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Hunting with glue: the State Council has ruled, victory for birds

Hunting with glue: the State Council has ruled, victory for birds

Hunting with glue: the State Council has ruled, victory for birds
28.06.2021
France
Chasse à la glu: le Conseil d’État a tranché, victoire pour les oiseaux
Wildlife

On May 28, 2021, the State Council examined the merits of the petition filed by One Voice and others against the 2018 and 2019 decrees authorizing glue-trap hunting. A positive decision had been handed down by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), so there was cause for optimism.

The decision of France’s highest public jurisdiction has just arrived: the State Council rules that glue-trap hunting is illegal.

In addition, the five decrees of September 24, 2018 by the Minister of State, Ecological and Solidarity Transition, relating to the use of birdlime for the capture of thrushes and blackbirds meant to be used as decoys, respectively, in the regions of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse and Var, for the 2018-2019 campaign, have been annulled.

What a great victory for birds, who will no longer be caught in glue in France! For four years now, One Voice has also been fighting before the State Council against all the other forms of traditional hunting. For these little birds, we’ll go all the way. Muriel Arnal President and Founder of One Voice

Below is the press release issued by the State Council

The State Council rules that glue-trap hunting is illegal

The State Council has ruled that glue-trap hunting cannot be authorized as it stands, after animal protection associations called for it to be banned and hunting federations called for it to be maintained. After referring the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the State Council has annulled the French regulation authorizing the glue-trap hunting of thrushes and blackbirds, on the grounds that it is contrary to European law. In fact, it has not been demonstrated that the other birds accidentally caught using this method are caught in small numbers and without serious consequences. Furthermore, the fact that this is a “traditional” hunting method is not sufficient to justify a derogation.

A “traditional” hunting technique in five regions of south-eastern France (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse and Var), hunting with glue or birdlime involves coating sticks (“gluaux”) with glue in order to capture live birds of certain species who land on them, for use as decoys. Other birds caught using this technique must be released.

The European Birds Directive of November 30, 20091 prohibits the use of mass or non-selective capture methods, and lists glue-trap hunting as one of the prohibited practices. The directive does, however, provide for a derogation to be granted, “if there is no other satisfactory solution”, to capture certain birds in small quantities, “under strictly controlled conditions and on a selective basis”.

After asking the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to clarify its interpretation of these provisions of the Birds Directive, the State Council took the Court’s response into account and today annulled the ministerial decrees setting the maximum number of thrush and blackbird catches by glue-trap hunting in France. The three rulings were issued in response to appeals from the association One Voice and the French League for the Protection of Birds, which had called for the technique to be banned, and from the National Hunting Federation (FNC), which had called for it to be maintained.

The State Council noted that neither the government nor the hunters’ federation had provided sufficient evidence to assert that glue-trap hunting only led to the capture of small numbers of birds belonging to species other than those sought. Nor can it be claimed that accidentally captured birds would only suffer negligible damage once released and cleaned, particularly to their plumage.

Furthermore, it points out that while traditional hunting methods may be authorized under the Birds Directive, the sole aim of preserving these traditions is not sufficient to justify a derogation from the prohibitions of principle laid down in the Directive. Finally, it notes that it has not been demonstrated that there is no other satisfactory solution to the practice of glue-trap hunting.

Timeline

  • September 2018 and September 2019: The Government authorizes by decree the glue-trap hunting of thrushes and blackbirds in five regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 hunting seasons.
  • November 2019: Referred to by the association One Voice and the French League for the Protection of Birds, the State Council asks the CJEU to clarify the interpretation of the Birds Directive (see decision).
  • August 2020: Pending a response from the CJEU, the Government refuses to authorize glue-trap hunting for the 2020-2021 campaign.
  • September 2020: The National Hunting Federation refers to the State Council to order the Government to reauthorize glue hunting.
  • March 17, 2021: The CJEU responds to the State Council (see decision).
  • June 28, 2021: The State Council annuls the orders setting the number of birds that may be captured in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, and validates the Minister’s refusal to authorize such captures in 2020.

1Directive 2009/147/EC of November 30, 2009 on the conservation of wild birds

Read the press release

Download decisions n°443849, 434365 and 425519

Week of action across Europe against cruel botox tests on mice

Week of action across Europe against cruel botox tests on mice

Week of action across Europe against cruel botox tests on mice
22.06.2021
Europe
Week of action across Europe against cruel botox tests on mice
Animal testing

Cruel botox tests on mice continue despite animal-free tests have been available for 10 years. From June 21 to 26, the members of the European Coalition for the End of Animal Experiments (ECEAE), from which One Voice is the French representative since the beginning, mobilize for a week of action across Europe.

