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Tuberculosis epidemic among monkeys in Mauritius: One Voice and its partners are calling for a ban on this international trade!

A joint statement from Abolición Vivisección, Action for Primates, One Voice, and PETA relating to a tuberculosis epidemic in a monkey farm in Mauritius, the second biggest country exporting monkeys destined for laboratories.

In the United States, animal testing laboratories will finance alternative methods

In the United States, animal testing laboratories will finance alternative methods

In the United States, animal testing laboratories will finance alternative methods
19.05.2023
In the United States, animal testing laboratories will finance alternative methods
Animal testing

On 8 May 2023, the State of Maryland in the United States passed a law to create a fund for the development of substitute methods for animal testing. And the State will not be the only one to fund it, since laboratories carrying out experiments on animals will themselves also participate by means of an obligatory annual contribution. One Voice is encouraging the European Union and France to follow this example.

In December 2022, a modification to American law already allowed the sale of medications without them having to be tested on animals.

This time, Maryland is showing the way to a future without animal testing by choosing to finance alternatives and by involving a contribution from laboratories. Based on the number of animals used each year, each laboratory in this small Eastern State of the United States must give an annual contribution which can range from 5000 to 75,000 dollars. And if one of them refuses to pay for their participation in the development of more ethical research methods, they must pay a fine that can be up to 1000 dollars for every day it goes unpaid.

Unfortunately, the effects of this initiative are weakened by the calculation method used by the American Ministry of Agriculture, who has conveniently chosen not to count mice, rats, birds, and fish as victims of animal testing… so the vast majority of individuals concerned.

Insufficient investments in France

In France, where 600 laboratories use 3000 animals per year each on average according to statistics, the creation of such a fund would allow 30 million euros per year to be given to research into substitute methods for animal testing. This amount could supply the FC3R, which would need supplementary financing: created in 2021 and active since 2023, this centre serving to finance ‘replacing’ projects can currently only invest 784,467 euros shared between 19 projects. A very small amount in relation to the 81% of French people in favour of developing alternative methods for experiments inflicted upon animals.

While we have just asked the European Commission to commit in favour of a plan aiming to progressively eliminate all tests on animals, One Voice is encouraging the European Union and France to more seriously finance alternative methods.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Manche, Orne, Haute-Vienne: a succession of victories by One Voice for badgers!

Manche, Orne, Haute-Vienne: a succession of victories by One Voice for badgers!

Manche, Orne, Haute-Vienne: a succession of victories by One Voice for badgers!
10.05.2023
Manche, Orne, Haute-Vienne: a succession of victories by One Voice for badgers!
Hunting

After the Dijon tribunal, it is the turn of the courts in Limoges and Caen to suspend decrees being carried out authorising badger digging in the Haute-Vienne, Manche, and Orne departments in the spring. The administrative judges recognise that there is indeed a serious doubt on the legality of these decisions. Initial victories for badgers, who will therefore have their lives saved this spring.

*This spring and summer 2023, badgers and their young will have peace in the Haute-Vienne, Orne, and Manche departments.

Under the framework of our large-scale attack against decrees authorising digging out badgers this spring, we are winning the first key victories.

On Friday 5 May, the Limoges Administrative Tribunal suspended the Haute-Vienne Prefect’s decree from being carried out. For the court, there was indeed a serious doubt on the legality of this decision, passed following botched proceedings.

In Caen, the Administrative Tribunal agreed with us and ruled, beyond the procedural flaws, that additional periods of digging out were likely to harm the young, still present in the setts at this time of year. The judge went further and, for the first time, admitted that the very possibility of digging in the spring is illegal.

At least 800 badgers spared. We will not stop there

Badgers are not animals that reproduce quickly. They only have one litter per year, and generally one or two cubs, rarely more. Their development is slow and it can take more than a year for them to gain independence!

In total, in Haute-Vienne, almost 500 of them will be saved by our actions. In Orne, more than 300 badgers and badger cubs will have their lives saved. The Manche Prefecture did not bother to tell the court how many badgers were killed each year by digging to respond to our arguments and those of AVES France (who took the same position as we did at the hearing for this department).

Year after year, One Voice and its partners obtain significant victories against illegal decrees passed by State representatives. In the weeks to come, we will continue to defend badgers in dozens of departments from Ardennes to Lot-et-Garonne and right up to the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

More than ever, we need your help to give these animals, martyrs of our woodlands, a voice. Sign the petition to demand an abolition, pure and simple, on digging, and for us to stop using the word badger in a derogatory manner! You can also find us in thirteen towns in France for our coordinated national action to defend them as well as foxes, who are also victims of this cruel hunting method.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice