Animal Archives - Page 5 of 18

Denmark’s Complicity In Faroes Cetacean Slaughter

Jul 232015

On Friday 10 July people gathered outside the London Danish Embassy. Denmark, a member state of the European Union, is meant to protect cetaceans. This legal obligation means nothing to the nation. It protects the Faroe Islands, where scores of dolphins and whales are driven to shore each year to be butchered alive.

The resulting bloodbath greatly pleases the islanders, who see it as a rite of passage. It rightly reviles the rest of the civilised world. What is Denmark playing at? Who were these protestors? Suzanne Kelly joined the protest to report and support.

Why this protest?

The Faroe Islanders had just engaged in another ‘grind’ – the driving of whales and dolphins to the shores to be horribly killed.

The tiny island nation relies on Denmark for protection.

The Faroese are outwith the EU, but rely on this EU nation to uphold its grizzly tradition.

Last year Sea Shepherd personnel were arrested by Denmark while trying to stop this slaughter.

The Danish government has bizarrely claimed jurisdiction, and a trial – in Denmark to uphold Faroese tradition – keeps getting postponed. The Danes refuse to return Sea Shepherd’s vessel until the trial, which rather conveniently suits their and the Faroese needs.

The Faroe Islands have also just imposed a new draconian yet unworkable law aimed clearly at stopping Sea Shepherd from protecting marine life. Anyone – including tourists – is subject to arrest and up to two years imprisonment (perhaps in a Danish cell?) if they do not immediately report any cetaceans they see.

CEO of Sea Shepherd Global and Operation Sleppid Grindini Campaign Leader, Captain Alex Cornelissen, said:

“There is something truly sinister about a law that aims to silence those who fight to protect life, while protecting those engage in this blood-thirsty practice. It is this exactly this ominous state of affairs in the Faroe Islands that requires Sea Shepherd’s presence in the region.”

How anyone is meant to prove or disprove who did or didn’t see a pod of whales is anyone’s guess.

It is worth noting the resulting meat from this entire bloodbath is largely inedible. This is blood sport for the sake of blood. The toxins in the meat and fat are such that pregnant women should not go near it, and that those who would willingly eat such a product are meant to eat no more than 4kg per year. Each animal taken then dies horribly without even the excuse the food is needed.

Who came and why they came:

Debbie said

“I am here because of what is going on in the Faroe Islands at the moment. It is inexcusable. They say it is a rite of passage for teenage boys, but it is an outdated blood sport.”

Aga and Kerry were two of the protestors taking a stand against the senseless slaughter. They said:

“It’s the 21st century, and there is no place in Europe for such a barbaric mass dolphin slaughter.”

“Whales and dolphins are very sentient beings and it is so cruel and barbaric what they are doing. They say do it for food; they don’t I think they do it for fun. The mercury levels in the whales and dolphins are so high that they shouldn’t be eating it.”

We talk about the toxicity and about the new law. Kerry tells me:

“I don’t see how they can implement it; you can just say you didn’t see any cetaceans? ‘What cetaceans? Where?’ but it is ridiculous.”

Sally from Eastbourne said

“It’s disgusting the way they cover up what is going on in the Faroe Islands and sadly young children take part in this. It is so sad for future generations. I don’t think anybody should be involved in this. I am really worried for the future for young people who can do this; they smile because the adults say it is OK.”

Sally’s quite right about the indoctrination of this and any similar abuse carried out on animals. Psychologically the result is to destroy empathy with living creatures and this is utilised by military forces that still to this day torture animals under the guise of ‘medical trauma training’ for military medical personnel.

Such training could well take place at hospitals (particularly in high crime areas), but the goal of making people immune to the suffering of animals is clearly a common goal shared by the Faroese and the military forces who want to discourage any form of empathy.

The protest was peaceful, as opposed to the Faroese cetacean torture and killing. How much longer can Denmark continue its self-contradictory behaviour in light of the negative press it receives, diplomatic pressure, and the heightened awareness and disgust the public throughout the world feels?

It is either an EU partner and as one opposed to cetacean slaughter, or it is the protector of an outmoded, unnecessary, cruel form of animal torture.

If Oscar Wilde said that a fox hunt is ‘the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible’, then what would he make of The Faroe Islands grind?

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[Aberdeen Voice accepts and welcomes contributions from all sides/angles pertaining to any issue. Views and opinions expressed in any article are entirely those of the writer/contributor, and inclusion in our publication does not constitute support or endorsement of these by Aberdeen Voice as an organisation or any of its team members.]

Police Threaten Tourists Visiting Faroe Islands

Environment, Information 4 Responses »

Jul 032015

Faroese police have threatened tourists visiting the island archipelago with possible arrest and prosecution if they do not report sightings of migrating whales and dolphins to local authorities. With thanks to Michelle Mossfield, Media Director, Sea Shepherd Global

According to ramped-up Faroese law, tourists visiting the islands must report all sightings of whales and dolphins to local authorities, so that the cetaceans can be targeted for slaughter in the infamous drive hunt, known as the grindadráp.

Visitors who do not abide by this law may face arrest and prosecution, with penalties of 25,000 Faroese króna or just over 3,000 euros, and imprisonment of two years.

Operation Sleppid Grindini Co-Leader, Scottish actor Ross McCall, and Land Team Leader, Rosie Kunneke of South Africa, confirmed that they were informed of the penalties in a series of meetings with local authorities in the Faroe Islands.

