Latest news with #WorldAnimalProtection
Cision Canada
6 days ago
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Landmark Bill Re-Introduced in Ontario to Protect Captive Wildlife and Regulate Zoos
TORONTO, May 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Two Ontario MPPs have taken a groundbreaking step towards improving animal welfare and public safety with the introduction of the Captive Wildlife Protection Act, 2025. World Animal Protection, a global leader in animal welfare, joined MPPs Lucille Collard, MPP for Ottawa-Vanier, Karen McCrimmon, MPP for Kanata-Carleton, and Dolf DeJong, CEO of the Toronto Zoo to announce the bill today. The Act aims to address the lack of provincial oversight for captive wildlife, which currently allows anyone to collect wild animals like lions and tigers and operate as a zoo, resulting in the proliferation of dangerous and cruel "roadside zoos". These attractions often keep wild animals in substandard conditions, risking public safety and causing animal suffering. Ontario is the weakest jurisdiction when it comes to regulating the keeping of wild animals, and so it's no surprise then that Ontario is home to the highest number of these dangerous facilities across Canada. No licence or permit is needed to keep non-native wild animals in a zoo, leaving municipalities to manage with ineffective and inconsistent bylaws. Shockingly— anyone can own a zoo in Ontario. Furthermore, Ontario is also the weakest jurisdiction for not having public safety standards or strong enough, adequately enforced animal welfare standards. The proposed bill introduces mandatory licensing for zoos, along with annual inspections to enforce high standards of care and safety. It also prohibits the use of wild animals for entertainment purposes, such as petting sessions, photo opportunities and performances that compromise their welfare. Facilities will be required to meet clear licensing requirements, including proof of financial resources and emergency preparedness plans. The bill covers well-known locations and tourist attractions, all the way down to backyard operations. Under this bill, attractions like Marineland —an entertainment park that keeps marine and terrestrial animals captive, with a deeply concerning record of animal welfare practices and a string of animal deaths—would almost entirely cease to exist. It represents a major shift towards protecting vulnerable animals and creating safer communities across Ontario. Quotes "Ontario has a troubling history of unregulated facilities keeping wild animals in unsafe and inhumane conditions. The Captive Wildlife Protection Act is a critical step to protect animals and safeguard our communities." – Colin Saravanamuttoo, Executive Director, World Animal Protection "Keeping exotic wild animals in inadequate conditions is not only harmful to the animals but also dangerous for the public. Owning and caring for wild animals should be restricted to qualified individuals and organizations who are subject to proper government oversight. It is long past time for Ontario to implement a regulatory framework for the keeping of wild animals in order to ensure the well-being of the animals and keep the public safe." – Lucille Collard, MPP for Ottawa-Vanier "We owe our communities the safety and peace of mind that comes with properly regulated zoos. That means safety for guests, for employees, and for animals. The humane treatment of these exotic animals is not a burden, but the bare minimum for a safe and ethical industry in Ontario." – Karen McCrimmon, MPP for Kanata-Carleton "The safety and well-being of both animals and people depend on these regulations. This act sends a clear message: substandard conditions and neglect have no place in Ontario. As wildlife advocates, we are committed to being a leader in wildlife conservation and education. Your Toronto Zoo strongly supports these steps to protect animals and communities alike." – Dolf DeJong, CEO, Toronto Zoo Quick Facts Ontario has approximately 30 roadside zoos—more than any other province in Canada—operating without provincial license and much regulation. 88% of Ontarians support provincial licensing and oversight of zoos. Nearly half of Ontario's municipalities have no bylaws governing the keeping of wild animals, leaving communities vulnerable to safety risks. Roadside zoos often house wild animals in substandard conditions, leading to psychological distress and safety risks for animals and visitors. There is no centralized registry in Ontario tracking where exotic animals are kept or how many exist in captivity, leaving communities vulnerable to unreported escapes and safety incidents. The Captive Wildlife Protection Act 2025, brings Ontario in line with regulations in other provinces for the treatment of captive animals, setting a precedent for better welfare protections. This legislation is supported by leading animal welfare organizations, municipalities and cross-party members of the Ontario Legislature. About World Animal Protection World Animal Protection is an international animal welfare charity with 75 years of experience advocating for the humane treatment of animals worldwide. In Canada, the