ANIMALNET DECEMBER 21, 2000

Composted cattle manure expected to offer various agronomic advantages
Colorado health department orders hog farm to shut down
Agency testing more Sask. elk for fatal disease: 1,500 animals already
destroyed
Geron grants nuclear transfer licenses
Euro ban on British pig meat exports lifted
Personal attack on senior HLS executive
Activist communique warns of "poisoned" turkeys in twin cities
Andrew Blake of SIMR honored for research advocacy
The Doris Day Animal League announces


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COMPOSTED CATTLE MANURE EXPECTED TO OFFER VARIOUS AGRONOMIC
ADVANTAGES
December 20, 2000
Farm-Scape  (Episode 581)
Agricore says manure composting promises a wide range of agronomic
advantages
for Western Canada's agricultural producers.  I'm Bruce Cochrane and this is
Farm-Scape...a presentation of Manitoba's pork producers.  I'll be back...in
a
moment.
As part of a program started just over a year ago, Agricore is marketing a
variety of "Category-A" compost products.  The compost, which is produced on
five southern Alberta cattle feedlots and marketed under the name "The Real
Thing Farm Compost"', was initially sold to the farm industry but it's now
being screened for sale to the horticulture industry and bagged for sale to
the public.  Agricore Compost Products Marketing Manager Bob Ermter says one
unique benefit is the composting process converts the nitrogen, the
phosphate,
the potash, the sulfur, the micro-nutrients into organic form.
That's really the big key of what we're doing.  The organic form nitrogens
then can not be eliminated from the soil by rain or by excess irrigation.
They're available to the plant on demand by an ion exchange and so we now
have
probably a three year supply of nutrient from one application of the real
thing farm compost.  The plant can not get too much nutrient because it's on
a
demand basis.  One of the advantages, of course then, when we've composted
we've reduced the volume mass of the manure by 50 per cent.  A ton of manure
becomes half a ton of compost.  The organic matter has been changed in it,
that we've taken the raw sloppy manure product and the microorganisms have
produced about a 46 percent real organic base to his.
Ermter says the temperatures involved in the composting process are
sufficient
to destroy weed seeds, hormones and pharmaceuticals and other unwanted
compounds that might be present in the raw manure.  He says the product has
also been acknowledged as suitable for certification for organic crop
production.  For Farm-Scape...I'm Bruce Cochrane.



COLORADO HEALTH DEPARTMENT ORDERS HOG FARM TO SHUT DOWN
December 20, 2000
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Theo Stein, The Denver Post
The state health department has, according to this story, ordered Colorado's
largest hog farm to shut down by Jan. 1 or face $50,000 a day in fines after
the farm's owner built a 60-million-gallon manure lagoon in violation of
state law.
The story explains that the move comes two months after William Haw, the
embattled owner of National Hog Farms, announced he was closing his Kersey
operation, putting his 125 employees out of work, so he could focus on
overturning state regulations that he had already spent $15 million in
fighting.
But, the story adds, last month, an engineering company retained by National
Hog Farms asked the state to allow the company to rebuild its
disease-ravaged herd to a level of 25,000 hogs. The company also asked the
state to allow the hog farm to store liquid hog manure in an uncovered
lagoon.
Health officials were cited as saying all other Colorado hog farms have
obeyed a state law requiring them to have covered lagoons.
The health department denied the lagoon permit, but National Hog Farms built
the lagoon anyway. The company is currently storing waste in pits under the
hog barns, also in violation of state law.
.



AGENCY TESTING MORE SASK. ELK FOR FATAL DISEASE: 1,500 ANIMALS ALREADY
DESTROYED
December 21, 2000
The Leader-Post (Regina)
Michelle Lang
B1 / Front
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is, according to this story, testing elk
on 36 Saskatchewan farms for chronic wasting disease to determine if more
herds will have to be destroyed in addition to the 1,500 elk already
eliminated in the province this month.
Dr. George Luterbach, the agency's chief veterinarian of animal health for
Western Canada, was cited as saying the agency is now testing the brains of
200 elk originally slaughtered to determine whether they have chronic
wasting disease, and that if any of the animals test positive, their new
herd will also be eliminated as well, adding, "If they were to test
positive, we would want to take additional action on these farms, quarantine
and destroy all of the animals exposed to the known infected animals."
Bob Kirkpatrick, an elk farmer whose 64 animals were killed after two died
from the disease, was cited as saying that testing on the brains of his herd
later revealed there were no more infected elk on his farm.
Kirkpatrick did receive some compensation for the loss of his herd because
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reimburses producers up to $4,000 per
animal, plus funds for the cost of disposal.
But Kirkpatrick was cited as saying his elk were hard to replace because
they were mature and ready for prime velvet production and it will take
seven-to-nine years to rebuild such a herd, adding, "I'd just built my herd,
and now here I am sitting with an empty farm. It was awful tough to see them
destroyed, but if this is the only way we can get rid of the disease, then
we have to do it.''
Despite his loss, Kirkpatrick intends to rebuild his herd in the new year,
saying that once the final test results are in from the 200 elk, confidence
will be restored in the industry.