Ten years have passed since the first manufacturer of botulinum toxin products (commonly known as botox) received regulatory approval for an animal-free test. After Allergan, two other global companies, Merz and Ipsen, switched to animal-free tests in 2015 and 2018. Despite these victories for animal rights campaigning, the extremely cruel botox tests on mice continue. One Voice, first French member of the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments (ECEAE), is calling upon the European Medicine Agency (EMA) to delete the LD50 test on mice from the European regulations. The ECEAE will be holding a Week of Action across Europe from 21 to 26 June to protest against the continued use of mice in this cruel poisoning test.

Muriel Arnal, Chairwoman of One Voice declares: « It is unacceptable that sentient animals are still subjected to an agonizing death for a product widely used for cosmetic purposes despite non-animal technologies being available. »

 

Occasionally used for medical purposes, the bacterial poison is well-known for its cosmetic use to temporarily reduce facial lines and wrinkles. Each batch of botox is tested by the controversial LD50 (Lethal Dose) poisoning test with different dosages of botulinum toxin being injected in the abdomen of mice in order to find the dose, which kills half of the animals. This involves appalling suffering for the animals who suffocate slowly through muscle paralysis while fully conscious. In Europe, an estimated 400,000 mice per year, are subjected to this cruel death.

 

Continuous protests by the ECEAE and others have persuaded the manufacturers Allergan, Merz and Ipsen to use cell-based assays, replacing most of their animal tests. However, some tests of these companies are still conducted on mice. One manufacturer still using the cruel LD50 test is Sloan Pharma. In 2019, the company received a license to conduct LD50 tests on 46,800 mice in Germany.

The European Pharmacopoeia which regulates the batch testing of botox products allows a number of animal-free test methods, but it also still allows the LD50 test on mice. The ECEAE calls upon the regulatory authority EMA to delete the mouse assay from the Pharmacopoeia.

Members of European Parliament raise concerns over the trapping of monkeys in Mauritius

Members of European Parliament raise concerns over the trapping of monkeys in Mauritius

Members of European Parliament raise concerns over the trapping of monkeys in Mauritius
18.06.2021
Mauritius
Members of European Parliament raise concerns over the trapping of monkeys in Mauritius
Animal testing

This follows the Mauritius government recently giving its approval to allow the expansion of one non-human primate farm with up to 1,000 macaques to be captured from the wild to be used for breeding. The MEPs include Ms. Manuela Ripa, Mr. Guenther Sidl, Ms. Marie Toussaint, Ms. Anja Hazekamp, Mr. Francisco Guerreriro. Mr. Martin Buschmann, Ms. Eleonora Evi and Mr. Raphaël Glucksmann.

«The intended expansion of Mauritius’ program to capture wild macaques is very alarming. With this, the country seeks to broaden breeding efforts to be able to supply the international market – including the EU – with monkeys for testing purposes. This could lead to large-scale commercial trapping of wild animals, which would be a major setback for biodiversity protection and animal welfare.»stated Ms. Manuela Ripa, MEP«The European Union led the way when it included the welfare of animals in its treaties as early as the 1990s. It did so again, in a practical way, when it proposed in 2010 to prohibit scientific experiments on wild primates. The ban should take effect next year, after too many long years of preparation. In a backward move, the government of Mauritius has recently approved the extension of an establishment breeding long-tailed macaques. The owner intends to use animals captured in the wild in this breeding establishment. As most of the primates used for scientific research purposes in the European Union come from Mauritius, we cannot just stand by and let this happen. We must not take the risk of importing macaques taken from the wild into the EU, even if this is legal for a few more months. We call on the Commission to act. In accordance with the high level of European ambition in relation to animal welfare, it must ensure that no wild primates will be used in Europe for the purposes of scientific research.» stated Mr. Raphaël Glucksmann, MEP

The questions asked of the European Commission by the MEPs include: Considering that the EU has set the date for ending the use of wild-caught primates and first-generation offspring in research, is it not incongruous that at the same time the EU is importing primates from a country that not only condones a wild-caught trade but is also allowing it to expand? How will the EU ensure that primates imported from Mauritius are genuinely captive bred or not sourced from farms that are involved in the export or trapping of long-tailed macaques for breeding purposes?

A coalition of animal groups in Europe and Mauritius (Action for Primates, One Voice, Animal Rights and Progress Science Mauritius), that led an international campaign to oppose the expansion and capture of wild monkeys, is grateful to the MEPs for responding to its concerns and has welcomed the submission of questions to the European Commission.

Mauritius is the main supplier of monkeys to Europe for research, exporting many thousands each year. In 2020, long-tailed macaques were exported to the following EU countries: Spain (2,126), France (1,027), Netherlands (290) and Germany (29).

