co-sponsors, for a total of 57 co-sponsors.  The most
recent additions to this growing list are: Rep. Larry Combest (R-
Tex.), Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), and Rep. Lindsey Graham (R-
S.C.).  Please continue to contact your U.S. Representative at
202/224-3121, and urge him to co-sponsor this measure.  If your
Representative is one of the 57 current co-sponsors, please thank
him, and encourage him to lobby his fellow lawmakers to join him
as a co-sponsor.

         KEEP THOSE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM CALLS COMING

     Sources on Capitol Hill have told us the McCain-Feingold
campaign finance reform bill could come up in the very near
future.  In light of this, please continue to contact your U.S.
Senators at 202/224-3121 and urge them to protect the democratic
process, and to oppose this, or any other campaign finance bill
that hinders grassroots organizations from working with their
members and within the legislative process.

                       A LOOK AT THE STATES

GEORGIA: An official listing of states that meet Georgia's
requirements for right to carry reciprocity has been released. 
Permit holders in Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire,
and Texas may now legally carry in Georgia.  Note: Although
Georgia has officially recognized these states' permits, the
aforementioned states have not yet officially extended the same
courtesy to Georgia carry permit holders.  

NORTH CAROLINA: Governor Jim Hunt signed the NRA-backed shooting
range protection bill into law on Monday, September 1, making
North Carolina the 26th state with such a law.  In addition to
the Governor, special thanks go to: Rep. Wayne Sexton (R-73),
Sen. Fountain Odom (D-34), the Law Enforcement Alliance of
America, the North Carolina Firearm Dealers Group, and the North
Carolina Law Enforcement Committee for their help in the passage
of this measure. 

TENNESSEE: An official listing of states that satisfy Tennessee's
requirements for right to carry reciprocity has been released. 
Permit holders in Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky,
Mississippi, Oklahoma, Virginia, and West Virginia may now
legally carry in Tennessee.  Note: Although Tennessee has
officially recognized the aforementioned states, these states
have not yet officially extended the same courtesy to Tennessee
carry permit holders.  

VIRGINIA: The NRA state affiliate, the Virginia Shooting Sports
Association (VSSA), will hold their annual meeting October 10-12,
at the 4-H Education Center at Holiday Lake, in Appomattox. 
Along with educational workshops and fun shoots, Olympic Gold
medalist Launi Meili will be on hand. Also, NRA-ILA Grassroots,
in conjunction with VSSA, will be holding an election seminar to
inform Virginia members on how to get involved in the November
elections,  and what we can expect to see in the General Assembly
next year.  For more information about this event, contact Lu
Charette at 540/672-5848.  

WASHINGTON: On Tuesday, September 2, Thurston County Superior
Court Judge Richard Hicks agreed to make important changes to the
ballot summary of I-676, the so-called "Handgun Safety Act."  The
official initiative summary that will appear in the state voters'
guide will include language informing voters that their names
will appear on a police database and their guns could be
confiscated if  I-676 passes.  The Washington Citizens Against
Regulatory Excess (WeCARE) argued in support of the change. 
Originally, the proposed summary prepared by the Attorney
General's Office left out these key details.

=+=+=+=+
This information is provided as a service of the National Rifle
Association Institute for Legislative Action, Fairfax, VA.
Date: Sat, 06 Sep 1997 22:10:32 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (US) USDA May Toughen Regulation of Wild Animal Handling
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970906221029.00703558@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from CNN web page:
-----------------------------------
Weekly Farm: USDA May Toughen Regulation of Wild Animal Handling
AP
06-SEP-97

WASHINGTON (AP) An enraged circus elephant runs amok, attacking people and
cars. A 6-year-old girl is mauled by a tiger in a TV studio. A circus
trainer is killed by another tiger after being dragged around the ring. 

Incidents like these even if infrequent have raised concern about the lack
of national standards for training and handling exotic animals, which can
turn deadly in mere seconds and are especially unpredictable if abused. 

"Several recent events have clearly shown that there is a need within the
industry to set down universal training standards," said Michael V. Dunn,
assistant secretary for regulatory programs at the Agriculture Department's
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.  

Regulation of exotic animals falls to USDA under the Animal Welfare Act.
Currently, the federal rules for more than 2,000 keepers of such creatures
consist of little more than simply registering with the agency and
submitting to random USDA inspections. 

Some states have their own rules, notably California where the movie
industry requires a stable of dependable wild animals. But others have
almost none, save keeping lions and the like from running loose. 

"There are so many people out there who work with wild animals, and nobody
really knows how many of these folks there are, and what kind of training
they do," said Richard Farinato, director of captive wildlife protection
for the Humane Society of the United States. 

The Agriculture Department has not yet proposed any new regulations but is
asking those interested in exotic animals, including zoos, circuses and
entertainment trainers, for comment on whether they are necessary. 

Many in the industry reacted at first with dismay, but have since decided
that proper standards might be a positive thing, said Joan Galvin,
spokeswoman for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus. The nation's
largest circus has some 200 animals, including several dozen Asian elephants. 

