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[sebbe67]

The RSPCA is shocked and appalled at the use of live dogs and cats as bait in shark fishing, reported recently on the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.

It is understood that stray animals are rounded up by local fishermen for the purpose.

RSPCA International senior programme manager Paul Littlefair says: "This is one of the most disturbing practices that we've come across. The use of a live animal in this way, apparently involving the binding of its legs with wire and piercing of the muzzle with large hooks, is unjustifiably cruel.

"Given Réunion's status as a French overseas département, we strongly urge the French government to take immediate steps to enforce its animal protection legislation and end this inhumane practice. Members of the public should address their concerns to the French embassy to help bring this cruelty to an immediate halt."

www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=sharkbait

[Melanie]

This is a ruthless and barbaric crime. Because it is only a matter of money.

[Peter]

Shocking that this can happen in a part of the European Union! Réunion is one of the 26 régions of France with much the same status as those situated on the European mainland and is as an outermost region part of the EU. This should indeed be stopped!

[sebbe67]

True, its very shooking and extremely cruel to the animals which are used im this kind of fishing, this kind of fishing was noticed as early as 2002, and its first now it has the the, worlds attention, I think its strange that it EU hasent done anything until now, if so many hundreds of thousands of people around the world hadent react on this, it probably would have gone on for years.

[david]

This is shocking and barbaric. I am feeling sick at the thought. I can't Believe it. Shocking. Thoughs poor dogs. My dog was a stray. I would be apalled if that was Tily.

[Peter]

sebbe67 said:

True, its very shooking and extremely cruel to the animals which are used im this kind of fishing, this kind of fishing was noticed as early as 2002, and its first now it has the the, worlds attention, I think its strange that it EU hasent done anything until now, if so many hundreds of thousands of people around the world hadent react on this, it probably would have gone on for years.

Well, in the first EU constitution it might have been illegal! But we the Dutch together with the French have blocked that treaty. Partly because of that cruelty towards animals was not a big part in that constitution many people rejected it. A big part of the campaign here was about that, for example that bull fights were still allowed as cultural. The greens said it was an improvement, while some animal rights groups said it was not enough. Today, all member states are free to decide for themselves, like bull fights in Spain and foie gras in France. And personally I also think this should decided nationally! Not imposed by the EU.

The only protection so far is if I'm correct (I'm not sure) that it will become illegal in the EU to test cosmetics on animals from 2009.

After more than a decade of debate, European leaders reached an agreement that will ban cosmetics testing on animals and marketing of animal-tested cosmetic products in the European Union.

A conciliatory agreement was reached between the European Parliament and the European Council, Jan. 15, 2003, to amend Council Directive 76/768/EEC. The amended directive immediately bans cosmetics testing on animals and marketing of such products, when alternatives to animal testing are available. A complete ban on cosmetics testing on animals will follow in 2009, to allow time for alternatives to be developed and put into place. Three categories of cosmetic product testing for which no alternatives have yet been considered will be allowed to continue until 2013.

And that transport of animals should be limited and improved, but I though that was blocked too by some countries, again not sure.

The European Commission welcomes the adoption by the Council on 22 November 2004 of a Regulation on the protection of animals during transport, which will help to safeguard animal welfare by radically improving the enforcement of animal transport rules in the EU.

Since Member States could not find agreement on a revision of existing maximum travelling times and animal stocking densities on vehicles, the Commission agreed that these two issues will be the subject of a further separate proposal to be presented not later than 4 years after the entry into force of the Regulation and to be prepared in the light of the outcomes of enforcement of the new rules by the Member States. The Regulation will enter into force by 2007.

The rest is regulated on National Level, not European level.

But does French law accept this cruelty! I gues not as you can read in Sebbe's post that they need to enforce its animal protection legislation! So it is already an illegal practice!

[Peter]

Here the EU's website on Animal Health and Animal Welfare.

The European Commission's activities in this area start with the recognition that animals are sentient beings. The general aim is to ensure that animals need not endure avoidable pain or suffering and obliges the owner/keeper of animals to respect minimum welfare requirements.

Current EU legislation on the protection of animals:

• on the farm and in particular laying hens, calves and pigs
  
• during transport
  
• at time of slaughter or killing
  

[bigdog]

This is pretty sick and pisses me off. No one has to agree with me but, I fish quite a bit. I am a RESPONSIBLE fisherman and I have seen some other fisherman do some things that are pretty bad and sick things such as trying to catch a pelican and use it as bait (I told the guy i would either punch him or call the cops, he then immediately left). I have even seen a guy chumming water with animals killed on the road. More common things that one sees is not following bag limits or keeping a fish that is undersize. I am not saying that is anything like this news and is a litte unrelated but, goes to show bad things happen all time and that there needs to more game and fish wardens out there. Out of all the times I have gone fishing (probably over 500) I have only seen a fish and game warden once. It is sick to think about how much of this goes on in Réunion along with other places and how much people do not know about or see.