In acknowledging that animal welfare, animal health and ethical problems arise from the capture of non-human primates in the wild, the EU decided to end its involvement in the capture of monkeys from the wild for scientific and breeding purposes. From 2022, the EU will only allow non-human primates to be used in research if they are the offspring of animals who have been bred in captivity (F2/F2+ generation), sourced from self-sustaining colonies. Recent developments in Mauritius, however, point to the resumption of a wild-caught trade for breeding and export, when in April, the Mauritius government approved the expansion of one non-human primate farm, Biosphere Trading Ltd, allowing up to 1,000 macaques to be captured from the wild to be used for breeding.

The animal groups are dismayed that the trapping of long-tailed macaques is taking place and calls this a major step backwards in terms of animal welfare, especially at a time when there is widespread global concern over the capture of wild non-human primates, because of the cruelty and suffering caused by the removal of such animals from their natural habitat, social and family groups.

NOTES

2010/63/EU The European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes (Article 10) Directive. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/63/oj

One Voice joins the coalition for a more ambitious law on whistleblowers

One Voice joins the coalition for a more ambitious law on whistleblowers

One Voice joins the coalition for a more ambitious law on whistleblowers
17.06.2021
Europe
One Voice joins the coalition for a more ambitious law on whistleblowers
Other campaign or multi-campaigns of One Voice

The European Directive on whistleblowers is going to be transposed into French law. We have joined a coalition of around 30 organisations, associations and unions calling for an even more ambitious law, that gives more protection to whistleblowers, who stand up for ethics and the common good!

Whistleblowers respond to an ethical imperative. As for animals, law and regulation offer them little protection, in spite of some symbolic advances in recent years and scientific research which constantly extends our knowledge of their intelligence, awareness and behaviour.

Animals really need whistleblowers!

There are multiple exceptions to the legislation, based on the ways that animals are used. Cats and dogs can be tortured in laboratories, although there are penalties for mistreatment when they are used as pets. Dogs used for hunting are seen as mere tools. Horses live different sorts of lives (some are used in racing, others in riding schools, or for trekking, bull-fighting, circuses or equine therapy). But almost all of them end up in an abattoir. When cats stray, they are no longer loved and cherished: they end up as a problem for the local authority to manage.

Wild animals in France are almost all hunted or trapped, considered to be a nuisance, even if the names change. Elephants and tigers, imported from abroad, are tamed and taken from town to town, exhibited in circus tents, their needs neglected. They end their lives in trucks. Mink and angora rabbits in captivity are victims of completely unnatural living conditions. Monkeys are transported from one end of the earth to the other, ending up on laboratory benches. Bulls are bred to end their lives with a dagger between their horns, bleeding to death in a bullring.

In each of these cases, humans are using animals and ruling their lives. This is also true when they are free in the wild. The natural world is also being devastated. Animal habitats are in constant decline as a result of intensive agriculture and the spread of urbanisation throughout the world.

Whistleblowers: a key link in the chain to improve conditions for animals in France

As in all areas of our society, the law should apply. However, in our view the existing laws fall short of what is needed. Worse, they are not even respected, and compliance even with the letter of the law is not checked.

That is why One Voice relies on many whistleblowers. They alert us to problems where they work, in their neighbourhood, in places where no one can know what is happening as the crimes are concealed. Or they send us documents which, if we publish them, could be the subject of action by the police. When our investigators are following a lead, and need to remain under cover, it is then One Voice which becomes the whistleblower.

These three aspects in particular of our work with and as whistleblowers would be protected if the proposals we are calling for are adopted.

A law which could go even further…

In December 2021 the European Union adopted a directive to protect whistleblowers, which has to be adapted and transposed into French law by December 2021. With the Maison des Lanceurs d’Alerte and the coalition of some 30 organisations we are calling on the French parliament to go further, so that whistleblowers are even better protected.

Particularly as, in France, defenders of animal rights are under surveillance

Defenders of animal rights are currently the target of a unit of gendarmes known as Demeter. This is contrary to the essential role of whistleblowers, who are responding to an ethical imperative, working for truth and transparency – for the common good. Ecology is not just about sorting waste or creating cycle paths: it covers the whole ecosystem, including animals. Our behaviour to animals is critical.

Proposals for going further

Recent whistleblowers have alerted us to Dumba, to the orcas and dolphins in Marineland, and to the American beagles which endure endless experiments in France. We need to be able to protect these whistleblowers, just as journalists can protect their sources.

We were able to see confidential information about the long-tailed macaques sent from Vietnam and Mauritius to Silabe in France and elsewhere in Europe. If we were to receive sensitive information, we could not publish it without risking legal action. We are calling for immunity from criminal prosecution for this. The public has a right to know how their taxes are being used.

