March 2004 Volume XIII, #2
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FINDING HOPE & MEANING IN Cockfighters AVIAN FLU CATASTROPE (page 3) spread Asian Asian H5N1 pandemic rages on–– worst ever factory farm disaster killer bird flu BANGKOK, BEIJING, it apparently does not cross easily into BANGKOK, BEIJING– – C o c k f i g h t e r s , J A K A R T A ––United Nations Food & humans, and attacks mainly children, cock breeders, and public officials kow-towing to Agricultural Organization chief Jacques who have had less time to develop a them tried to pass the blame for spreading the dead- Diouf on February 25 opened an emer- spectrum of immunities to flu viruses. ly H5N1 avian flu virus throughout Southeast Asia gency meeting in Bangkok of experts Trying to eradicate the H5N1 to pigeons, sparrows, and even open-billed storks. from 23 nations with a warning that the outbreak before it mutates has involved Bad vaccines took some of the rap, too. H5N1 avian flu pandemic sweeping killing virtually all the poultry of entire An attempt was even made, as the death Southeast Asia in recent months is not regions. The economic fallout may toll increased on factory farms, to attribute the epi- yet under control. Diouf urgently have influenced both Japan and Indo- demic to free range poultry producers. appealed for economic help from other nesia to claim prematurely that their But as the H5N1 “red zones” expanded in parts of the world. H5N1 outbreaks were over, and at least eight nations, the evidence pointed ever Fear that H5N1 could quickly appears to have caused China to hope more directly at commerce in gamecocks––and at mutate into a virulent human form was repeatedly that the disease was geo- the efforts of cockfighters and cock breeders to pro- heightened on February 19 when Thai graphically contained, only to see it tect their birds from the culls and disease outbreaks scientists confirmed that the disease had leap hundreds of miles and re-emerge. that had already killed more than 100 million chick- killed 14 of 15 housecats kept by one Japan came closest to actually ens who were raised to lay eggs and be eaten, as family who had seen one of the cats stopping H5N1, going from January 12 well as 22 people, most of them children. (Robert L. Harrison) scavenging a dead chicken. All of the to February 17 with no new cases The pattern of the H5N1 outbreak paral- layer flocks through contaminated clothing worn by cats fell ill, but one recovered. before an outbreak erupted among ban- leled the spread of exotic Newcastle disease through workers who participated in cockfighting. Further investigation deter- tam gamecocks kept at a lumber yard southern California and into Arizona between Almost all of the early speculation about mined, however, that H5N1 had far from two earlier Japanese outbreaks. November 2002 and May 2003. Approximately 3.7 the source of H5N1 outbreaks pointed toward wild apparently not mutated before killing Thai poultry consumption fell million laying hens were killed to contain the birds, even though the disease appeared to spread the cats. In the avian form, H5N1 kills 50%. “Demand for chicken meat has Newcastle epidemic, but USDA investigators most rapidly long after the fall migrations were over about 70% of the humans it attacks, but dropped 40% in Jakarta,” poultry pro- believe it began among backyard fighting bird and before the spring migrations started. ducer Eko Sandjojo told Sari P. Setiogi flocks, advancing as gamecocks were transported “Migratory birds carry the disease,” and Multa Fidrus of the Jakarta Post. between fights. It apparently invaded commercial (continued on page 15) (continued on page 17) ANIMAL PEOPLE News For People Who Care About Animals March 2004 Volume XIII, #2 (Kim Bartlett) Dolphin captures halted in Antigua & Barbuda, corrupt officials hit in Mexico ANTIGUA & BARBUDA; SING- Antiguan waters in the event that the current APORE; MEXICO CITY; TAIJI– – sources of supply are unable to provide this Resolving that, “The permission granted to number of animals per year,’ and a permit to Mr. John Mezzanotte to capture twelve dol- export these dolphins.” phins annually from Antigua waters is herby “The government was sold a dirty revoked,” the cabinet of Antigua & Barbuda and misleading bill of goods,” charged on February 11 signaled that at least some Watkins-Gilkes. “In public debate Dolphin small island nations which have historically Fantaseas managing director Arthur Bud stated favored marine mammal exploitation may be that they would employ more than 20 rethinking their position. Antiguans. How many Antiguans are “Further it is stated,” the cabinet employed two years later?” resolved, “that any importation or exportation Attorney John Eli Fuller in Nov- of dolphins into and from Antigua and ember 2003 sued the Antigua & Barbuda