GERON GRANTS NUCLEAR TRANSFER LICENSES
December 21, 2000
Genetic Engineering News
http://www.genengnews.com/calendar/events.asp
Geron Corp. (Menlo Park, CA) signed two agreements to license its nuclear
transfer technology to generate cloned poultry. AviGenics, inc. (Athens, GA)
and Origen Therapeutics, Inc. (Burlingame, CA) obtained option rights to
license, on a non-exclusive, worldwide basis, Geron's nuclear transfer
patent portfolio for the field of avian nuclear transfer.
AviGenics and Origen are companies focused on developing methods for
improved breeding of poultry and for the development of transgenic chickens
for the production of biopharmaceuticals. In the healthcare industry, eggs
from transgenic poultry may be used to yield large quantities of recombinant
proteins as a means for low-cost production of biopharmaceuticals, says a
Geron spokesperson, adding that in the food industry, the production of
chickens with desirable traits such as resistance to diseases, like
Salmonella, may contribute to improved animal health and safety for
consumers. Geron will receive equity
in AviGenics and Origen in exchange for the option rights.



EURO BAN ON BRITISH PIG MEAT EXPORTS LIFTED
December 21, 2000
PA News
Simon Mowbray
The ban preventing pig breeders in East Anglia from exporting to other
European Union countries has, according to this story, been lifted, it was
announced today, following this year's outbreak of swine fever which has
meant more than 40,000 pigs have been slaughtered in an attempt to prevent
the disease spreading.
The Ministry of Agriculture was cited as saying the ban was finally lifted
at midnight.
It comes on the back of months of agony for the farmers who have been unable
to sell their produce to member states.





PERSONAL ATTACK ON SENIOR HLS EXECUTIVE
December 20, 2000
Americans for Medical Progress
http://www.amprogress.org/ab_amp.htm
The Research Defence Society in the UK reports that on Tuesday evening, a
senior member of the staff at Huntingdon Life Sciences/UK was assaulted as
he arrived home from work.  An individual or individuals sprayed a substance
directly into his eyes that temporarily blinded him.  He was then struck
before he could get inside his home.  Several windows of his home were
broken before the assailant(s) fled.
There are no other details available to us at this writing.  This is news of
great concern, in that -- assuming the attack was related to the continuing
protests by animal rights groups against HLS -- it marks an escalation in
the level of violence.  Thus far, HLS-related attacks have been on property,
although some of these attacks, including the recent late-night firebombing
of cars at the homes of HLS staff members, did put lives in jeopardy.
We will report additional information as it becomes available.
On another matter in the UK, Nottingham police have said that animal rights
activists were NOT responsible for setting off an incendiary device in the
truck of an electrician in that town on December 11.   An animal-rights
related motive was initially suspected by investigators because the
electrician was employed by a sub-contractor at a site where animal research
is conducted.  Two suspects have been arrested.



ACTIVIST COMMUNIQUE WARNS OF "POISONED" TURKEYS IN TWIN CITIES
December 20, 2000
Americans for Medical Progress
http://www.amprogress.org/ab_amp.htm
The Frontline Information Service, which distributes communiques from the
Animal Liberation Front and other underground groups, today posted a
communique claiming that over 200 frozen turkeys had been injected with
anti-freeze in three supermarket chains in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area "to
avenge the deaths of hundreds of thousands of turkeys killed for the holiday
season."
The Frontline Information Service prefaced the note with a disclaimer that
it came from an anonymous source and that that the Service did not "in any
way condone it" but was circulating the communique because of "its pressing
content.'
Police are investigating.
It should be noted that the holiday season has drawn similar claims from
activists in previous years, but there has been no instance in which an
actual tainted turkey was found.




ANDREW BLAKE OF SIMR HONORED FOR RESEARCH ADVOCACY
December 20, 2000
Americans for Medical Progress
http://www.amprogress.org/ab_amp.htm
Andrew Blake, Executive Director of Seriously Ill for Medical Research in
the UK, received the British Neuroscience Association Award for Public
Service in a ceremony in London this month.
Andrew is a tireless advocate for biomedical research, and founded SIMR ten
years ago to make the case for the necessity of animal research and to
present a patient's perspective of the issue to the media and the British
public.
Andrew, 37, has Friedreich's Ataxia and is confined to a wheelchair.  His
coordination, hearing, speech and eyesight are all severely affected by the
disease.  Nevertheless, he is a strong and extremely effective advocate for
research.
Because of his public efforts on behalf of science, he has become a target
of harassment from animal rights activists, including demonstrations outside
of his home, hate mail and abusive telephone calls.
But he remains dedicated to the cause. "It is not just for me that I fight,
for I am long past the point of recovery," Andrew recently told a reporter.
"Instead, all my efforts are for today's children and future generations."
AMP extends its congratulations to Andrew in receiving this well-deserved
award from the British Neuroscience Association.
You may read more about the work of Andrew Blake and
Seriously Ill for Medical Research at http://www.simr.org.uk