In those meeting, authorities including the Deputy Chief of Police, Chief Criminal Investigator and the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Faroe Islands were quick to emphasize that the law applied to all visiting tourists, not just those believed to be with Sea Shepherd.

“I can only imagine how those opposed to, or unaware of, the grindadráp tradition will react to such a law. Instead of basking in the wonder of seeing these mammals in their natural habitat, you can now face the possibility of being imprisoned if you fail to call the police and alert the locals to your find, leading to them killing those very whales at the local beach.

“I suggest that authorities inform all incoming tourists of the laws and of the punishment for breaking these laws. Soon, I’d imagine, the tourist trade will consist only of travelers who enjoy a hunt,” said McCall.

Kunneke added:

“The law effectively forces any tourist visiting the Faroes who happens to see migrating pilot whales and dolphins to actively partake in the slaughter of the grindadráp. Even tourists who are on whale watching tours can be involuntarily drawn into the slaughter. While these laws are obviously intended to limit Sea Shepherd’s effectiveness in protecting pilot whales, the severe implications will most certainly drive tourist and their money away from the region.”

Despite these laws and revised penalties, the Danish Navy has confirmed that it will not assist with reporting or other involvement in the grindadráp. Former member of the Royal Dutch and Royal Australian Navies and Captain of the Sea Shepherd fast trimaran, Brigitte Bardot, Wyanda Lublink, has commended the response.

“As a naval officer, you are commanded with the responsibility of defending the innocent and those who can not defend themselves. To do otherwise would be in complete defiance of the indented purpose of your mission. However there does seem to be a contradiction, when the Danish Navy is exempt from mandatory participation in the grind, while other tourists, including other EU nationals, are not,” she commented.

International exposure of the grindadráp has already incurred a negative reaction from some in the tourist industry. Since 2013, two German cruise line companies, AIDA and Hapag-Lloyd, have publically expressed their concerns about the grindadráp to Faroese government, calling for an end to the slaughter.
CEO of Sea Shepherd Global and Operation Sleppid Grindini Leader, Alex Cornelissen, said:

“The last thing you expect when you visit a remote group of islands on a holiday is that you will be forced into the largest slaughter of marine mammals in Europe. It would be like going to Zimbabwe and being forced into rhino poaching, or going on a diving trip and being forced to fin sharks.

“In their enthusiasm to enforce these new penalties, the Faroese authorities seem to have overlooked the potential threat they pose to tourism, the impacts of which are likely to be extremely unpopular.”

For hundreds of years the people of the Danish Faroe Islands have been herding migrating pilot whales from the sea into shallow water and slaughtering them. The grindadráp wipes-out entire family groups of whales and dolphins at one time.

The 2015 killing season started in a horrific manner on Saturday June 6, when 154 pilot whales were slaughtered on Miðvágur beach on the island of Vágar in the northwest of the Faroe Islands. The grind took place prior to the arrival of Sea Shepherd, and was the largest dolphin slaughter in the islands since 2013.
Operation Sleppid Grindini will be Sea Shepherd’s sixth campaign in the Faroe Islands, and is led by the organization’s strongest at-sea presence in the region to date.

Sea Shepherd Global
Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.

Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations. For more information, visit: http://www.seashepherd.org/

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No Dialogue Possible In The Faroe Islands

Environment, News 18 Responses »

Jun 252015

Faroese media have flouted an opportunity for open dialogue with representatives of Sea Shepherd in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, yesterday. With thanks to Michelle Mossfield, Sea Shepherd.

Media were invited to a press conference about the organization’s current Pilot Whale Defense Campaign, Operation Sleppid Grindini.

Intended speakers were CEO of Sea Shepherd Global, Alex Cornelissen, Campaign Co-Leader, Ross McCall, Land Team Leader, Rosie Kunneke, and Captain of the Brigitte Bardot, Wyanda Lublink.

Only one journalist from local television network, KVF (Kringvarp Føroya), arrived at the press conference.

When offered the chance to speak to each of the representatives about the campaign, the journalist said that he did not have any questions.

Captain Cornelissen has said,

“We presented local media with the opportunity for open dialogue with Sea Shepherd. Clearly, our intentions regarding the campaign have been made clear, and there is no requirement to clarify anything further.”

McCall added,

“Making space for dialogue has always been of importance to us. The local press decided not to take the open hand, which works for us as now we can get back out into the Island and continue what we came here for.”

For hundreds of years the people of the Danish Faroe Islands have been herding migrating pilot whales from the sea into shallow water and slaughtering them in a practice called the ‘grindadráp’ or ‘grind’.

Sea Shepherd has led the opposition to the mass slaughter of cetaceans in the Faroe Islands since the 1980s.

The Australian-registered Sea Shepherd ship, Brigitte Bardot, arrived in the Faroe Islands last week for Operation Sleppid Grindini. The vessel will be joined by the Sam Simon, which arrived at Lerwick in the Shetland Islands this morning en-route to the Faroe Islands, and by the Bob Barker, which will depart Bremen, Germany, shortly.

The ships are supported by a land-team of volunteers from around the world, dedicated to the on-going protection of the pilot whales of the Faroe Islands.

Sea Shepherd Global:

Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.

Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations. For more information, visit:http://www.seashepherd.org/

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Old Susannah No. 177 – Trust Issues

Opinion, Satire and Humour 9 Responses »

Jun 052015

Voice’s Old Susannah takes a look over the past week’s events in the ‘Deen and beyond. By Suzanne Kelly.

Tally ho! There are many vibrant, dynamic, connected smart successful goings-on as summertime draws near to the Granite City. I had a tasty affordable dinner at Amarone; it may be a chain, but its mozzarella is second to none.

On Sunday I attended my first BrewDog Home Brewers’ tasting session – a dozen or so home brewers met up to taste a wide range of homemade craft beers of all sorts; some were amazing; some a bit challenging. The BrewDog AGM is this coming Saturday; as is the Taste of Grampian, both of which seem to be bigger and better every year.

A wide variety of events are around the corner; the Gray’s School of Art Degree show opens on the 19th June. The word is that this year will be particularly impressive.

The Moorings, Tunnels, Drummonds and Lemon Tree have lots of great bands coming up (Gerry Jablonski Band plays the Moorings the 4th; which is the place to head after the BrewDog AGM). Black Grape plays on the 5th of July. Old Susannah remembers the last time she saw this band in London. By the end of the night the entire venue became one big backstage after show party. Bez danced up to me, and I asked him how he was doing. “WIDE” was the reply.

More on Black Grape soon. With all this going on, I hope the city has seen fit to order more crowd barriers and hire a few thousand security guards. Can’t be too careful.

Great news! ‘Tally ho!’ might once again be the cry heard in the countryside if the newly re-elected Conservatives get their way. David Cameron’s got his priorities right, and his head is well screwed on his shoulders as it ever was post-election. Now that our banks are no longer in crisis (financial banks, not food banks that is), and the NHS is safe, it’s time to worry about the issues that really matter to us all. Like chasing and killing foxes.

After all, ripping these vermin to shreds is traditional, and isn’t that what the Conservatives are all about – ripping things to shreds – sorry, I meant to say traditions? I for one am happy we’ve had such a fair and proper election, and I’m happy to trust Westminster to keep giving us the kind of government we deserved and voted in.

Here we are, we’ve never had it so good, and yet there are one or two people out there who seem to want to stir up trouble and find fault. Some people think that some multinationals are happy to poison us all to make a profit. Others aren’t sure the police are always completely fair, believe it or not.

Still other worrywarts have it in their heads that the banks have behaved dishonestly and that we’ll be bailing them out again before long. I say to them, get out into the countryside; go on a good British fox hunt, and soon you’ll forget all these minor paranoid unsubstantiated fears.

For such sceptical souls, perhaps a few definitions may help them become as trusting, uncritical and accepting as I am.

Fact-finding mission: (Modern English noun) – to seek verification or otherwise for data.

Pity the poor misunderstood Metro reader who wrote into the paper’s advice team, which answered him on 28 May. If you read his heart-breaking letter in the feature entitled ‘How can I trust my girlfriend’ you’ll see that some hussy or other has her hooks in this poor trusting man. The poor guy went on a little fact-finding mission in the noble cause of trying to find out whether or not his girlfriend was trustworthy.

He decided to test her honour by snooping into her phone and her emails. ‘Fair enough’ I can practically hear you say. It turns out that the woman in question hadn’t told him she had in the past been married and was now divorced! What a breach of trust! I hope he’s given her the boot.

As ever, clues to the relationship’s doom were in the man’s letter. He described the woman as ‘smart, funny, independent, sexy and extremely successful.’ Smart is never an attractive quality in a woman; funny is best left to blokes, and as to independence – well, that’s simply not done. If she was sexy, then she might well have looked at other men before this prince arrived on the scene, and going through her correspondence seems a reasonable way to check how honest she is.

If she was successful, then she must have had a rich boyfriend or husband along the way, kind of like the way it’s done here in Aberdeen by our prettier faces. If you love someone, set them free. If you really love someone, bug their phone, put a keystroke counter on their laptop, and go through their messages when you can. Relationships are built on trust after all.

Take for instance the trust between the electorate and the government.

The government shows us how much it trusts us, and we should show some respect in return. Sure they may want to impose some random named guardian to interface and interact with your child whether or not you are a good or bad parent. They may be using undercover spies to infiltrate legal protest groups, and even to stir up trouble in those groups which wouldn’t have happened otherwise.

The government may be spying – sorry, I meant to say ‘fact-finding’ on all of our emails, phonecalls and naughty Instagram photos. They may want to train your children from birth to be answerable to a ‘named person’ (more on that in a separate article) who’ll have input into your family life. It’s not that they don’t trust us. It’s certainly not that they want the private sector making huge profits from outsourced spying and other services after making deals with lobbyists.

Why are they treating us like potential if not actual criminals? It’s because they care.

‘Taking the Mickey’/ ‘Taking the Michael’ / ‘Taking the Carmichael’: (Modern English and Scottish slang phrases) To make fun of, to insult someone’s intelligence by tricking them; to mock.

“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters” Albert Einstein said (I got this from the internet, so it’s true). I don’t know who Einstein may have had in mind when he came up with that little gem, but it could well have been newly-re-elected Orkney & Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael.

Some people feel Carmichael may have been taking the mickey at election time. Nothing could be further from the truth.

