Sea Shepherd Activist Could Face Jail Time in Japan

Pretty serious stuff.

Japan is formally charging Sea Shepherd Captain Peter Bethune with trespassing, carrying a knife, damaging property, forcible obstruction of business and one charge of causing injury. Japan has accused Bethune of illegally boarding (trespassing) the Japanese ship, Shonan Maru II, which is where most of the charges stem. The latter charge arises from an accusation that Bethune threw a jar of butyric acid onto the deck of a Japanese whaling ship, causing an injury to a crew member. This is a very serious charge, and if found guilty, Bethune could face up to 15 years in Japanese jail.

Labour Urges New Zealand to Support Australia's Call to End Whaling

I hope they do it. We just need to end this useless practice of whaling.

New Zealand, Australia to Conduct Whale Research Too

Good news! It's non-lethal.

New Zealand and Australia are joining forces to carry out research on whales using non-lethal methods, in an attempt to challenge Japan's hunting programme.

Eighteen scientists will set sail for Antarctica next month to study minke, humpback and blue whale populations.

They will also be assessing the impact of climate change on the whales.

The scientists hope their research will help to disprove Japan's claims that whales have to be killed if they are to be properly studied.

The six-week voyage will start in Wellington in early February.

Tourist Tries to Smuggle 44 Lizards in Underwear

You can't make these things up.

Animal Cruelty Database at Pet-Abuse.com

There are 14,436 cases in the animal abuse database. You can search for all kinds of crimes against animals in the US, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Australia and Spain.

Great research tool. Amazing work.

One of the Worst Animal Abuse Cases in New Zealand

Sad story out of New Zealand.

Drought and a negligent owner led to the confiscation of 30 sick and starving horses in South Auckland. Many were euthanized because they were too sick or wild for rehabilitation.

The elderly owner, responsible for the carnage, is ill and failed to have a drought plan in place for when the grazing dried up.

"Help could have been called for, should have been called for - wasn't," says Bob Kerridge of the SPCA.

The 73-year-old breeder is severely ill with cancer and as a consequence the SPCA has decided not to pursue a prosecution against him despite being acutely aware that they could come under public criticism.

But the SPCA says the animals are its top priority and they have been able to get the breeder to sign the animals over to them, which is what the SPCA wanted.

New Zealand SPCA in Financial Trouble

The SPCA in New Zealand is in financial trouble and it is having to euthanize animals it does not have the resources to care for.

The organisation put down 29,484 of the 59,654 animals they received in 2006, SPCA chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said. About five per cent of them were healthy.

Ms Kippenberger said most branches had a policy of providing board for animals for as long as it took to find a home for them, but it was ultimately dependent on the ability of the SPCA to care for them.

"What most shelters try to do is to offset that (euthanasia) by holding as many animals as they possibly can and then be really active about rehoming them.

"We hold animals for seven days and then we basically make a decision."

The Gisborne branch was most recently hit by a chronic lack of resources and was in danger of closing.

Rotorua and Hamilton recently came close to closing but got past crisis point when their communities got behind them.

The SPCA receives no government funding and relies on public donations to meet costs.

What is going on in New Zealand? Why is public support of this organization decreasing?

Photo by sarichelle.

Mobile Cat Clinic To Help in New Zealand

Another example where a mobile cat clinic is called in to help with cat population control. This time it's in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The clinic, run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), will be free for pet owners who hold a community service card.

The mobile clinic already had reduced stray and unwanted animal populations when it toured the North Island.

Canterbury SPCA shelter manager Geoff Sutton said stray cat numbers were "ridiculously high" in Christchurch.

"We hope this will result in an immediate reduction in the numbers of stray and unwanted animals around the region this year.

Photo by h . m a n s.

New Zealander Campaigns for Japanese Whaling

Does Glenn Inwood from the Institute for Cetacean Research really believe in what's he's doing or is he just in it for the money?

What can I say? I personally find him despicable.

Glenn Inwood, the Japanese whaling industry's embattled spin doctor, has one of the toughest public relations gigs in the world: selling commercial whaling to the planet.

A former press secretary to a New Zealand cabinet minister, Mr Inwood resigned in 2000 after the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, found his connections to the whaling industry distasteful...

Drawing on his Maori heritage, he believes hunting whales is a respectable tradition. He has little respect for the Australian Government's position on whaling which, he has written, has allowed emotions to interfere with common sense and international law.

Here's an article about him. You can decide for yourself.

Photo by blather.

Whale Strandings in New Zealand

As the international media follow the exciting Japan/Australia/Greenpeace/Sea Shepherd drama, New Zealand is the site of a whale tragedy.

Fifteen pilot whales died today after being stranded on a beach in New Zealand, and more were still at risk.

The dead whales were found beached in two areas of Farewell Spit, a strip of sand on the country's South Island.

Rescuers managed to refloat another 15 of the mammals and are monitoring their progress toward safer waters.

Scientists are unable to explain why whales strand, but some believe it is caused by disorientation in their sonar sounding systems.

Photo by ahisgett.

