de Rossa report on the illegal hunting and trading of wildlife meat passed by EP

international | environment | press release

Friday January 16, 2004 15:21

by allen

Pointing out that, after narcotics and arms, the trade in wild animals is the most valuable illegal trade, Dublin Labour MEP Proinsias De Rossa this afternoon urged the European Commission to take a range of integrated actions to halt the hunting and trading of wildlife meat for human consumption, also known as ‘bushmeat’. Mr. De Rossa said that both EU and national development aid policies must be ‘conservation audited’ to ensure that they supported the efforts of local governments to eliminate the hunting and trading of wild animals, while also assisting local communities to obtain other affordable sources of protein.

Mr. De Rossa has authored a report on the trade in bushmeat passed in the European Parliament today.

“The trade in wild animal meat for human consumption is just one part of a wildlife trade which includes ivory, fur and the trade in certain animal body parts – a trade which threatens biodiversity and the ecological balance of areas such as Central and West Africa.

“Although wild animals have traditionally formed part of the diet of indigenous communities in parts of Africa and elsewhere, various factors ranging from modern forms of hunting to the absence of affordable alternative protein sources now mean that animals such as the Great Ape are now facing extinction.

“It is clear that there is a close link between poverty, economic and social development, and bushmeat consumption. That is why the issue must be addressed in the context of overall development strategy and poverty alleviation.

“At a national level, EU governments must ensure that their development aid policies are ‘conservation-audited’ to support biodiversity and habitat retention.

“At a European level, I am urging the European Commission to integrate an EU Strategy and Action Plan on Bushmeat in the context of implementing the EU Biodiversity Action Plan, with a clear unilateral objective aimed at conserving biodiversity and protecting those species threatened by the bushmeat trade. Sufficient funding must be made available to implement this objective.

“In the course of developing this Strategy and Action Plan, the Commission must encourage full stakeholder participation involving local populations, civil society, government, as well as the private sector, and provide all necessary support, including capacity building, to empower local populations and civil society to participate fully in this process.

“In addition, steps must be taken to halt the importation of bushmeat into the European Union. Meat from wild animals is known to carry a number of diseases, including Ebola, SIV, monkeypox, and – as suspected in the most recent outbreak – SARS.

“The report which was passed in European Parliament today urges the Commission to establish best practice recommendations and co-ordinate efforts to encourage the tightening-up of external community frontier controls.

“We must end this illegal trade by blocking the importation of bushmeat for food or other uses in the interest of public health, public safety, and the protection of endangered species”, Mr. De Rossa concluded.

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Comments (11 of 11)

Remember Finglas?

by Paddy

Fri Jan 16, 2004 17:16

Of course this is an important international issue and P. De Rossa is right to raise it. However one can't help wondering about de Rossa's and Labour's priorities. There were no statements from him or indeed the local Labour TD and cllr. when nine Finglas people were jailed last year for peacefully protesting against the Bin Tax. It seems that Proinsias has forgotten Finglas almost as thoroughly as Finglas has forgotten him.

Rest assured that Labour will pay a heavy price in the local elections for their abject failure to even express disapproval when those Finglas residents were jailed.

Paddy

by Trollwatch

Fri Jan 16, 2004 18:01

Its not like you to troll. But thats what you are doing, your comment has nothing to do with the thread.

Jailing of bin tax protestors was heavily condemned by Labour

by Maggie

Fri Jan 16, 2004 18:55

Labour's environment spokesperson Eamon Gilmore T.D. condemned the jailing of bin tax protestors in no uncertain terms, wondering why they were been jailed and not corrupt politicians.

Labour was utterly clear in its condemnation of these jailings, so this just isn't an issue. Good to see that De Rossa is actually doing something worthwhile in Europe, unlike some of the people on this site who just complain!

"De Rossa is actually doing something worthwhile "

by Chekov

Fri Jan 16, 2004 19:25

Producing reports 'urging' the EU commission to do something, while picking up a fat MEP salary is a funny definition of doing something. The EU parliament comes up with lots of worthy sounding recommendations to the commission that are then quietly ignored. De Rossa knows that as well as anybody.

The summary of the report sounds fairly good, linking bush-meat with poverty in particular. However, does anybody think that the EU is going to suddenly say 'oh shit we'd better get rid of poverty in Africa, or the bush meat trade will continue' The report will be utterly ignored, or a tiny portion of it may just get implemented - that bit that steps up custom controls as a pretext for the continuing build-up of fortress europe and maybe the bit that increases funding to game wardens to keep the natives from eating the gazing targets of rich western safari-holidayers.