organization works to protect wild and farm animals through evidence-based solutions that benefit both animals and people. We have been assessing the conditions of zoos in Canada and advocating for stronger regulations for three decades. We have been members of the Ontario government's animal welfare advisory table to provide input on animal welfare regulations and standards, to further improve the lives of animals across the province. About the Toronto Zoo At your Toronto Zoo, we envision a world where people, animals and wild species thrive. Our mission is to connect people, animals, conservation science and traditional knowledge to fight extinction. The reality for many species is simple: Out of sight, out of mind and off the planet. Climate change and biodiversity loss are accelerating at an alarming rate, and we know we can make a difference. Over the last 50 years, we have hosted over 60 million guests, creating memories that last a lifetime while educating them about the realities facing our planet, and what they can do to help. Our Zoo is a zoo for all, a place for people from all walks of life to join us in our mission to create meaningful and lasting change, and to become Guardians of Wild.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
World's Largest Meat Producer Gains Access to U.S. Capital Markets While Avoiding Millions in Taxes
New report by World Animal Protection exposes how JBS, the major supplier to brands including KFC, McDonald's, and Walmart, has created a web of offshore companies to avoid paying corporate taxes to the U.S. and other jurisdictions Last week, the SEC greenlit JBS' request to list on the New York Stock Exchange using one of these offshore companies, located in a known tax haven, as its holding company NEW YORK, May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New research conducted exclusively on behalf of World Animal Protection, as well as a separate report by the Netherlands based Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), reveals a calculated, aggressive and unethical tax avoidance scheme by Brazilian meat giant, JBS (B3 S.A.: JBS SA). According to the SOMO report, between 2019-2022, JBS is estimated to have avoided paying between $221 and $442 million in corporate taxes to the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and other countries. The tax avoidance scheme involves a web of subsidiary companies registered in low-tax or no-tax jurisdictions like Luxembourg and Malta. While JBS goes to inordinate lengths to pay as little tax as possible to the U.S. and other countries in which it operates, shifting greater financial burden onto the very consumers it is profiting from, the company also recently gained access to U.S. equity markets and investors. On April 23, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved JBS' request to move its primary stock exchange listing from Brazil's main B3 stock exchange to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). As part of the listing proposal, JBS has created a new holding company, JBS N.V., which will be the entity listed on the NYSE. The entity is registered in the Netherlands, ranked 7th in the Tax Justice Network's Corporate Tax Haven Index. The World Animal Protection and SOMO report looked at JBS' Luxembourg-based subsidiary companies, which own many of JBS' most profitable operations in key markets like the U.S., Australia, Canada, Europe, and Mexico. As of 2022, only one of JBS' 17 Luxembourg-based subsidiary companies reported having any employees, while the other 16 companies reported having none. The creation of artificial structures including intercompany loans and intercompany dividends allows taxable profit to be shifted from the U.S. and other areas of operation to Luxembourg and other tax haven jurisdictions, where those profits are taxed at very low rates (if at all). During the period 2019-2022 researched in the reports by World Animal Protection and SOMO, these Luxembourg-based subsidiary companies recorded approximately $2.8 billion in pre-tax profits, largely consisting of the intercompany dividends and interest payments owed by the profitable operations in other countries. Because of the favorable tax treatment of this kind of income within Luxembourg's tax regime, these same companies only paid net corporate income tax of $0.5 million for that same 2019-2022 period. Meanwhile, almost $11 billion in intercompany dividends flowed through JBS' group of Luxembourg subsidiary companies during this period. At the end of 2022, JBS' Luxembourg-based subsidiary companies had intercompany loan balances in excess of $21.7 billion. As the world's largest meat producer, JBS owns brands including Pilgrim's Pride, Just Bare and Swift, which are widely sold at U.S. grocery stores like Walmart, Safeway, H.E.B., Weis, Kroger, Albertson's, Giant, and on Amazon. Currently, JBS slaughters a staggering 8 million lambs, 27 million cows, 53 million pigs and 5 billion chickens per year. The company is infamous for its inhumane and sometimes illegal factory farming and deforestation practices, which led to a 50% increase in JBS' emissions in recent years. The tax avoidance scheme should