attor- Barbuda be in strict compliance with all inter- ney general, Mezzanotte, and Dolphin national obligations of Antigua and Barbuda.” Fantaseas on behalf of Watkins-Gilkes and the Caribbean developer John ABITPC. The Antigua & Barbuda cabinet Mezzanotte is among the promoters of Dolphin revoked the capture permit before the case Fantaseas, a swim-with-dolphins operation. went to court. According to longtime opponents of dolphin “While the main issue has been captivity Ric and Helene O’Barry, Dolphin resolved,” Watkins-Gilkes told A N I M A L Fantaseas started on Anguilla in 1988 with six PEOPLE, “it is unclear if the law suit will be dolphins imported from Cuba. Testing the dropped. There is [also] still the question of Sergeant Russell Joyce receives the Lewyt Award for Heroic & Compassionate Animals from market for expansion, three of the dolphins the wrongful importation of the three Cuban Marilyn DiToro of the North Shore Animal League America, for Fluffy [center]. were transferred to Antigua & Barbuda in dolphins. It is hoped,” she added, “that this December 2001. case will have a positive impact throughout G.I. pets banned as “biosecurity risk” Martha Watkins-Gilkes, public rela- the Caribbean islands.” BOSTON––Dogs and cats who help On February 9, 2004 the USDA tions officer for the 1,200-member Antigua & Antigua-and-Barbuda, together with U.S. military personnel endure the stress of Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service Barbuda Independent Tourism Promotion Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-and-Nevis, St. serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are the latest ended an investigation of how mad cow dis- Corporation, and author of numerous books Lucia, and St. Vincent-and-the-Grenadines, urgent biosecurity risk to the United States, ease entered the U.S. from Canada. More than about Caribbean diving, objected that the consistently align themselves at the annual according to some bureaucrats, who are now than 30 million cattle are killed for meat in the Cuban dolphins were imported in violation of meetings of the International Whaling trying to keep the troops from bringing their U.S. each year, but the USDA tests only the Convention on International Trade in Commission in support of Japanese-led efforts companions home. 40,000 for the presence of the prions associat- Endangered Species. Meanwhile, summarized to weaken or rescind the 1986 moratorium on Comparisons are in order. Published ed with mad cow disease. The USDA exam- Ontario dolphin defender Gwen McKenna, commercial whaling, along with the Solomon accounts indicate that U.S. troops stationed in ined the brain of the cow who was identified as “Dolphin Fantaseas persuaded the Antigua & Islands in the South Pacific. All are recipients Iraq and Afghanistan during the past two years the first known U.S. carrier only because she Barbuda government to grant them a permit to of Japanese foreign aid. have brought home fewer than 100 dogs and was killed outside of the Vern’s Moses Lake capture ‘up to 12 dolphins annually from (continued on page 6) cats in total. None are known to have carried Meat Company slaughterhouse. The cow was any serious disease. killed on December 9. By the time she was Just a handful of dogs and cats are found to have had mad cow disease, on believed to have been imported from Iraq after December 22, her meat had already been dis- the 1991 Persian Gulf War. None of them car- tributed and eaten in at least five states. ried any serious disease, either. Eighty cows were imported from the Illegal imports of wildlife and same Canadian herd, but the USDA was wildlife parts into U.S., worth about $1 billion unable to find out what had become of 52 of in 1991, are now worth $3 billion, estimates them, including 11 who may have eaten feed the U.S. Department of Justice. Federal and containing the remains of other mad cows. state agencies have yet to even visibly slow the Feeding the remains of ruminants to other clandestine wildlife traffic, every item of ruminants was banned in 1997, but these 11 which is an uninspected, untested potential cows and the one who tested positive for mad biosecurity hazard. (continued on page 10) 2 - ANIMAL PEOP LE, March 2004 . barking to get my attention off her kids. But as they ran through the tangle of branches at my feet, I grabbed the little one first. He screamed, and mom barked even more desperately now. Holding him against my chest, I chased after his bigger brother. It was a good fifteen minutes before I caught him. When I put them both under my arm and carried them to my car, mom ran off in the direction I saw her come from when I was on the free- way. This was yesterday. I drove them to our hospital where they got warm baths, and their first solid food. Last night, I took their pictures for you .