Finally, we are proud that One Voice itself has been a whistleblower on many occasions: On the conditions in which the bears, Micha, Bony and Glasha, and many other animals were held by the Poliakovs. Or when our investigators had to spend night after night on a roof over ten metres high, leading to the most important seizure of tigers in France, and Europe more widely, for at least ten years. On minks: we have constantly rung the alarm on the dangers of pollution from mink farms, the suffering of the animals themselves and, in recent months, the health risks linked to COVID-19. For the orcas of Marineland Antibes, at risk of being sent to China. On the danger represented by individuals who are violent towards animals. We repeatedly point out that knowledge of this should be used as a means to prevent domestic violence (this phenomenon, known as the Link, was identified by a member of our team). On the horrors perpetrated by practitioners of penned hunting, those who dig out fox earths or badger setts, those who hunt with hounds, or indeed by any hunters. On the danger of showing performances involving captive animals to children, making them watch or take part in bullfights or hunting, so preventing them from developing empathy and hindering their ability as adults to protect animals and vulnerable beings in general.  On all these issues, we too should be heard and protected.

Translated from the French by Jo Durning

Senator International Air Freight: flights from the USA full of dogs for laboratories in France

Senator International Air Freight: flights from the USA full of dogs for laboratories in France

Senator International Air Freight: flights from the USA full of dogs for laboratories in France
15.06.2021
International
Senator International Air Freight: flights from the USA full of dogs for laboratories in France
Animal testing

On Thursday 20 May, a cargo of around a hundred beagles was sent from South Carolina to Germany. Their final destination was laboratories in France. We need you to call on the air freight company, Senator International Air Freight, to stop this evil trade.

We did research after an alert from a whistleblower. The beagles spent 14 hours on the road in trucks, crossing the east of the United States before arriving in the burning heat of South Carolina. They were all caged in shipping crates and loaded on a palette into the trailer, like a consignment of goods. They were unloaded at the airport, where the whistleblower was able to take some photos. Staff then loaded them onto a flight for Germany, from where they were transferred to France where they will suffer test after test in laboratories. Senator International, the air freight company, regularly carries such cargo. It also works for other companies, such as Bosch and even BMW.

Transport of dogs from the United States to France: a lucrative trade

The main American breeder sending dogs from the US to France is Marshall Farms, the ‘bioresource’ company, which bought the Gannat site in Allier from Harlan, against which we have taken legal proceedings, and which is seeking to extend its commercial influence in France. It would not be surprising if the dogs came from Marshall Farms’ North Rose site in New York State, as that is where the trucks that transported the dogs to the Greenville-Spartanburg international airport are registered. Nor would it be surprising if they were destined for the company’s site in Lyon, as Lyon is the only city in France where Senator International has a branch at the airport

These beagles are in living hell, from birth to death

The unfortunate beagles are reared in animal facilities which provide guarantees to the laboratories as to the type of dogs to be sent. They are separated from their mothers soon after birth. The same operations are carried out in Mézilles in France, where we have obtained images of the bitches used for breeding and the comfortless cells in the maternity building, where they have no respite from the constant cycle of pregnancy, giving birth and feeding puppies. As soon as the breeder decides that the puppies should be weaned and that they are ready, they are put into crates.

That is when the journey through the United States begins. It lasts around fifteen hours. At the end of such a long journey, the dogs are exhausted, stressed, thirsty and hungry. They have had to perform their bodily functions in the crates in which they are imprisoned. But the journey is not over: they still have a flight of around eight hours, not counting any stopovers, in a freight aircraft. The same applies when they arrive in Germany: a stopover, then the next journey, from Germany to France.

And that is when the real torture begins: continual experiments, more or less invasive and painful, until they die. And often, post-mortem, their organs are used for analysis.

Translated from the French by Jo Durning

Dumba in Germany, finally far away from life on the road

Dumba in Germany, finally far away from life on the road

Dumba in Germany, finally far away from life on the road
11.06.2021
Germany
Dumba in Germany, finally far away from life on the road
Exploitation for shows

Our investigators travelled to Germany to see how Dumba was doing at the Elefantenhof Platschow settled circus near Hamburg. She is finally far away from the touring and isolation; nevertheless she is still exploited. But our legal proceedings in France and Germany are underway and we will never give up on her.

Under pressure from FAADA in Spain, us in France, and with the support of Free The Wild, led by Cher along with members of the public from around the world, the touring life is over for Dumba! And she is no longer alone. Surrounded by other elephants, she is nevertheless still exploited. Our investigators went to see her twice in a kind of permanent circus, near Hamburg in North Germany, since her arrival there at the end of February.