be especially concerning to American consumers, as the U.S. market accounts for over half of JBS' revenue. The SEC approval for JBS to list on the NYSE came despite World Animal Protection and dozens of other organizations delayed the SEC's decision for nearly two years by exposing material gaps in the information the company provided to investors and forcing JBS to continually disclose the risks in its supply chain, including deforestation in biodiversity hotspots, animal suffering, and zoonotic disease. In the U.S., in the past year alone, JBS has been fined $8 million for child labor violations related to relying on migrant children to do dangerous work in their slaughterhouses, $100 million for conspiring with rivals to underpay American chicken farmers, and $83 million for conspiring with rivals to curb beef supply in the U.S. in order to artificially inflate prices. In 2020 the holding company of JBS' controlling shareholder Batista family was fined $256 million by the SEC in relation to a conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Tim Vasudeva, Head of Private and Public Sector Finance at World Animal Protection, said: "Instead of contributing its fair and reasonable share of tax to the countries where it is most profitable, multinationals like JBS use expensive lawyers and consultants to take advantage of tax loopholes and pass the buck to the everyday taxpayers who make them profitable in the first place. Beyond holding JBS accountable for its blatant tax avoidance, the U.S. government – and American consumers -- also need to understand that JBS is a company that has been continually convicted and fined over many years for exploiting child labor, bribery, antitrust violations and illegal deforestation." Vincent Kiezebrink, Senior Researcher at The Centre for Research on Multinationals (SOMO), said: "JBS is exploiting the global financial system with surgical precision, using complex offshore structures to avoid taxes. It also poses a risk to investors, whom the company has not informed of its tax avoidance practices, and the potential costs should EU or US regulators take action. Allowing JBS access to US capital markets will only strengthen the monopolistic position it's acquired there. It's time for financial institutions to stop looking the other way. Tax authorities should ensure JBS pays its fair share in tax." About World Animal ProtectionWorld Animal Protection is a global organization working to end animal exploitation. We expose cruel systems, promote animal-friendly alternatives, and influence policy change. For 75 years, we've been rewriting the story for animals. Working across almost 50 countries with offices in 12, we prioritize animals in farming and wild animals exploited for use in entertainment, as pets, and in fashion. About SOMO The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), an Amsterdam-based research organisation, investigates multinationals. Independent, factual, and critical, SOMO has a clear goal—a fair and sustainable world in which public interests outweigh corporate interests. SOMO conducts action-oriented research to expose the impact of multinationals and unprecedented power and reveal the underlying structures underpinning them. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE World Animal Protection Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fibre2Fashion
16-05-2025
- General
- Fibre2Fashion
Australian Fashion Week bans fur, exotic skins & feathers on catwalk
The Australian Fashion Council has officially banned the use of fur, wild-animal skins, and wild feathers from Australian Fashion Week (AFW) catwalks. Effective immediately, the new policy ensures that the 2025 edition of AFW will be entirely free from wildlife exploitation. Australian Fashion Week has banned fur, wild-animal skins, and feathers from its catwalks, making the 2025 edition wildlife-free. The policy, developed with Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection, marks a major win for ethical fashion. The decision reflects growing public demand for cruelty-free, sustainable alternatives. The policy is developed in collaboration with Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection. With this policy, crocodiles, foxes, and exotic birds will be protected, ensuring they are no longer used in fashion displays at this event. This decision reflects the growing public demand for ethical and sustainable fashion. It is a victory driven by thousands of compassionate Australians who believe fashion should never come at the cost of animal lives, according to World Animal Protection. This move builds on similar wildlife-free commitments achieved at Melbourne Fashion Week, Melbourne Fashion Festival, and international runways in Berlin and Copenhagen. 'This latest announcement is a reminder that the fashion industry can be a positive force or wildlife, and change the lives of crocodiles, ostriches, minks and more. We are seeing a domino effect of fashion events around Australia and the world rejecting exotic skins, feathers and fur. With this new wildlife friendly policy, Australian Fashion Week have joined the growing list of runways that are embracing innovative alternatives to cruelty,' said Suzanne Milthorpe, head of campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia. Animal rights organisations, including PETA, have long campaigned for this change. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Opinion - In protecting chickens, we protect ourselves from future bird flu outbreaks