HUNTING BILL CLEARS FIRST HURDLE
December 20, 2000
PA News
John Deane and Helen William, PA News Political Staff
A UK Bill which could ban hunting with hounds was cited as clearing its
first major hurdle Wed. night with MPs voting overwhelmingly to allow it to
continue to progress through Parliament.
The story says that the House of Commons agreed to give the Hunting Bill a
second reading by 373 votes to 158, a majority of 215.
Earlier, a crowd of about 1,500 countryside protesters staged a vocal
demonstration outside Parliament.
Police vans blocked off the entrance to the Commons as the demonstrators
massed, and mounted police joined colleagues on foot in keeping order.
MPs were voting only on whether to allow the Bill to proceed through its
next parliamentary stages.







THE DORIS DAY ANIMAL LEAGUE ANNOUNCES
Dec 20, 2000
>From a press release
WASHINGTON -- Landmark legislation that will save animals from product and
chemical testing was signed into law by President Clinton late yesterday,
Dec. 19.
This bi-partisan legislation will establish the Interagency Coordinating
Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM) as a permanent
standing committee. The committee was created by the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences to develop a uniform process for assessing the
validation of testing methods that can reduce or eliminate the use of
animals to test product and chemical safety.
It is the only vehicle in the United States for creating a process for
acceptance of alternatives to animal tests and is composed of 15 federal
regulatory and research agencies including the Environmental Protection
Agency, Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute for
Environmental Health Sciences.
"This is a great day for animals, consumers and business. The bill produced
a long list of support from organizations and corporations that generally do
not unite," explained Sara Amundson, deputy director of the Doris Day Animal
League.
"But on one point we all agree: test methods required by the federal
government should be scientifically validated, and having ICCVAM sanction
alternative, non-animal tests will ultimately replace the use of animals in
testing. Thank you to Senators Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and
Representatives Ken Calvert (R-Riverside), Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo) and
House Commerce Chairman Tom Bliley (R-Richmond) for their strong leadership.
We commend President Clinton for signing this landmark bill into law."
In addition to the Doris Day Animal League, the ICCVAM Authorization Act is
supported by the American Chemistry Council, American Crop Protection
Association, American Humane Association, Colgate-Palmolive, Chemical
Specialties Manufacturers Association, The Gillette Co., The Humane Society
of the United States, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals, Procter & Gamble, Soap and Detergent Association and Synthetic
Organic Specialties Manufacturers Association.
The Doris Day Animal League was founded in 1987 by Doris Day to seek
permanent changes in local, state and federal legislation to protect animals
and has successfully sponsored numerous bills. For more information on the
Doris Day Animal League, visit its Web site: www.ddal.org.






MYSTERY AS TO WHY COD DYING
December 21, 2000
The Daily News (Nanaimo)
A12
CP
HALIFAX -- The number of young cod dying in waters off the coast of Nova
Scotia has, according to this story, doubled in the last 10 years,
mystifying scientists who can't figure out what's happening to the fragile
stock.
Marine biologists suspect cooler water temperatures, natural predators and
ultraviolet radiation might be affecting the vulnerable species, but they
can't pinpoint definitive causes.
Mike Sinclair, a scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, was
quoted as telling a news conference on Wednesday that, "It is a mystery.
This is a unique phenomenon that I don't think has been observed anywhere
else in the North Atlantic.''
Scientists estimate the death rate of young cod in waters east of Halifax to
the Grand Banks and north to the coast of Labrador has reached 50 per cent
over the last 10 years.
That's up from an annual average of about 15 to 20 per cent.
The findings have baffled experts who expected the stocks to rebound after a
moratorium was imposed on the species in the early '90s.





CANADIANS CARE ABOUT ENDANGERED SPECIES
December 21, 2000
The Expositor (Brantford)
A10
Dr. Richard J. Smith, National Director, IFAW, writes that Canadians care a
lot more about endangered species and wildlife than was suggested by Jack
Aubry's Dec. 18 article, "Canadians don't care about endangered species
bill: poll.''
Smith says that the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
commissioned a Pollara poll in August -- three months after the cited
Environment Canada poll by the same firm -- which showed the vast majority
of Canadians support a much stronger Species At Risk Act than was proposed.
Of the 1,592 Canadian adults surveyed between Aug. 17 and Aug. 24, 81 per
cent believe that protection for endangered species habitat should be
mandatory. And almost two-thirds (63 per cent) believe the federal
government is not doing enough to protect plant and animal species at risk
of extinction.



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