Her living conditions at Elefantenhof Platschow are far from good. In fact, the place is managed by circus artists and she has to take part in routines for an unaware audience or pose for souvenir photos. Because there are non-stop visits and celebrations of all types (birthdays, marriages…) being organised, where popcorn is sold and people get on the elephants, training is ever-present and compliance is constant.

The photos and videos that our investigators reported have made it possible to understand her conditions of confinement. The legal proceedings are therefore underway in France and Germany. There is no question of throwing in the towel or giving up on Dumba! Her place is in a sanctuary, for example at Elephant Haven, our partner in France where we have a place reserved for her, certainly not in a settled circus where she remains exploited and threatened with a stick.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

Canned hunting in Sologne: The lucrative business of death

Canned hunting in Sologne: The lucrative business of death

Canned hunting in Sologne: The lucrative business of death
08.06.2021
France
Canned hunting in Sologne: The lucrative business of death
Wildlife

Our first publication made great waves, some pictures of our infiltration even appeared in the programme “At the forefront of canned hunting” at the end of May, presented by Hugo Clément. Here is the second part of this undercover investigation within canned hunting, this time on the land of Sologne, so well known and criticised for this reason.

In Sologne, as the tourist board’s site indicates, “nature reigns: real, wild, elegant and secret at the same time…” The natural territory is ideal for the prosperity of animals: fallow deer, stags, wild boar, etc. The hunters and landowners knew how to exploit this wealth until they made a real business out of it, which is, however, not agreed with by everyone, including some of the hunters. We already indicated in our infiltration pictures at the heart of the hunt: even the President of the National Federation of Hunters condemns territories being fenced off and hunting which he says does not correspond with his ethics… which does not stop him from participating, from encouraging young hunters to practise and indeed from organising hunts (canned ones) on the estate of Château de Chambord in particular.

Hundreds of hunting enclosures in France

Like everywhere else in France, hunting enclosures are the scene of genuine tragedy for the animals. There are hundreds in France, without doubt more than a thousand. By listing those which publish advertisements on their websites. As a matter of fact, today we also unveiled a map which details the majority of hunting enclosures present on our territory. In addition to that are those which do not advertise on the internet, those which exploit legislation by having an opening of a few metres in the fence in order not to be considered as a closed territory, or others which claim to be an open territory when all those next to them are hunting enclosures.

The animals which are placed there are raised precisely with this aim, with the risk, if they escape, of strengthening the population of wild boar and deer in nature afterwards – the very populations which hunters conveniently want to “handle” and “regulate”.

These animals are killed for pleasure and end their days suffering in a bloodbath

Our investigators have brought back photos whereby, for example, you see injured wild boar crawling dozens of metres, others killed with a spear after a ruthless hunt, surrounded by dogs.

The comments of the hunters themselves, reporting their “feats of arms”, laughing that the animals threw themselves against the fencing – willing to do anything to avoid death because, recognising the line of fire, they know what awaits them if they take the only route possible… – and disappointed to not have been able to kill them in the process, increase the barbarity of this practice further.

Canned hunting: theme parks for hunters longing to kill

In Sologne, organisers of these days announced at the beginning of the day that all the animals of the “park” could be killed, even the wild sows with piglets… For Muriel Arnal, the founding president of One Voice, it is like target shooting using living animals. For one of our investigators, the hunters were in reality clients for whose pleasure everything is organised. They are transported around; if they didn’t spot any animals or couldn’t shoot in a hunt, in the following, they were positioned in such a manner that this opportunity was given to them. At the end of the day, they left with a carcass in the boot and potentially a trophy. They did not come to hunt but to kill. It is a theme park for hunters. If they want to slay more, they simply pay more.

They are so quick to fire “into the crowd” that the organisers have to remind them that their weapons can kill the dogs and that they need to think before opening fire – organisers who specify to their clients at the beginning of the day the “good news”: they have added a stag and a fallow deer to the range to be slaughtered on the board…

The butchers are in situ from the end of the first hunt, to open, empty, clean and skin the carcasses and hook them under an outside canopy whilst wading through the blood. They wouldn’t want those who had operated the guns all day to get their hands dirty.

And when the carcass of a deer does not fit in the boot of a car, no problem, they take out a saw as you would take out a jack in the event of a puncture, and chop its hooves off, proud of their great idea.

Several bills against canned hunting

One may question the aim of Guillaume Peltier’s bill because, more than fanciful, this is above all defiant. But three other bills, those ones serious, have been filed by representatives, one by Bastien Lachaud shortly after our first disclosures. There are some transpartisan issues and the way in which society treats animals is one of them.

Hunting must be reformed extensively. The prohibition of canned hunts would be the first advantageous step for wild animals. Our country brings shame upon human dignity given the way in which it treats animals. A little compassion would restore our image overseas and set an example to our younger generations. To help us in our outlook, please sign our petition!