Rather than 'doing something' this press release is an attempt to associate De Rossa with progressive causes in the run up to the euro elections.

I think that Paddy's comment is valid. I think it is fair comment to point out the hypocrisy of politicians choices of what issues to put out press releases on. (This is currently being debated on the editorial list where I am so far in a minority) If De Rossa had put out press statements during the bin tax campaign defending his constituents that would have been much closer to 'doing something' - at a time when the campaign was being vilified by the establishment - and for what it's worth Gilmore's statements did condemn the jailings, but they also condemned the tactics of the campaign without offering any alternatives. Not exactly too helpful.

De Rossa has been one of the most constructive MEPS

by David

Fri Jan 16, 2004 19:41

Checkov implies that Pronsias has only recently started issuing press releasing to tie himself in with progressive causes, because the elections are coming up.

In fact De Rossa has consistently supported the campaign to save Carrickmines Castle for example. He has been rock solid behind the campaign for the last year and a half, and believe it or not, doing so might actually lose him votes, rather than win them!

Pronsias has been outspoken on progressive issues, since before most of the people ranting in this forum were in nappies!

Fair point David,

Fri Jan 16, 2004 19:48

And I do in fact think that De Rossa is one of the better politicians in the country. However putting out press releases that will be ignored by the powerful is to my mind the opposite of doing something. It creates the impression that something is being done, and that the ordinary person doesn't have to concern themselves with the issue, while the author knows that nothing is being done. De Rossa urges the Commission to do something and he knows that they won't.

Good old Frank

by lol

Fri Jan 16, 2004 20:09

Hope he enjoys his last few months as MEP

our good old man Prionsais!

by iosaf ipsiphi - libertarians for Prionsais (just as soon as he is fully ex MEP)

Fri Jan 16, 2004 23:27

sure he could almost have been an anarchist what with all that blatent disregard for keeping the same party name and slogans going for more than eleven years on the Trot.

Prionsais De Rossa, has been everything from a sticky Sinn Fein Workers Party (younger readers note* before the anarchists took over media in Ireland, the telly was mostly manipulated by the stickies) to Workers Party (still sticky) to New Agenda which sounded much more hopeful than it could have been to Democratic Left which like got the dole up by 6 punts a week but made it harder to sign on to reformed and starry plough European Parliament Labour.
He is veritably the type of politician ogra fine gael would like to give a lordship to, which would help his post MEP career no end.
I too, must admit to nursing a fondness for Prionsais.

himself on Carrickmines:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=52978
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=36459
himself on EU "temps" directive
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=51144
and himself with his ilk:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=31982

I did search a pciture of himself with a fully black beard in his younger more reddish days but I couldn't find one, perhaps he was disguised in his younger days...

De Rossa's record

Mon Jan 19, 2004 14:47

Yes its true Proinsias has been speaking out on progressive issues since many indy readers were in nappies, for example:

Against the militarisation of Europe and for a socialist Europe but now he supports a European Defense Force and supports the proposed neo-liberal constitution of Europe.

Against the failed policy of coalition but he dragged DL into coalition with that great progressive John Bruton.

Against the failed politics of social democracy and for activist socialist politics but thats all changed now for the Labour MEP and member of the Blairite Party of European Socialists.

There were also things he did'nt speak out about during his long career as a senior member of the Workers Party (until a few weeks before he decided it was time to split and form DL):

The party's friendship with the Stalinist regime in North Korea.

The continued existance of the Official IRA.

The party's support for the imposition of martial law in Poland.

The party's lack of internal democracy euphemisticaly called 'democratic centralism'.

Perhaps if David was a WP activist during that period, as Paddy was, he would know these things. Seems to me more likely that David was the one in nappies then.

Mon Jan 19, 2004 14:53

All of this has got nothing to do with the thread. If the SP posted a piece about their Dublin candidates and someone raised their record on the North it would be trolling. Would you not agree?

Young De Rossa didn't have a beard

by Seamus

Mon Jan 19, 2004 15:14

De Rossa didn't have a beard in his younger days.

He was beardless when he stood in the 1977 election. (and uglier too!).

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de Rossa report on the illegal hunting and trading of wildlife meat passed by EP

Comments (11 of 11)