China vows to stamp out illegal trade in dog and cat fur

[Guest guest]

Wed, 24 May 2006 16:11:49 -0400

Kim Bartlett <ANPEOPLE

Dennis Erdman

Re: Chinese dog and cat fur

 

Ok...that makes sense.....definitely post it. Dennis

---------------------

Dennis, the people on the AAPN list are mostly in Asia, many work

in China on animal welfare issues, and they are more likely to be

somewhat suspicious about what the Chinese officials have said (as I

am, because cruelty to animals is not presently illegal in China)

than they are to think the issue has been resolved.

--Kim

---------------------

Hi Kim----- Yes, of course you can post this...BUT, I do not want

people to think this situation has now been resolved. We need to keep

up the pressure and the work. Will posting this spur people

on...or....make them think they can now turn their attention

elsewhere? This is my main concern about posting it. But you decide.

I am also going to send you another item about this. --Dennis

---------------------

This is fantastic news, if true, Dennis. I question it because there

are no animal welfare laws in China, though people are working on

them. May I have your permission to post the message on the Asia

Animal Protection Network?

--Kim

--------------

Hi Merritt and Kim------ I just received this and wanted you to see

it immediately. As you know I have been working on this with the

McCartneys and Struan Stevenson for about 3 years....and my

trajectory started with my correspondence with you. And now this has

happened.....Let's hope this is the real thing:

 

 

STEVENSON Struan

Wed, 24 May 2006 11:15:30 +0200

CHINA VOWS TO STAMP OUT ILLEGAL TRADE IN CAT & DOG FUR

Wed, 24 May 2006 11:13:40 +0200

Release: immediate

24 May 2006

Issued by: Conservatives in the European Parliament

Struan Stevenson MEP, tel: +32 (0) 2 28 45710

 

CHINA VOWS TO STAMP OUT ILLEGAL TRADE IN CAT & DOG FUR

 

Brussels, 24 May 2006 -- Senior officials in the Chinese

government yesterday vowed to stamp out the trade in cat and dog fur

which they described as " illegal and barbaric. " These were the views

expressed at a high-level meeting in Beijing, attended by Scottish

Conservative Euro MP Struan Stevenson, who has spent the past 6 years

campaigning to end the trade and has now taken his fight to the heart

of the Chinese Government. He attended a meeting at the State

Forestry Administration, where he met with Deputy Chairman - Zhao

Xuemin - and five of his senior officials, including Secretary

General of the China Wildlife Conservation Association - Chen

Runsheng.

Speaking from Beijing, Struan Stevenson said:

" The State Forestry Administration in China is the government

department responsible for all animal welfare issues. I met with the

top officials who deal with these policy areas and I gave them a copy

of a graphic DVD filmed recently at an animal market outside Beijing,

which shows dogs and cats being skinned alive. They were horrified by

this evidence and Mr Zhao said to me " Chinese law prohibits the

barbarian practice of skinning animals alive or indeed any kind of

cruelty. We have no tradition in China for wearing fur made from dogs

and cats and for centuries have regarded such animals as friends>and

pets. However, we cannot deny that incidents of cruelty do occur,

such as those you have brought to our attention. Sadly this barbaric

trade is driven by economic factors. But, these cases you have

mentioned have made a strong impression on us and we will make

renewed efforts to stamp out these barbaric practices. "

Struan Stevenson continued:

" I will now report to Commissioner Kyprianou, the European

Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, that there will be no opposition

in China to his proposed directive banning the import, export and

trade in cat and dog skins across the EU. Indeed, the senior

Government officials in Beijing made it quite clear that they would

regard an EU ban as helpful in their fight to stamp out this cruel

trade. Commissioner Kyprianou can now proceed with all possible speed

to get approval for an outright ban. "

 

--ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Struan Stevenson MEP, tel: +32 (0) 2 28 45710;

struan.stevenson

Conservative Press Office, Peter Wilding, tel: +32 (0) 473 861 762;

peter.wilding

 

--

Kim Bartlett, Publisher of ANIMAL PEOPLE Newspaper

Postal mailing address: P.O. Box 960, Clinton WA 98236 U.S.A.

CORRECT EMAIL ADDRESS IS: <ANPEOPLE

Website: http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/ with French and Spanish

language subsections.