The price of eggs is ever-present in the collective American mind and has been for quite some time. As H5N1 influenza (more commonly known as 'bird flu') rages across the country, already inflated egg prices have hit record highs. But our demand for the cheapest eggs possible is part of what fueled the current bird flu outbreak. To protect ourselves in the future, we must protect chickens, too. Researchers have long connected poor conditions for farmed animals with the spread of infectious diseases. 'There is growing recognition that industrial livestock production, in which large numbers of animals are kept in crowded and stressful conditions, can lead to the emergence, transmission, and amplification of both viral and bacterial diseases,' researcher Peter Stevenson explained in a 2023 review. Looking at the average American egg farm, it is easy to see how these facilities become infectious disease factories. At the end of 2022, the U.S. had 308 million commercial egg-laying hens. According to World Animal Protection, more than 95 percent of these hens live in factory farming conditions. Chickens hatched on factory egg farms lead horrifying lives. Male chicks are nearly always killed, often thrown into grinders while they are still alive. That's awful enough, but female chicks have a dismal life ahead of them. As they grow, they are often held in battery cages, which are small wire enclosures where several birds are crammed together. According to PETA, the average factory farmed egg-laying hen spends her life in a space no larger than a piece of printer paper. Hens are not just in close contact with the other birds in their cage — battery cages are often stacked so that feces and urine from the top layers of cages falls into other enclosures. Life in 'cage free' farms is not much better, with animals still crowded in tight conditions and rarely, if ever, seeing the outside world. There have even been documented cases of dead chickens being left in the same space as live chickens. One of the most publicized instances of this was a scandal that embroiled Costco a decade ago when activists documented disturbing abuse and living conditions at the facility of an egg supplier for the retail giant. Lack of sanitation and close quarters are obvious animal welfare issues, but they should also concern those who want to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. These conditions make it incredibly easy for disease to pass from bird to bird at a very fast rate. All it takes is one sick hen to infect the rest and cause an outbreak. Farmed animal conditions are typically not the only factor driving infectious disease outbreaks. Water conditions, sanitation, food contamination and air quality can all contribute to the spread of disease. There's no doubt that most infectious disease outbreaks are a combination of things going wrong. However, H5N1 influenza is unique, and the reason why can be found in the nickname 'bird flu' itself. According to the Centers for Disease Control, avian influenza A viruses are naturally occurring in many wild birds. The CDC also notes that while other animals may be the source of an outbreak in humans, it is rare. Those instances also almost always occur after another animal eats or comes into contact with a bird. Limiting the risk of disease can go hand in hand with more humane treatment of egg-laying hens. While it may be too late to contain fully our current bird flu outbreak, changes in how we treat egg-laying chickens can make a difference in the future. For the sake of the public good, factory farming conditions should be eliminated. Many consumers are already committed to buying eggs produced with stricter animal welfare standards. One example of this is purchasing eggs labeled 'Certified Humane' by Humane Farm Animal Care. This certification is rigorous with ongoing inspections. 'A farm approved as Certified Humane must provide conditions that allow hens to express their natural behaviors and needs. This means no confinement for the chickens — they're free to dust bathe, perch, and roam as they please,' explains the certifying organization. Companies running factory farms will be reluctant to change the conditions for hens in their facilities. While it is slowly growing, there is still very little political will to firmly regulate conditions for egg-laying hens. This is one reason why consumer demand is important. Shifting market demand away from factory farms and toward companies that standardize humane treatment for hens will start to force change. Purchasing eggs from companies that treat their hens more humanely may also cost consumers a little bit more money. Humane treatment of animals is something worthwhile on its own. But if creating better conditions for chickens helps protect us from disease, can't we all agree that a couple extra dollars a month is worth it? Kelvey Vander Hart is a senior fellow at The Wilberforce Institute. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
07-03-2025
- General
- The Hill
In protecting chickens, we protect ourselves from future bird flu outbreaks
The price of eggs is ever-present in the collective American mind and has been for quite some time. As H5N1 influenza (more commonly known as 'bird flu') rages across the country, already inflated egg prices have hit record highs. But our demand for the cheapest eggs possible is part of what fueled the current bird flu outbreak. To protect ourselves in the future, we must protect chickens, too. Researchers have long connected poor conditions for farmed animals with the spread of infectious diseases. 'There is growing recognition that industrial livestock production, in which large numbers of animals are kept in crowded and stressful conditions, can lead to the emergence, transmission, and amplification of both viral and bacterial diseases,' researcher Peter Stevenson explained in a 2023 review. Looking at the average American egg farm, it is easy to see how these facilities become infectious disease factories. At the end of 2022, the U.S. had 308 million commercial egg-laying hens. According to World Animal Protection, more than 95 percent of these hens live in factory farming conditions. Chickens hatched on factory egg farms lead horrifying lives. Male chicks are nearly always killed, often thrown into grinders while they are still alive. That's awful enough, but female chicks have a dismal life ahead of them. As they grow, they are often held in battery cages, which are small wire enclosures where several birds are crammed together. According to PETA, the average factory farmed egg-laying hen spends her life in a space no larger than a piece of printer paper. Hens are not just in close contact with the other birds in their cage — battery cages are often stacked so that feces and urine from the top layers of cages falls into other enclosures. Life in 'cage free' farms is not much better, with animals still crowded in tight conditions and rarely, if ever, seeing the outside world. There have even been documented cases of dead chickens being left in the same space as live chickens. One of the most publicized instances of this was a scandal that embroiled Costco a decade ago when activists documented disturbing abuse and living conditions at the facility of an egg supplier for the retail giant. Lack of sanitation and close quarters are obvious animal welfare issues, but they should also concern those who want to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases. These conditions make it incredibly easy for disease to pass from bird to bird at a very fast rate. All it takes is one sick hen to infect the rest and cause an outbreak. Farmed animal conditions are typically not the only factor driving infectious disease outbreaks. Water conditions, sanitation, food contamination and air quality can all contribute to the spread of disease. There's no doubt that most infectious disease outbreaks are a combination of things going wrong. However, H5N1 influenza is unique, and the reason why can be found in the nickname 'bird flu' itself. According to the Centers for Disease Control, avian influenza A viruses are naturally occurring in many wild birds. The CDC also notes that while other animals may be the source of an outbreak in humans, it is rare. Those instances also almost always occur after another animal eats or comes into contact with a bird. Limiting the risk of disease can go hand in hand with more humane treatment of egg-laying hens. While it may be too late to contain fully our current bird flu outbreak, changes in how we treat egg-laying chickens can make a difference in the future. For the sake of the public good, factory farming conditions should be eliminated. Many consumers are already committed to buying eggs produced with stricter animal welfare standards. One example of this is purchasing eggs labeled ' Certified Humane ' by Humane Farm Animal Care. This certification is rigorous with ongoing inspections. 'A farm approved as Certified Humane must provide conditions that allow hens to express their natural behaviors and needs. This means no confinement for the chickens — they're free to dust bathe, perch, and roam as they please,' explains the certifying organization. Companies running factory farms will be reluctant to change the conditions for hens in their facilities. While it is slowly growing, there is still very little political will to firmly regulate conditions for egg-laying hens. This is one reason why consumer demand is important. Shifting market demand away from factory farms and toward companies that standardize humane treatment for hens will start to force change. Purchasing eggs from companies that treat their hens more humanely may also cost consumers a little bit more money. Humane treatment of animals is something worthwhile on its own. But if creating better conditions for chickens helps protect us from disease, can't we all agree that a couple extra dollars a month is worth it? Kelvey Vander Hart is a senior fellow at The Wilberforce Institute.