If you hadn’t heard, there was this little matter of a wee practical joke he played. Carmichael accidently leaked a fake memo purporting to concern Nicola Sturgeon and the French ambassador. Someone told me this was some kind of a French Letter. In this document, it seemed Sturgeon would have preferred Cameron as PM over Milliband (Milliband was apparently someone else running for office.

Like you, I never heard of him before, either). If anything Charm-Michael was doing Sturgeon a favour by trying to make her look even more popular. After all, Cameron was the people’s choice.

Some people have no sense of humour however; and headlines like ‘Alistair Carmichael facing sleaze probe over memo leak’ seem to imply there was something wrong with what he did. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/alistair-carmichael-facing-sleaze-probe-over-memo-leak.1433245837.

Thankfully, this august politician has lots of allies. The people who voted him in are happy to stand by him; many of them with pitchforks, torches. If you don’t believe he’s got lots of support left after his beau jest cost the taxpayer some £1,400,000, don’t take my word for it: Alistair Carmichael says so himself, and that’s good enough for me http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/i-ve-lots-of-support-alistair-carmichael-insists-1-3788374

Sadly there are some people who just won’t take their better’s word, and need a bit of hand holding and reassurance when they feel they’ve been slightly misused, tricked, cheated, conned and defrauded. To allay fears, nothing works quite so well as a testimonial.

Testimonial: (English noun) A statement given in support of a cause or person by someone with gravitas.

Carmichael indeed has his friends, and none perhaps better than Lib Dem Sir Malcolm Bruce.

Rushing to the aid of besieged Carmichael, Sir Malcolm said:-

“Politicians regularly tell lies and Parliament would “empty” if they were punished for it“ a Liberal Democrat politician had admitted.

Sir Malcolm Bruce, who stood down as an MP at the election, was asked on BBC Radio 4 whether lying was widespread in public life.

“No, well, yes. Lots of people have told lies and you know perfectly well that to be true,” he responded.

“If you are suggesting every MP who has never quite told the truth or even told a brazen lie, including cabinet ministers, including prime ministers, [should be removed] we would clear out the House of Commons very fast, I would suggest,” he added.

Sir Malcolm was defending his colleague, Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, who admitted that he had ordered the leak of a document after saying he had nothing to do with it. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/politicians-lie-a-lot-admits-liberal-democrat-politician-10275934.html

I’m sure that should be enough to silence even the staunchest Carmichael critic. To summarise Sir Malcolm’s position, Lots of people lie and that’s perfectly true. Old Susannah started to think about this in light of the shocking revelation that there are liars in the House of Commons. I started to wonder… if Bruce is in the House, and he’s telling me truthfully that the house is full of liars, and that’s the truth, then is he lying about that or telling the truth.

Several bottles of BrewDog’s Vote Sepp later (itself named after the trustworthy fearless FIFA leader Mr Blatter), I found myself no wiser than before.

Bruce’s position that lies shouldn’t be punished (Certainly the Conservatives go along with this longstanding LibDem position too) is something we should all go along with. If MPs who lied were punished, Bruce says the House of Commons would soon be empty. Where on earth would we be then?

I was going to get on to another trust-related definition in reply to a fan’s comment on a recent column. I intended to talk about the Wood Family Trust’s Wood Family Foundation taking £10 million of the £50 million it has sensibly sitting around to build a parking lot.

I was going to explain that by avoiding several million pounds a year, the prudent billionaire out there can save a ton of cash, and then decide how the government that should have had the cash to do with as it saw fit will instead be tugging the collective forelock when given a gift which represents a small portion of the tax avoided, and wax lyrical about the generosity of the gift. But coupled with grappling with Sir Malcolm Bruce’s logic, I started to feel a bit light headed.

Perhaps we’ll go there another time.

On those rare occasions on which I find myself a bit wary of whom or what I should put my trust in, or perplexed by the logic of my betters like Carmichael and Bruce, I like to relax with television shows like Britain’s Got Talent. You can’t beat it or its contestants for good old-fashioned genuine honest talent, can you? If it turns out that the most talented person to be found in the whole of the Kingdom happens to be a dog trainer, fair enough.

What could be more entertaining than watching an animal that’s been trained to walk along a tightrope with strings digging into the pads of its paws?

At least we know we have a real, honest-to goodness, gimmick and trickery free winner. If the dog we thought we were watching refused to do the tightrope trick (I feel sorry for the poor trainer), then it’s fair enough to use a stunt double for the dog, even if that little fact was kept a bit quiet. Nothing dishonest about that, is there? Woof woof.

Remember, that rabbit that was tortured to death on Danish radio (to prove how hypocritical people are who eat meat but don’t like animal cruelty – a great lesson) was a gentle, trusting creature until its last educational minutes.

Next week: an overdue look at the property portfolio of our city council, the council that can’t manage to house everyone, but which has over 1400 properties of various kinds. And definitions to include Paradox, Hoist by their own petard, and libel.

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Reputable Animal Charities Initiative

Aberdeenshire, Articles, Featured 3 Responses »

May 292015

There are thousands of animal welfare charities that compete for donations; but scratch the surface of some of them, and you might not like what you find. Are animals well treated? Are animals being bred to fund such ‘charities’, rather than encouraging animal sterilization and adoption? Are some so-called shelters asking for donations to ‘save’ animals with one hand sending animals to market and slaughter with the other hand? Some local charities have banded together to help would-be donors know what kind of organisations are out there. With thanks to Suzanne Kelly.