Unpublished images of Inouk, the orcas, and the dolphins at Marineland in Antibes

Unpublished images of Inouk, the orcas, and the dolphins at Marineland in Antibes

Unpublished images of Inouk, the orcas, and the dolphins at Marineland in Antibes
27.05.2021
Antibes
Unpublished images of Inouk, the orcas, and the dolphins at Marineland in Antibes
Exploitation for shows

Marineland in Antibes is expected to reopen on 11 June 2021. For months, Inouk, Keijo, Moana, and Wikie no longer endure repeated performances. However, the four orcas, kept in the dolphinarium along with the dolphins, are still isolated in concrete tanks with no depth or length and no fish or crustaceans. In the images of the park that One Voice received from a whistle-blower, Inouk can be seen subdued and facing a wall (like Femke during her time in Astérix Park) and the tanks are clouded with algae. The association for animal rights is currently working towards the solution of a safe haven; “our” four orcas must not be sent to China or die in these tanks!

For years, we have condemned the experiences of the orcas and dolphins exploited in dolphinariums. The scientific proof that cetaceans are highly intelligent animals and possess their own culture is currently being acquired; it is doubtful that their fate remains the same for those who are born in captivity. A few months ago, we found out about a plan to move the four orcas, from Marineland in Antibes to China, to parks which belong to the group who own the French dolphinarium. Our campaign prevented their departure and, a few months later, the Ministry of the Ecological Transition announced the end of captive cetacean exploitation. Whether it be Femke or her companions, the dolphins at Astérix Park, they paid the price. We cannot make do with the solution that the dolphinariums have proposed. Surrounded by leading specialists, we are working towards solutions that allow these four French orcas to benefit from a different life as soon as possible.

We have sent these unpublished images from Marineland to cetacean (specifically orca) specialists for their expertise.

For Dr. Ingrid Visser, a biologist who specialises in cetaceans (Orca Research Trust, New Zealand), who exposed Inouk’s health problems through ascientific publication and report, the algae, visible all over the bottom of the tanks, doesn’t show that the water has a good pH balance, but instead shows a problem with the filtration and the pump circulating the water. Their development can only happen if nutrients exist; here, they are evidently the cetacean’s faeces and the remains of dead fish which are given to them.

«There are of course concerns that dead fish, animal excrement etc can accumulate in the bottom of the tank(s) and not be extracted, creating a reservoir for diseases.»

For Dr Pierre Gallego, a marine wildlife veterinary specialist who shares this point of view, the slowed swimming behaviour of the dolphins and orcas are a sign of boredom, which can lead to “prostration and stereotyped movements”: signs of distress, caused by captivity and the absence of all enrichment (toys, waves, or other stimulation) in the tanks. This analysis echoes that which Dr Naomi Rose also states below regarding boredom, which can pose health problems, and that which Dr Ingrid Visser reported on in her previous analysis of Inouk in 2019.

On Inouk, Dr Gallego noted that: «[He] can be observed immobile at the surface of the water, a behaviour which is not frequent in the wild, but much more frequent in captivity… The fact that the fin is completely collapsed clearly shows that Inouk doesn’t swim enough, and therefore that the size of the tanks is inadequate.»

For Dr Naomi Rose (PhD), a marine mammal scientific specialist (Animal Welfare Institute, USA), while waiting for marine sanctuaries that can welcome them to emerge (many are already built or are being expanded), the orcas must stay where they are and their wellbeing must be improved, notably by immediately stopping performances.

«Training the animals to entertain people goes against their wellbeing. They are made to do the same performances day after day… In the wild, no one day will resemble another. The change, variety, and wide range of stimulation and even challenges, constitute a normal existence for a dolphin or an orca in their wild state, whilst in captivity, every day is identical… This boredom is harmful and can result in depression, which itself can lead to health problems. In short, change doesn’t really exist in the kind of life that we offer them. The situation must evolve, offering them variety and choice. Therefore, at the very least, we must improve their wellbeing in their current environment and that will be the short-term solution for virtually all of them…However, long-term, I think that the marine sanctuaries situated in different places around the world can help a lot. In my opinion, any sanctuary can shelter at least one, or maybe even two dozen animals.»