New Zealand Mayor Calls for End to Rodeos

After recently witnessing the Wanaka Rodeo in New Zealand, John Banks, the Mayor of Auckland, wants to see rodeos banned in the country. I like the eloquence of his statement below.

"Teasing and distressing of these sentient animals for entertainment is unacceptable, undignified and wrong and if we look into our heart most people will agree with me. Someone has got to condemn what is wrong if we are to teach our children what is right. I hope those who witnessed the rodeo will give some thought to the cruelty the animals suffered for their pleasure," he said.

I also liked this statement from the SPCA.

SPCA chief executive Bob Kerridge said he was not in favour of rodeos, which were designed only for human entertainment.

"It's using animals for entertainment purposes and often it's to their detriment. Although they may well say they have animal welfare policies in place it still doesn't negate the situation that here you have grown men trying to be macho over animals and for what purpose other than self-gratification?"

Macho, huh? Perfect wording.

Photo by spacetrig.

Rescued NZ Hens Get a Merry Christmas

In the midst of so many depressing animal stories, it's nice to hear about a rescue once in a while.

Some fortunate battery hens in New Zealand received immediate relief from cruelty and severe confinement thanks to the efforts of members of New Zealand Open Rescue Collective.

The group's members, coined Santa's little helpers, rescued 15 emaciated caged birds from an Auckland egg factory and is urging consumers to boycott caged eggs for the coming year.

A Colmar Brunton poll shows almost eight out of ten New Zealanders oppose keeping hens in cages. In 2006 Parliament's Regulations Review Committee deemed battery hen cages to be in breach of the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

The New Zealand Open Rescue Collective openly rescues battery hens and other factory farmed animals across the country out of sheer frustration that the legal system fails animals. The group has just released a Christmas DVD appealing to New Zealanders boycott battery eggs for 2008.

Photo by joaobambu.

Food Ethics Becoming Issue for NZ Exporters

We posted an article last week about how consumer demand for free-range eggs is lagging in Canada. However, don't lose hope. Animal welfare is still an emerging force in the demand for ethical products.

For example, as this article states, animal welfare and environmental impact are issues that NZ exporters are already being warned about.

Once-foreign phrases such as carbon footprint, food miles and traceability are now a common language, albeit still an inexact science, as well as challenges for exporters.

Lincoln University academic Caroline Saunders warns that unless NZ embraces these new standards, exporters risk being shut out of affluent paying markets.

She believes New Zealand has three years to act before exporters start losing market advantage to countries that are addressing these new standards such as South America, Australia and China.

"We should embrace them. It means we can get much higher premiums for our products. We have no choice."

Photo by Schooner Maggie B.

Shark-Finning Incident in New Zealand

How awful.

The Conservation Department has condemned the cruel practice of live shark finning after around 30 sand sharks - some still alive - were found dumped in waters off Nelson.

DOC Abel Tasman ranger Stu Houston came across a fishing boat in park waters on Tuesday, which had caught the 1m sand sharks and cut off their fins, throwing the mutilated sharks over the side.

Some were still alive.

It is LEGAL TO CATCH SHARKS FOR THEIR FINS IN NEW ZEALAND {CN emphasis} though under the Animal Welfare Act they must be dead when thrown overboard.

{Ranger Stu Houston} Mr Houston said that if people knew the practice was legal they would be appalled. "Is that what we do in New Zealand?"

Yep, he's right.

Photo by amysahba.

NZ Minister Condemns Heather Mills' Campaign

I didn't realize Heather Mills was so influential that a New Zealand government official would actually speak out against her activism. I guess she doesn't have to be married to Sir Paul to cause a fuss...see below.

New Zealand Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton said Thursday that British celebrity Heather Mills was deluded in a campaign against eating meat and dairy products that she launched this week in London. "The claim that you can't be an environmentalist if you eat meat and dairy products is wrong," Anderton said.

"That the picture on one billboard associating meat and dairy with a burnt out wasteland and hellish fires suggests Ms Mills has never seen a New Zealand dairy farm. For her information, they are lush and green."

New Zealand is the world's biggest single exporter of butter, cheese and other dairy products and a major supplier of sheep meat to Europe and beef to the United States and Asia.

Photo by Russell Bremner.

New Zealand SPCA Announces "List of Shame"

Yikes. It's a nasty list coming out of New Zealand and some sobering words about what it all means.

The List of Shame covers cases that occurred or came to light during the first nine months of 2007. It is not a comprehensive list of all the cruelty incidents reported during this period but includes some of the worst cases, as well as a representative sample of incidents investigated by the SPCA....

"This year's list makes particularly gruesome reading, with many atrocious examples of the savage wounding and killing of animals. There is an undeniable link between abuse of animals and abusive behaviour towards people. I believe the stabbings, shootings, poisonings and other cruelties listed are reflective of the appallingly high and escalating rate of violence in New Zealand society," the SPCA's national chief executive Robyn Kippenberger said.

"Cruel and callous behaviour on the part of children and teenagers is particularly disturbing because of the warning it gives about the future. We have to do more to educate our young people about the importance of kindness and responsibility to both animals and humans."

Photo by Zopidis