Geese at Willows Animal Sanctuary – Credit: Rob Scott for Aberdeen Voice.

In light of recent events, four well-known animal welfare charities have formed a new organisation known as RE.A.CH to represent ‘Reputable animal charities’.

The aim of RE.A.CH. is to set a ‘baseline’ standard of excellence that all members are required to meet. All members of RE.A.CH are registered animal charities that conform to the following declaration:

They are No Kill
They will never deliberately breed from their animals.
They will not fund their rescues from the sale of animals.
Members will strive to provide the best environment for their rescues, the best veterinary care and when rehoming animals or releasing wildlife, to do this in the best interests of the animals involved.

A spokesperson for the group said:

“The group has been set up to help assure the public that the support they give is being treated in a responsible and ethical manner. The public can be assured that animals that come into the care of any RE.A.CH member will be well looked after by knowledgeable, experienced people who have the ability to provide long term care for them.”

As the law stands anyone can set themselves up and call themselves a ‘sanctuary’. It is important to point out that these so called ‘animal rescues’ are not official charities, they are under no obligation to account for the funds they raise, how they are used, what they do with them or how they provide for the animals in their care.

It is disturbing to see groups or individuals asking the public to fund their animals under the banner of ‘not for profit’ or for ‘a charitable cause’ when they may have questionable knowledge, no accountability and no set standards of care and in some cases little or no actual experience.

Often many of these rescues start off with good intentions, but soon run into problems through overcrowding, lack of experience and of course, lack of funding leading them on a very rapid descent where they are suddenly faced with outstanding vet and feed bills which soon becomes an animal welfare issue resulting in either the animals being put down, panic re-homing to unsuitable homes or other sanctuaries having to pick up the pieces.

“We felt it necessary to form a charter outlining our responsibilities. All of us need the support of the general public to continue our existence, but we are constituted to do so in a responsible manner.”

The four founding members of RE.A.CH are:

Blaikiewell Animal Sanctuary
Halfpenny – Farm Animal Sanctuary
The New Arc
Willows Animal Sanctuary

Between them they currently care for over 1000 animals. The plan is to extend membership of the group to encompass other reputable animal welfare organisations who are prepared to meet the necessary criteria.

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Ythan Estuary: Fishery Boards’ Conservation Measures

Aberdeenshire, Environment No Responses »

May 222015

Restocking with sea trout fry from Kishorn

With thanks to Ythan District Fishery Board.

Following negotiations between local fishery boards and the Usan Salmon Company, commercial salmon and sea trout netting in the Ythan estuary and on the coast just to the south will not take place during 2015. The netting rights in question, which had been purchased by Usan in 2014, have not been exercised since 1997.

There is very considerable concern locally that renewed netting would do significant damage to already depleted salmon and sea trout stocks.

Mark Andrew, Clerk to the Ythan District Fishery Board, said:

“Usan, appreciating the sensitivities regarding netting in the Ythan, offered to refrain for the whole of the 2015 season if a compensation payment could be agreed. Following a successful negotiation we have now paid the company a considerable sum. In recognition of the mixed stocks nature of the fishery, four fishery boards have contributed – the Ythan, the Dee, the Don and the Spey.”

Mr Andrew continued:

“This is an excellent example of fishery boards working together and pooling resources for the common good and in the interests of fish conservation both in the Ythan and further afield.”

Alastair Hume MBE, Honorary President and founding member of Aberdeen and District Angling Association (which owns several beats on the Ythan), commented:

“We at the ADAA – as Scotland’s largest community-based angling organization – are immensely grateful to all four fishery boards which have joined forces to fund this deal. For this year at least the threat of renewed netting has been lifted.”

Mr Hume added:

“The Ythan is known as the working man’s river and our fishings there are available to all our 1100 members. Any renewed netting would not only compromise their enjoyment but also jeopardize all the volunteer effort and funds our club has invested over the years to support fish conservation in the Ythan, particularly through the River Ythan Trust, which is at the forefront of salmon and sea trout conservation locally.”

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Beaver Reintroduction Offers Major Benefits To Scotland

Environment, News No Responses »

May 222015

With thanks to Richard Bunting.

The potential reintroduction of beavers to Scotland after almost 500 years is a historic opportunity that could bring major environmental and economic benefits to Scotland – including by generating millions of pounds through eco-tourism, said award-winning conservation charity Trees for Life today.

This week or next, Scottish Natural Heritage is due to report to the Scottish Government on the Scottish Beaver Trial – a five-year trial reintroduction of beavers in Argyll’s Knapdale Forest – paving the way for the government to announce later this year whether the species will be allowed to live freely in Scotland again.

Trees for Life says that reintroducing this native animal would allow the UK to play ecological catch-up with other European nations – 25 of which have already reintroduced the beaver, with Sweden leading the way as long ago as 1922.

The UK is one of only seven countries still lacking an officially-sanctioned wild beaver population.

“The beaver deserves to be welcomed back to Scotland with open arms. These remarkable ecosystem engineers can transform the health of our rivers and forest ecosystems, and could benefit communities through an estimated £2 million tourism revenue annually,” said Alan Watson Featherstone, Trees for Life’s Executive Director.