We have been working for months with the leading worldwide orca specialists for a solution for marine sanctuaries. We are open and ready to discuss, with the guidance of Marineland, so that Inouk, Keijo, Moana, and Wikie are finally able to live somewhere other than in a concrete tank.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice

One Voice is at the administrative court in Marseille on Wednesday 26 May at 10am for Samba the elephant

One Voice is at the administrative court in Marseille on Wednesday 26 May at 10am for Samba the elephant

One Voice is at the administrative court in Marseille on Wednesday 26 May at 10am for Samba the elephant
21.05.2021
Bouches-du-Rhône
One Voice is at the administrative court in Marseille on Wednesday 26 May at 10am for Samba the elephant
Exploitation for shows

After years of exploitation, Samba deserves to retire. The poor elephant has suffered beatings with a stick and isolation for far too long. However, One Voice are the only ones to have been worried about her well-being for around 20 years. The Association summoned the Prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône to trial at the Marseille Administrative Court because the Prefecture has a responsibility regarding all captive wild animals in their jurisdiction.

On Wednesday 26 May at 10am, the hearing took place at the Marseille Administrative Court of Appeals against the ruling of 12 July 2019. On this date, One Voice’s complaint, which condemned the Prefect’s refusal to proceed with Samba’s retirement from the circus that was keeping her, was rejected. For the Association, removing the elephant from a life in a circus must happen as soon as possible, whether it be the circus belonging to Max Aucante (Cirque d’Europe) or any other. Giving up is not part of their vocabulary. A life is at stake.

Samba experienced traumatising incidents and One Voice has fought for her for 19 years. The African Elephant was captured from where she lived peacefully surrounded by her mother and aunts. She suffered violence from the trainers from a very young age. She was beaten in front of children… and the one time that she rebelled, she bolted, taking the life of a man with her. We managed to ensure that she was not slaughtered, but she remained in the possession of the trainer, Max Aucante, and was renamed Tania. Since, our fight has not stopped.

In this case, the Ministry for Ecological Transition was trying to avoid the truth: in his submission, he tersely concluded that he “was referring to observations presented in the first instance by the Prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône, which he agreed with”. And nothing since. However, the announcement of measures to stop touring circuses from keeping animals in September 2020 could have since led to another standpoint…

We claim that Samba is deprived of all contact with her own kind, in violation with the by-law of 18 March 2011 regulating that circuses require satisfaction of behavioural requirements. This need for socialisation is all the more prominent among mammals defined as “socially complex”, such as elephants, apes, and orcas. On this point, the 23rd resolution implemented during the 11th Conference on the Conservation of Migratory Species under the umbrella of the United Nations, is very clear: “a certain number of socially complex mammalian species, such as many species of cetaceans, great apes, and elephants, show that they have a non-human culture”. Samba needs to be taken out of the circus to finally live surrounded by her own kind, because, as for all herd animals, isolation makes them mad with despair.

We would also like to refer to our investigative videos, as is customary for us, because in these cases, justice often needs additional tangible proof as well as expertise. In October 2019, one of our investigators attended a circus performance in Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours. These images were submitted to Dr. Willem Schaftenaar, an elephant specialist who is totally independent from the Association, for his opinion. They gave rise to a further complaint, enriched by his expertise. For him, Samba-Tania should be left to rest.

For us, and this is what we are again asking the court: her state of physical and mental health, as well as her confined conditions, should be evaluated; the Cirque d’Europe and Max Aucante should no longer be able to show Samba-Tania to the public (we request that the opening rights of the circus are repealed in relation to this); and she should be retired from the circus and entrusted to us. As soon as possible.

Hearing in Blois on 12 May 2021 for acts of cruelty on the Poliakovs’ animals

Hearing in Blois on 12 May 2021 for acts of cruelty on the Poliakovs’ animals

Hearing in Blois on 12 May 2021 for acts of cruelty on the Poliakovs’ animals
11.05.2021
Loir-et-Cher
Hearing in Blois on 12 May 2021 for acts of cruelty on the Poliakovs’ animals
Exploitation for shows

On Wednesday 12 May at 13:30, at the Blois criminal court, the trial for the serious abuse, acts of cruelty and mistreatment committed by the professionals will be held, following the charges that we filed against the Poliakov-Bruneau couple. They are also being prosecuted for having put their animals in an environment likely to make them suffer.To support our argument: the inspection reports by the Prefecture’s veterinary services, the expertise of bear specialists, the witness accounts of previous employees of the couple, and some two hundred hours of video footage from our investigation.A gathering of activists from our association, AVES [A Voice for Endangered Species], Paris Zoopolis and the Animalist Party will take place in front of the court just before the hearing.

Do we need to remind you of the conditions in which Micha, Bony and Glasha had to survive? In nefarious prisons open to draughts, fed with mouldy fruits and vegetables, living with rats potentially carrying diseases which, for the bears, have not been treated for years and years… Little Mina, kept for six years in a space measuring 50 square centimetres, then transferred in her current cage which had appeared previously to only be a waste disposal at the property with so many empty yogurt pots and other items accumulating there. The Poliakovs didn’t even have permission to keep her! The horses’ hooves weren’t trimmed and the rare birds, macaws and cockatoos, as well as the turtledoves were kept confined in cages inside a shed without daylight.

