Worldlog Week 35 – 2010

The negotiations over a new government remain exciting. There are vast differences of opinion within the participating Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) about governing with parliamentary support of Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom (PVV). Last week it was made public that a majority of the senate supported the information plea of our Party for the Animals senator Niko Koffeman. Koffeman’s plea arises from the initiative of senator Hans Engels of the party Democrats 66 (D66) transformed into a letter signed by the party chairmen of almost all parties except CDA and the liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). In the letter, the party chairmen voiced their grave concerns about the fact that informateur Opstelten has limited the discussion to parties in the Lower Chamber, whereby the chances of a fruitful co-operation with the entire ‘States General’ was insufficiently set out. Also, the party chairmen in the Upper Chamber point out the fact that an intended cabinet of CDA and VVD with parliamentary support of the PVV cannot count on the support of a majority in the Upper Chamber.

Furthermore, we have raised parliamentary questions about 300 pigs that died during an international livestock transport. On July 8th 2010, 822 pigs were being transported to Spain, but upon arrival 300 pigs had died. The other animals were dehydrated and stressed. Oddly enough, the Dutch livestock transporter received no punishment. He was only asked to provide a self-written protocol to the Agriculture minister, in which he outlined what measures he would take in the future to prevent a reoccurrence. He is now free to transport animals again. I find it incomprehensible that this animal transporter received no punishment, while his actions cost so many animals their lives.

The Party for the Animals announced in the documentary Sea the Truth: that the sustainable fish label Marina Stewardship Council (MSC) is not sufficiently trustworthy. Last week this international label was in the news again because six scientists in the magazine Nature declared that they questioned the integrity of the MSC. The problem with the label arises primarily in cases where a fisherman wants to have himself registered. The fisherman must go to a consultant and pay tens of thousands of euros for an assessment. Some consultants don’t follow the rules closely and request more money for assessments in order to supplement their income.

Japan has unfortunately re-opened the bloody hunt op dolphins in Taiji. The Party for the Animals is a strong opponent of this horrible hunt. The hunters lure the dolphins to the coast by hitting metal pipes, after which they are slaughtered in the bay or sold to aquariums. Japan approves of the dolphin hunt because these dolphins are not on the endangered species list. Absolutely unbelievable. Approximately 20.000 dolphins per year in Japan are allowed to be slaughtered. Taiji was responsible for 1.857 of the slaughtered dolphins. There are only 3.500 people living in Taiji, but the village has hunted dolphins since the seventeenth century, and thus the dolphin hunt is unfortunately still seen as a tradition.

Other dolphin hunt news: Animal protection organisations Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd have started an international campaign against the dolphin hunt on the Faroe Islands, a self-governed province of Denmark. The Party for the Animals has been trying to draw attention to this terrible hunt for years and I am pleased that these organisations are urgently asking that this hunt on dolphins be stopped by means of an open letter to the Danish queen Margaretha.

And now some happy news: The singer of the band Travis has become a vegetarian to show his gratitude for Paul McCartney’s collaboration on his new CD. Paul McCartney, who is a vegetarian himself, has been campaigning against the eating of meat for years. The Party for the Animals also worked on one of his campaigns, Meat Free Monday.

See you next week!

Marianne