Tanzania and Zambia are lobbying the UN for special exemptions from the ban, but this would send a clear signal to the ivory crime syndicates that international protection is weakening and it’s open-season on elephants. Another group of African states have countered by calling to extend the trade ban for 20 years.

Our best chance to save the continent’s remaining elephants is to support African conservationists. We only have 5 days left and the UN Endangered Species body only meets every 3 years. Click below to sign our urgent petition to protect elephants, and forward this email widely — the petition will be delivered to the UN meeting in Doha:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/no_more_bloody_ivory/?vl

Over 20 years ago, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) passed a worldwide ban on ivory trading. Poaching fell, and ivory prices slumped. But poor enforcement coupled with‘experimental one-off sales’, like the one Tanzania and Zambia are seeking, drove poaching up and turned illegal trade into a lucrative business — poachers can launder their illegal ivory with the legal stockpiles.

Now, despite the worldwide ban, each year over 30,000 elephants are gunned down and their tusks hacked off by poachers with axes and chainsaws. If Tanzania and Zambia are successful in exploiting the loophole, this awful trade could get much worse.

We have a one off chance this week to extend the worldwide ban and repress poaching and trade prices before we lose even more elephant populations — sign the petition now and then forward it widely:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/no_more_bloody_ivory/?vl

Across the world’s cultures and throughout our history elephants have been revered in religions and have captured our imagination — Babar, Dumbo, Ganesh, Airavata, Erawan. But today these beautiful and highly intelligent creatures are being annihilated. As long as there is demand for ivory, poaching and smuggling will happen, but this week we have a chance to protect them and crush the ivory criminals’ profits — sign the petition now:

As long as there is demand for ivory, elephants are at risk from poaching and smuggling — but this week we have a chance to protect them and crush the ivory criminals’ profits — sign the petition now.

Portugal: MATP “No bullfighting department in the future National Council of Culture”

Appeal by Movimento Anti-Touradas de Portugal
http://www.matp-online.org/

Saturday, 6th of February, 2010

The MATP – The Portuguese Anti-Bullfighting Movement is aware that the
Ministry of Culture is planning to create a bullfighting department in
the future National Council of Culture.

The purpose of this Council and its departments is to be a consulting
body to issue opinions on the investment of public funds in the field of
culture, so we must oppose that our money, which is used for promoting
Portuguese culture, may also be used for encouraging this business
focused upon humiliating and exploiting animals.

According to a recent Note, dated 2010-02-03 from the Ministry of
Culture: “The National Council of Culture is a consulting collegial body
to support the Ministry of Culture as well as its different organisms
and services, and shall function both as a plenary body and in
specialized departments as well. Its legal basis foresees the
possibility of creating new specialized departments, which prerogative
shall be used in order to create the arts and the bullfighting departments.”

So we are before something very, very serious, which is the use of
public funds for supporting an activity which is largely condemned by
the majority of the Portuguese population and of the international
community.

Time has come for us all to say NO, IT’S ENOUGH ! We do not want this
cruelty and animal abuse business, namely bullfighting, to be funded
with our money coming from our taxes!

We do not want to be accomplices in this dirty move!

Please sent an e-mail message to the Portuguese Prime Minister; to the
Chief Minister of the Council of Ministers; to the Minister of Culture;
with Cc to the Parliamentary Leaders of the 6 main political parties in
the Portuguese Parliament, requesting them to do something in order to
avoid this to go forward.

Please send your e-mails directly to the Portuguese Government through
the following addresses:
pm@pm.gov.pt;
gab.mp@mp.gov.pt;
gmc@mc.gov.pt

With Cc to the different political Parties in the Portuguese Parliament:
gp@ps.parlamento.pt;
gp_ps@ps.parlamento.pt;
gp_psd@psd.parlamento.pt;
gp_pp@pp.parlamento.pt;
bloco.esquerda@be.parlamento.pt;
gp_pcp@pcp.parlamento.pt;
pev.correio@pev.parlamento.pt;

And also with Cc to the Portuguese Anti-Bullfighting Movement:
matp@netcabo.pt

SAFE will stage a demonstration outside The Albion on Hobson Street, Auckland at 2pm  (8 February) to highlight the cruelty of Catcha Cray machines. For more information contact Hans Kriek, SAFE campaign director: 027 446 2711 or Mandy Carter, SAFE campaign officer: 021 054 2692.

Bars unwilling to remove the controversial Catcha Cray arcade game that treats live crayfish as if they were stuffed toys have been told to expect their patrons to swap their pints for protest placards.

National animal advocacy organisation SAFE says it has received many complaints from patrons outraged that their local drinking establishment has a Catcha Cray machine. “Seven bars have removed these machines following animal welfare complaints from patrons, however some bars have taken a more defiant position. Some patrons want to stage protests outside their local pub after their concerns have been either ignored or met with verbal abuse from management,” says SAFE campaign officer Mandy Carter. “These machines subject live crayfish to stress, torment and injury. It is estimated to take 30 attempts before a crayfish is successfully caught by the metal claws. A crayfish caught by a crowd of drunken revellers is also a serious concern as they are at great risk of further abuse,” says Ms Carter.

SAFE and the RNZSPCA have been working together to have Catcha Cray machines banned from bars on animal welfare grounds. “SAFE expects the RNZSPCA to announce this week whether it can use the Animal Welfare Act 1990 to legally challenge the bars that continue to operate Catcha Cray machines. SAFE is of the opinion that the machines are in breach of the Act. If the RNZSPCA concurs, it will mean that anyone operating these machines will be open to prosecution for animal cruelty,” says SAFE campaign director Hans Kriek.

The tens of millions of animals who are burned, electrocuted, and addicted to drugs in laboratories each year in the name of science need your help.

Join My Life Counts

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Read the full story and sign the petition

Less Meat-Less Heat

Their failure is a disappointment — and their failure is a challenge. We must work harder, demand more and never resile from our fight for our children and our planet.

That fight continues now. In just 6 weeks time leaders of each country will lock in their nation’s emissions reduction targets under this week’s agreement.

We must show leaders that their inaction is unacceptable.
Sign the Petition here