But no one forced the couple to keep animals!

They were attached to them, we were told during the court hearings… Can you believe it?
The maggots were teeming, not only on Micha’s paws but also coming out of his respiratory tract. The bear, who had scarring from repeated beatings on his battered body, had lost a considerable amount of weight and on an ongoing basis for at least four years.
The laryngeal cancer, which he was diagnosed with after we had sent our images to the Ministry of Ecology and distributed them publicly, had only been detected because Micha had been removed from the Poliakovs’ custody! Without this, he would have died in his medieval cell in utter silence, far from public view and without their knowledge.

What would have happened to Bony and Glasha? To Mina? To the birds? What would happen without this indispensable work that we’ve carried out by keeping watch and whistleblowing? The animals die without anyone worrying about it, since the State itself, at a ministerial level, doesn’t list the animals kept by the trainers. And on a Prefectural level, they are satisfied with the inspections, that could be politely described as lenient, by staff who aren’t specialised in the species concerned and who are understaffed, and who over the years make reports without clamping down. This is what is happening for so many of them.

Keeping wild animals and keeping them captive is nonsensical, even more so based on current scientific knowledge and the serious threats that endanger them in the wild. But since the law allows it under certain conditions, this must ensure accountability of these people who are, in frustrating circumstances, professionals. In any case, the animals should not be subjected to such moral, emotional, and medical misery.

Muriel Arnal, President of One Voice, stated: « Our investigators have taken many risks to show the reality of the prison conditions, which led Ms Borne, then Minister of Ecology, to intervene immediately, and we thank her for this. Their courage is far from that of the authorities who turned a blind eye for years. They knew and had seen Mina being kept illegally for six years in a 50cm2 cage in the back of the lorry, which the bears only came out of to go on the runway. Back in 2005, we alerted the authorities and the public, with supporting images, on what the animals were enduring and the infractions of the measly legislation. Today, nothing has changed for animals being kept illegally by circus trainers. Who will finally have the courage to apply the legislation in force? We aren’t asking for anything else. Why does this lenience never end? We hope that this trial will highlight these scandals which are continuously repeated. »

For our lawyer, Ms Moreau, “over more than twelve years, the owners have left domestic and non-domestic species of animals to live in conditions which have caused great suffering… In any case, these animals have not been kept in conditions designed for their well-being and health.” As for the mistreatment, the owners have acted with full knowledge of the facts, given that they are professionals who hold certifications. In addition, Mr Poliakov is an habitual offender. Finally, concerning the acts of cruelty, the witness accounts are explicit. He used violence towards the animals, notably when he was in an inebriated state.

We are requesting that all of the animals kept by the couple are taken away from them and that they are entrusted to us and that permanent custody of Bony and Glasha is given to the sanctuaries who have taken them into their care. But this doesn’t stop here: we request that the Poliakov-Bruneau couple can never keep animals or perform professional or social activities linked to animals.

SOME KEY DATES OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS (2018-2021)

  • 19 September 2019: the experts who we made an appeal to to analyse the videos sound the alarm regarding the state of the bears and their prison conditions. We receive witness accounts from previous employees who attest to the detrimental circumstances of the animals on the property and of Mr Poliakov and Mrs Bruneau’s violence.
  • 5-8 November 2019: our public actions trigger a response from the Prefecture… We essentially file an appeal (Administrative Court) against the Prefect with regard to the abuse of authority (because they have not acted for the animals). On the 8th, we file a suspended injunction to retract the trainers’ competency certificates, to cancel their permit to open and to seize Bony, Glasha and all of the other animals (the hearings took place on 15 April 2021: rejected by the court)
  • 12 November 2019: Micha is operated on and dies at La Tanière.
  • 25 November 2019: new images of the jails barricaded and first images of Mina. The prefect orders custody of Bony and Glasha.
  • 29 November 2019: Bony and Glasha temporarily leave their jails and are transferred to the sanctuaries where they still are today. (On 29 April 2021, after a voluntary intervention at the hearing on 15 April 2021, we ensure that they cannot be taken back by the Poliakovs).
  • 3 January 2020: the Poliakovs hinder the unexpected inspection by the State’s services.
  • 15/29 April 2021: three hearings on the same day and a decision on the charges at the Administrative Court for abuse of power, retraction of the competency certificates and of the permit to open the establishment, as well as the removal of Mina and other animals. Voluntary intervention in the case of the Prefecture against the Poliakovs, to assure us that Bony and Glasha will never be returned to the Poliakovs.
  • 12 May 2021: at the Criminal Court in Blois for the criminal charges against the Poliakovs, following our charges filed on 6 September 2019 and the additional ones which followed.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice