| On Tuesday, November 15 2005 the Israeli parliament's
education committee approved regulations prohibiting
some of the serious abuses of veal calves. The new
regulations make keeping calves in solitary confinement
and the denial of drinking water illegal. In addition,
the regulations specify a minimal level of hemoglobin
in the blood and a minimal intake of fiber in the
calves' nutrition. They also include requirement
with regard to ventilation and footing material.
The new regulations are similar to the EU
directive laying down the minimum standards
for the protection of calves, and in several respects
(such as minimal cell dimensions) they are even
superior to it.
This achievement is a result of a campaign initiated
by Anonymous for Animal Rights in May 2001. The
organization's investigation team secretly documented
the harsh conditions in which the calves were
kept. The disturbing images were spread by the
media, and Anonymous filed an animal abuse complaint
against owners with the police. As a result of
this complaint, a committee was appointed by the
Ministry of Agriculture to formulate recommendations
for keeping standards. Its recommendations were
submitted to the Ministry of Agriculture in June
2002. However, the recommendations were left to
gather dust by the Ministry of Agriculture, which
was reluctant to act on them. In September 2003,
a demonstration organized by Anonymous took place
in a veal farm in protest of the foot dragging
on the part of the ministry. During this demonstration
the dehydrated calves were given drinking water.
The demonstration was widely covered by the media,
including by the most widely viewed television
news show.
In June 2005 the Ministry of Agriculture submitted
draft regulations to the parliament's education
committee, which allowed a 10 year transition
period before the change to the confinement facilities
was to take place. The lobbying on the part of
Anonymous with committee members secured a rejection
of the draft, and the Ministry of Agriculture
was required to shorten the transition period
as a prerequisite for the endorsement of the regulations.
The ministry promised to submit revised regulations
within a month, but again resorted to foot dragging.
In October 2005 an online petition was launched
by Anonymous in protest of the foot dragging,
which was signed by about 8000 individuals. In
the end of the month demonstrations in six major
cities across the country took place. On November
15 the revised regulations, shortening the transition
period to 3 years, were finally submitted. The
requirement to provide the calves with drinking
water without limitation (an extremely important
requirement given the hot Israeli weather) came
into force immediately.
Reut Horn, Anonymous spokeswoman: "The
regulations approved by the education committee
do reduce significantly the suffering of the calves
– no more dehydration and solitary confinement
– and Anonymous, which has fought for these
changes naturally regards them favorably. However,
this industry still causes immense suffering to
these calves and denies them basic rights, like
other animal-based industries."
Anonymous for Animal Rights is thankful
to the World Society for the Protection of Animals
(WSPA) who has sponsored the campaign and made
this important achievement possible.
Pictures of veal calves in Israel: http://www.anonymous.org.il/e-pic-veal.htm
Pictures of the Anonymous demonstration
in a veal farm: http://www.anonymous.org.il/pic-batsra.htm
Anonymous website in English: http://www.anonymous.org.il/english.htm
For comments and further information please use
the following to contact us:
Anonymous for Animal Rights
P.O. Box 11915, Tel-Aviv 61119, Israel
Tel +972-36204878, Fax +972-36204717
e-mail info@anonymous.org.il |