"We have a lot of responsibility to the public and many times we are
presenting the animals for the first time to children," she said. "We are
all for comprehensive, responsible, balanced standards in the industry. We
believe it helps the industry as a whole." 

Some detractors of any proposed rules say the effort is being driven by
animal rights activists who believe no animal should be made to perform for
people. 

"We're not saying no one should train an animal," Farinato said. "We're
saying there is a good and bad way, a humane and non-humane way." 

Charlie Sammut, owner of Wild Things Animal Rental Inc. in Salinas, Calif.,
trains everything from insects to elephants for use in the entertainment
industry. 

In a letter to USDA, Sammut suggested that such regulations could ensure
that unsuitable animals aren't put on exhibition where they could hurt
people or themselves. 

"Although a grizzly bear is in fact a very dangerous and aggressive animal,
there are those who have been brought up in the entertainment industry
properly and have learned to both enjoy the work as well as be safe around
the public," Sammut said. 

Jenny Barrett, director of American Humane Association's office in Los
Angeles, spends much of her time on movie sets ensuring that all animals in
a production are treated well. She said for the most part, larger operators
like Sammut train exotic animals with positive reinforcement, not abuse. 

"They couldn't use cruel methods, and then put them next to a
multimillion-dollar actor, if that animal was filled with rage and anger,"
Barrett said. "But we do run across instances of probably smaller
operations or folks in more remote areas whose training methods go back
several hundred years. That's a real problem." 

USDA is soliciting comment until Sept. 22. A decision will be made later on
whether to propose formal new regulations on training and handling exotic
wild animals. 
Date: Sat, 06 Sep 1997 22:21:44 -0400
From: allen schubert 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: (KY) Farm To Free Endangered Turtles
Message-ID: <3.0.32.19970906222140.006fd8b0@clark.net>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

from AP Wire page:
---------------------------------------
 09/06/1997 17:44 EST

 Farm To Free Endangered Turtles

 GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (AP) -- A farm that has bred the world's most
 endangered species of turtles for about 15 years is planning to return
 its 352 charges to the wild in Mexico, the farm's manager said this week.

 The Cayman Turtle Farm has begun talks with the Mexican National
 Institute of Fisheries to return most of its Kemps Ridley turtles to the
 wild. The increasing turtle population has surpassed the resources at the
 farm, where males and females have been separated to prevent further
 breeding.

 The farm plans to retain only a small population for research and to
 resume breeding in the future if needed.

 Humans have been responsible for killing off much of the Kemps Ridley
 turtle population. Some are taken for food, but many more die in shrimp
 nets.

 The farm joined the effort to save the species in the early 1980s when it
 signed an agreement with the Mexican government and began breeding the
 turtles. Among the 352 turtles now at the farm are some of the original
 breeding pairs, manager Kenneth Hydes said.

 Kemps Ridley turtles weight about 60 to 70 pounds, much smaller than the
 better known green sea turtles that can weigh up to 700 pounds.

Date: Sat, 06 Sep 1997 23:00:42 -0400
From: Wyandotte Animal Group 
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Hegins 97:  ALL OUT
Message-ID: <1.5.4.16.19970907030042.242f4d82@mail.heritage.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Kim Bernardi and Janelle Soto were released from jail late Friday.  All of
Hegins 8 are now out of jail.  Congratulations to these freedom fighters on
a job well done!




Jason Alley
Wyandotte Animal Group
wag@heritage.com

Date: Sat, 6 Sep 1997 23:24:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: LMANHEIM@aol.com
To: ar-news@envirolink.org
Subject: Need info re Princess Diana on hunting and other a-r issues
Message-ID: <970906232436_113062762@emout09.mail.aol.com>

I would like to write my next Letters for Animals column about Princess
Diana, if there's enough material about her compassion towards animals.  I
also think that this is an optimal time to trumpet it to the press at large,
via letters to the editor, etc.  Love for Diana will never be stronger than
it is at this moment, and if we can win some converts to kindness in her
name, I'm sure she wouldn't mind.

I've heard that Diana fought with Prince Charles over taking the young
princes hunting.  Can anybody substantiate this?  Any articles or
documentation anybody can provide about her not wearing fur, being against
hunting, etc., would be greatly appreciated.  My fax number is below.  If you
have access to a fax machine, please zip them off to me ASAP.  Or email me
with the gist of the article, the name of the publication, and the date.
 Would appreciate your phone number too, so I can have you read any relevant
quotes of hers to me while I type them.  My deadline is Monday!!

Forgive me if I've missed stuff in the ar-news digest which may have
addressed this.

Lynn Manheim
Letters for Animals
P.O. Box 7-AO
La Plume, PA   18440
717-945-5312
Fax: 717-945-3471

Following are some links to previously published Letters for Animals columns:
 Everybody's News
 LfA-bad charities

 Everybody's New
s LfA-mules 

 Everybody's News
 LfA-eat horses 
 
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