Animal Law News

"Tragedy of the Commons" - have you heard of it?

The Murray Darling Basin in Australia is reportedly relied upon by 2.6 million people and contributes 24 billion dollars to the economy. The Murray Darling Basin is also a depleting water resource resulting in animals dying, farmers going out of business, and whole communities under threat of having to move. It’s been described, and long recognised, as an environmental disaster.

The conflicts of interest between Australian States and Territories regarding the Murray Darling Basin was referred to in a recent meeting as an example of “the tragedy of the commons in...more >>

UK animal law - Can you spot the differences?
There are a lot of good articles and published papers on animal law and relevant issues.
 
This article is one of those "stand out" ones because it serves as a very useful summary of existing law in the UK.
 
 
It also raises some points for your consideration as you do a "contrast and compare" of the English Animal Welfare Act 2006 ("AWA") with other international jurisdictions. For example:
 
1. Can you recognise the similarities AND distinctions between the...more >>

What difference does it make to the daily lives of Indian animals?
 
An Indian court recently ruled that animals should enjoy the same rights as human beings, saying “they have distinct personas with corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person”.
 
In a landmark ruling, the Uttarakhand High Court reportedly accorded the status of “legal person or entity” to animals in the northern state.
Justices Rajiv Sharma and Lokpal Singh bestowed the status on “the entire animal kingdom” while ruling on a set of guidelines to prevent cruelty against...more >>

ACT (Australia): The current leader of sentient-animal law

A recent media release stated: "Under the proposed laws the ACT would become the first jurisdiction in the country to recognise animals as "sentient...". The ACT has reportedly furthered it's intention to see animals legislatively recognised as sentient. But how is "sentience" being defined?

The same media article defined it this way:"Under the proposed laws the ACT would become the first jurisdiction in the country to recognise animals as "sentient beings" — the idea that animals are able to feel and perceive the world...more >>

When does your right to freedom of speech get shut down for Privacy breaches?

Aussie Farms is a registered charity that has a website showing the location of hundreds farms and abattoirs. The website shows the location of hundreds of farms and abattoirs, and encourages people to upload photos or videos of animal exploitation in a bid to influence consumer choices.

What are your thoughts so far? From a legal perspective, isn’t that just freedom of speech? The question is, at what point do those sorts of activities breach privacy and raise concerns for politicians and lawyers involved in issues of public law and charitable status of organisations?

...more >>

Do you think of fish as sentient?
Are fish deserving of protections under the law’s animal welfare legislation? For many people, the very concept of fish welfare results in surprise.
But the welfare of fish is a topic for that’s recently being debated in the European Parliament – and has resulted in the Commissioner affirming that animal welfare has to be integrated into the long-term development of EU aquaculture.
 
39 MEPs from across the spectrum of political groups were asked why, in spite of calls from industry and Parliament to do more, the Commission has not...more >>

Animal welfare in the Common Agricultural Policy’s ‘eco-scheme’ incentive but ...

It sounds good, doesn't it. Animal welfare has recently been included in Europe's Common Agricultural Policy’s ‘eco-scheme’ incentive programme. A recent amendment enables good animal welfare practices in the food chain; and the eco-schemes incentive programme will now encourage farmers who want to receive CAP subsidies to go beyond legal standards when it comes to the treatment of animals on their farms.

So why should animal advocates be disappointed?

Advocates are reportedly disappointed over missed opportunities to fundamentally reform the one...more >>

You can tell by the pig's face - look!
Is there an easy way to tell if a sentient animal is experiencing what the scientists referred to as "positive states" or, as the rest of us would say, "is the animal happy"? There are those that say it is just as difficult to tell if an animal is happy as it is with some people, but science is giving us a few more tools to help us with that assessment. 
 
For example, scientists are using facial recognition technology to assess the emotional state of pigs.Previous studies have already already shown that pigs can communicate with each...more >>

Not Woodstock, "Woofstock"
How do you make an animal charity successful? There are literally thousands of organisations who through the dedication of their volunteers and supporters, strive to make a difference to improve the lives of animals, and the rules that govern the "human-animal relationship". Some organisations are more successful than others so it is helpful to look at what some of the successful organisations that are doing, as a model for moving forward.
 
Paw Justice is one of those organisations. 
 
Paw Justice is a New...more >>

Would you want to be a seabird in New Zealand?

Plastic pollution is emerging as a top threat to ocean ecosystems. By 2025, it’s been estimated that there could be 1 ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish in the ocean. Plastic debris affects nearly 700 species worldwide through entanglement and ingestion, alters natural biological and chemical processes, and provides a means for the introduction of toxins into the food web costing national economies millions each year. The majority of this debris comes from land-based sources (e.g., plastic manufacturers, processors, landfills, sewage overflows, litter).

As the issue of...more >>