“We are legally obliged by European directives to consider the beaver’s reintroduction, and – having caused the animal’s extinction – we have an ethical obligation too. Reintroducing beavers to Scotland would be the right thing to do and a historic leap forwards for rewilding – the restoration of our damaged ecosystems.”

Beavers are a ‘keystone species’, meaning that they play a critical ecological role and provide a range of benefits for other species. They coppice and fell trees – letting light into the forest, enabling other species to grow. By damming watercourses they create wetland areas – habitats for amphibians, invertebrates and fish, which in turn attract birds and otters. Their actions can improve water quality and reduce flooding.

The European beaver (Castor fiber) was present in the UK until hunted to extinction for its pelt, meat and musk oil. The exact date of the animal’s disappearance from Scotland is unknown, but written records indicate that it may have survived in small numbers at a few locations until the 16th century.

In May 2009, following Scottish Government permission for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and Scottish Wildlife Trust to conduct a trial reintroduction of European beavers, beavers from Norway were released at Knapdale Forest in Britain’s first legal reintroduction of a mammal species to the wild. Independent scientific monitoring, coordinated by Scottish Natural Heritage, ran until May 2014.

Scotland also has another population of wild beavers, with over 250 animals estimated to be in the River Tay catchment – the result of breeding by beavers that escaped from captivity.

Given consistent widespread public support for the reintroduction of beavers and the multiple benefits that this would bring for both people and wildlife, Trees for Life is urging the Scottish Government to allow the natural expansion of beavers from Argyll and Tayside, and to authorise further licensed reintroductions in appropriate areas, accompanied by carefully considered management and monitoring.

Beavers prefer broad-leaved trees and so should not have an adverse impact on commercial forestry.

Occasionally, beavers’ burrows and dam building can cause localised flooding and tree felling issues. Trees for Life believes that the concerns of landowners and others can and should be addressed, using simple, proven methods that have worked in other countries.

As part of its restoration of the Caledonian Forest in the Highlands, Trees for Life has been expanding stands of aspen in key areas – particularly around Loch Beinn a’Mheadhoin in Glen Affric and at the charity’s Dundreggan Conservation Estate near Loch Ness – to create better habitats for beavers in the future.

For more information about Trees for Life, see www.treesforlife.org.uk or call 01309 691292.

Dispelling myths about beavers:

Many concerns expressed about potential impacts of beavers are in fact unfounded or inaccurate.

Salmon industry: Beavers are entirely vegetarian and do not eat fish. Concern has been expressed that they will dam rivers and prevent salmon getting upstream to spawn – but salmon easily negotiate beaver dams and the two species have existed together for thousands of years across Europe. In Norway, beavers have been shown to benefit the salmon industry by oxygenating water and, through damming, creating additional pools that are ideal for spawning.

Forestry operations: Beavers prefer broad-leaved trees and so should not have an adverse impact on commercial forestry. Concern has been expressed that they may damage native aspen stands – one of their favourite foods – but most aspen stands are away from suitable beaver habitat and those that are near watercourses can be easily protected by fencing or by placing sheaths around the trunks.Beaver felling of aspens will also encourage greater suckering, whereby aspen roots send up new shoots – this is the species’ principal method of reproduction.
Crops and farmland: Beavers sometimes feed on crops such as maize and sugar beet, but this is usually small-scale and localised. Crop damage is easily prevented by leaving a buffer strip by watercourses, or by planting crops that beavers dislike. In cases where beaver burrows cause subsidence of farmland at the edge of watercourses, management actions including protective fencing or translocations of animals to other sites can resolve the issue.

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Some Advice On Wildlife

Environment, Information No Responses »

Apr 142015

New Arc Animal Rescue Centre’s Keith Marley has some timely advice for anyone who comes across seemingly abandoned wildlife young: call an expert for advice and touch nothing. Keith Marley explains.

The first of this year’s ‘orphans’ has arrived. This fox cub, yet to be named, is around 3 weeks old and will be raised at The New Arc (The North East Wildlife & Animal Rescue Centre) just outside Ellon.

Once health checked and weaned, he will stay at the centre until the end of summer when a suitable release site will be found for him.

One of the dilemmas facing wildlife rescue centres is the fact that it is never a good thing to keep any wild animal on its own, while at the same time not wishing for any more to come because of sad or avoidable circumstances.

It is always better for any young animal to have the company of siblings of their own species. This helps with socialisation, learning skills and prevents boredom and institutionalisation as well as helping minimise any bond between them and their carer.

We would recommend anybody coming across any young wildlife at this time of year to phone us immediately before picking them up, unless they are in obvious distress. We can offer advice over the phone, or even come out to assess the situation.

We would remind everyone that under no circumstances should any young creature be fed cows milk as this can cause all sorts of digestive problems even leading to death. In addition, we would also recommend that baby birds should not be fed live worms, mealworms or maggots.

Advice is available on hand rearing if required and we are only too happy to help day or night.

Update:

The cub, now named ‘Fidget’, had its vet check on Mon 13 April, and is in good shape.

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Sea Shepherd Seal Defence Campaign 2015

Environment, Opinion 3 Responses »

Apr 102015

Sea Shepherd announces the second year of its Seal Defence Campaign around the coastline and islands of Scotland. By Robert Read – Sea Shepherd UK

Sea Shepherd UK (SSUK) have deployed a seal defence crew to Gamrie Bay, Banffshire in the first phase of our 2015 campaign to prevent Scotland’s iconic seals from being killed illegally by coastal netting fishing operations, fish farms or indeed anyone else in Scotland.

This year’s deployment of a seal defence crew and a fast RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) to Gardenstown harbour coincides with the start of the wild salmon netting season as employees of USAN Salmon Fisheries ltd (AKA: Scottish Wild Salmon Company) who operate fixed engine nets either side of Gamrie Bay.

USAN Salmon Fisheries Ltd claimed to have shot a seal before we arrived in 2014 and prevented any further seals being killed at this location for the rest of the 2014.

Sea Shepherd UK’s deployment of a land and boat crew to Gamrie Bay marks only the start of a much larger and wider ranging campaign for 2015 following our success in during 2014.

In 2014 at Gardenstown we were joined early in the campaign by members of the Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) who had a small team initially in the area on surveillance/intelligence gathering and who then sent a much larger team to provide support following increasing intimidation received from netsmen and their ‘allies’.

Wherever Sea Shepherd operates we always try to recruit local volunteers and find supporters and with the recruiting of local volunteers from Aberdeenshire we were able to expand our 2014 Seal Defence Campaign to Montrose/Lunan Bay then to the Dunnet Bay area in the far north near Thurso where we were able to focus our resources on coastal land and boat patrols for the duration of the 2014 wild salmon netting season.

SSUK’s deployment to the north coast and Orkney Islands was possible in part by the Hunt Saboteurs Association deploying teams in their own successful campaign to protect seals with intensive land based monitoring of the activities of salmon netsmen along the Montrose coastline.

Our patrols by land and sea in 2014 prevented any illegal shooting of seals and indeed any killing of seals where our teams and cameras were watching.

there are effective and proven methods of keeping seals away from netted fish

Sea Shepherd UK’s Seal Defence Campaign 2015 around Scotland will (as in 2014) provide monitoring of the activities of both fish farms and wild salmon/mixed fisheries netting companies which hold licenses from Marine Scotland to shoot seals to protect their catch/profits.

The licenses issued by Marine Scotland which specify numbers of seals, locations and conditions under which seals can be shot (the shooting of seals is always supposed to be a last resort option where all deterrent methods have failed) remains open to abuse by some fishing/fish farm companies with a complete absence of any government monitoring.

Years of successful scientific development and trials of acoustic devices (often called pingers) which keep seals away from coastal and river nets together with the effective use of secondary EcoNets around fish farm pens mean that there are effective and proven methods of keeping seals away from netted fish therefore making the shooting of seals unnecessary under the terms of the Marine Scotland seal shooting permits.

However some companies continue to invest fully in deterrent/ prevention equipment preferring the cheap option of buying bullets instead.

Typically every year over 300 seals are declared as having been shot – but this ‘official’ declared number of seals shot come solely from the companies and individuals who pull the triggers of the guns and Sea Shepherd UK is convinced the real number of seals shot greatly exceeds this official number and some conservation groups have previously claimed up to 2000 grey and common seals are shot around Scotland’s coast.

Sea Shepherd UK calls on Marine Scotland to re-assess their current policies regarding seals due to the proven seal deterrent methods now available and request the cancellation of all licenses.

Due to the continued absence of any proactive government or contracted independent teams tasked with monitoring the activities of these fishing companies – Sea Shepherd UK’s campaign crews will continue to fulfill this role and provide much needed patrols providing information to Police Scotland and water/river bailiffs to enable prosecutions for poaching and any other illegal activities.

our crews will be operating from a number of mainland coastal locations

Our campaign crew will intervene if necessary to prevent the illegal killing or deliberate harassment of iconic Scottish seals which are all protected species under UK and EU legislation.

Sea Shepherd’s 2015 Seal Defence Campaign in Scotland will be significantly larger than our campaign crew of last year already numbering over 60 volunteers joining us at their own expense from around Scotland as well as travelling from England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, USA and Chile to help defend Scotland’s seals.

For the next five months our crews will be operating from a number of mainland coastal locations and islands covering areas where seals are currently being shot illegally or allegedly legally under permit from Marine Scotland. Our international crew will be patrolling along the coastline by land and will use Sea Shepherd UK’s fast RIBs as well as being supported by two privately owned/operated vessels.

Sea Shepherd UK is offering a £5000 reward for information, photographic or video evidence which directly leads to the successful prosecution of any individuals or any companies (including their employees, representatives, contractors or agents) for deliberately and illegally killing any marine mammal (including seals) or endangered marine creature around the coastline of the United Kingdom or in UK territorial waters.

To submit information securely and confidentially please e-mail Sea Shepherd UK on: report@seashepherduk.org with as much information as possible including the location, date, time of the offence with clear photographs and/or HQ video when possible.

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Willows Animal Sanctuary Christmas Open Day

Aberdeenshire, Articles, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

Nov 282014

Deborah Cowan made the trip last Saturday, 22 November, to Willows Animal Sanctuary & Animal Assisted Therapy Unit’s Christmas Open Day. Here is her account of the visit.

My partner and I, with the best of intentions, have been meaning to get out to Willows for about three years now. Something always comes up, and until last weekend it was something we always talked about doing but never got around to.
Then a good friend of ours mentioned the Christmas Open Day and we decided to put words into deeds. We were so glad that we did.

Saturday November 22nd greeted us with dreary grey skies and a depressing cold drizzle which very nearly crumbled our resolve, but Willow’s weren’t cancelling so we decided that we wouldn’t either.

Donning warm clothes and sensible shoes, we headed out from Aberdeen with some classic Nick Cave on the car stereo and a watery sky creating some beautiful lighting effects across the various hills and fields along the way.

It really is a lovely drive out there. Willow’s is located just past Ellon in Pitsligo and we were there before we knew it.

And so was everybody else. What a turnout. The weather held and people came. The car park was full and there was a wonderfully festive, family atmosphere.

First stop, the gift shop. Full of all sorts of nick-nacks, I found a brand new pair of Wellington’s for a fiver. And my partner found two collectors item Cat Stevens records that he’s still chuffed about. But I digress.

We spoke with a very friendly young man who sold us our new treasures and asked him how long he’d been with Willow’s. Turns out, he had volunteered there for two years and had recently become a full time paid staff member. You could see how happy he was about that and how much he loved his job, and it reflects in the care of the animals. So many animals.

We paid our tiny entry charge, (only £3 each) and noted the cafe that housed our future caffeine fix and we were then let loose inside the sanctuary proper.

Kids and adults alike were having a grand time and so were the numerous free roaming cats who were making the most of all the attention they were receiving.

I have never seen so many chilled out cats in one place. They were everywhere. Sleeping in the straw next to the ponies, hanging out on top of the stall fences and winding themselves around our legs looking for a good ear scratch. And who am I to deny a cuddly cat a good cuddle.

Needless to say, I didn’t get very far to start with. At one point I was attending to two cats simultaneously while a third tried to climb on my lap. I had forgotten how lovely it is to scratch a cat behind the ears and listen to it purr.

We followed the cats and the people out of a lovely old stone barn that housed the Shetland ponies and the Cat Hotel, and discovered a cosy warm shed that houses the rescued lizards, turtles, snakes and even hedgehogs. Each habitat was immaculate and it was clear how well cared for each animal was.

Adjacent to ‘The Beastie Hoose’ was one of a number of stables, home to the numerous rescued horses that have found their forever home with Willow’s. Again, each animal was relaxed and clearly well cared for.

Some happily munched hay and ignored us while others sniffed us hopefully for treats.

Each beautiful horse had their name and history attached to their stall. Every one of them is in a significantly better place now.

By this time I’d lost my partner who was off looking for the bunnies. I turned a corner and was greeted by some very curious chickens and a peacock. No, wait…Three peacocks. All with full plume and one of them showing off said resplendent plumage to a couple of indifferent chickens who were playing hard to get. The species barrier didn’t seem to bother him but he was at least being quite gentlemanly. Perhaps he should have bought them dinner first.

I could hear goats and a donkey braying up ahead so I left my pretty friend to it and after being waylaid by yet another affectionate cat (this one called Simba, who would grab my hand with his paw when ever I tried to leave) I came across some adorable goats, a very shaggy Llama, two spectacular owls, a ferret enclosure, some very sleepy ducks and…. the bunnies.

You may have worked out by now that we’re rabbit people. There’s just something about a cheeky, binkying rabbit that will steal your heart when you’re not looking.

They are the UK’s third most popular pet and also the most misunderstood. Because of that, people buy them as novelties not realising the level of care that goes into looking after a rabbit properly. So it was great to see the impressive habitats that Willow’s have set up for the rabbits in their care.

It was around now that the gentle acoustic guitar music that had been playing on the out door speakers was replaced by the voices of numerous children from the Pitsligo Primary School who were performing their Nativity play. Cute children everywhere. Have I mentioned the wonderful family atmosphere? I can’t think of a better place to take kids of any age for a fun day out.

A lot of the donkey’s and horses will let you gently stroke their noses and teaching kids early on the value of an animal in such a fun and interactive environment is priceless.

I spoke to another staff member. A pretty young girl in her mid-teens who was still in school. She too had been volunteering for a long time and helped out every weekend. She hoped to also work at Willow’s full time one day and to see such dedication in one so young was a wonderful thing.

With so much to see and so many cats to cuddle, we hadn’t even made it into the barn yet that was full of market day stalls. With such a great turnout of people, hopefully they all did well and there was certainly something for everyone.

Without realising it, nearly three hours had passed.

The brass band set up and started to play wonderful Christmas Carols and we went in search of that pre-arranged coffee. I’m not joking, it was one of the best cups of coffee we’ve had in years.

On the way back to the car, I realised that I hadn’t taken a picture of the lovely foursome serenading us, so they very kindly posed for me and then played a beautiful carol. What a way to end a perfect day.

We waved goodbye to the fat, happy pigs by the gate on the way out and unanimously agreed that we had had an awesome time.

The love and dedication that goes into looking after the multitude of animals in Willow’s care is inspirational. It’s clear that it’s a way of life for the people who work there and it reflects in the demeanour of the animals.

We left feeling like we wanted to be a part of that too. Willow’s is a very special part of the Aberdeenshire community. They are often the last resort for many of the animals in their care and with our support they can continue to do what they do so well.

We will be there will bells on for their next open day and we’ll be taking our friends with us next time too.

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