ANIMALNET JULY 26, 2000 -- III Falcon recovery in city reason for joy Man who tried to kill stray Cat acquitted Wildlife museum features more than 300 animals Trial begins for reporters fired for story on GMO Cow hormone ; ralph nader testifies Brazil cleans up third oil spill in scenic rio bay Parasite Œmakes rat lose its fear of catı Treatment of cattle waste for recovery of single cell protein Harbour fish hooked on life in the big city Farm-Scape for July 26, 2000 (Episode 480) Hens range free among trees Implantation or injectable dosage form new animal drugs; Trenbolone, Estradiol Size of bird genome linked to longevity Extinction traced to methane burp Upset Elephants AnimalNet is produced by the Centre for Safe Food at the University of Guelph, and is supported by the Ontario Cattlemen's Association, the U.S. National Pork Producers, U.S. National Food Processors Association, Pfizer Animal Health Group, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), Canadian Animal Health Institute, Meat & Livestock Australia, Canadian Pork Council, Ontario Egg Producers, Ontario Farm Animal Council, U.S. National Cattlemens Beef Association, the Rutgers Food Risk Analysis Initiative, Ag-West Biotech, Land O' Lakes Feed, Capital Health, Animal Industry Foundation, American Feed Industry Assn., the Ontario Soybean Growers Marketing Board, Food Indsutry Environmental Network, Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors, Chicken Farmers of Canada, MDS Nordion, American Meat Institute, AdCulture, USDA Veterinary Services (Fort Collins) Alberta Farm Animal Council, and the Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program). archived at: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood/archives/animalnet-archives.htm FALCON RECOVERY IN CITY REASON FOR JOY July 26, 2000 The Saskatoon StarPhoenix Forum A10 Erin English, Saskatoon, wrote in this letter to the editor re: Leona Bilinskiıs letter, Songbird fan distressed by peregrine falcon diet (SP July 12). English was deeply troubled to read of her problems with the peregrine falcons recently introduced to Saskatoon. As an avid outdoor enthusiast, English takes great joy in feeding and watching the beautiful songbirds of our city. However, she is even more awed by the majesty of these falcons. It must be noted that these birds are an endangered species and, through the efforts of many local environmental groups, they are beginning to make a come-back. English realizes that it may be disturbing to watch these birds eat your tiny friends, but she think it is unfair and even ignorant to group such birds of prey with the likes of crows and magpies -- birds that actually are overpopulated and threatening to songbirds. In comparison with the crows and magpies, who eat vast numbers of songbird eggs, the peregrine falconıs menu contains adult birds, including not only songbirds but, according to this letter, also local pigeons. So although these evil birds may be lunching on the wrens, finches and robins of the city, they are certainly not a threat to the numbers of these small birds. Instead of complaining about the falcons and their natural way of life, Saskatoon residents should, this letter argues, feel lucky that this bird is recovering. We are fortunate that peregrines were released in our area -- how many other communities can boast aiding a species-at-risk to thrive in their own backyard? MAN WHO TRIED TO KILL STRAY CAT ACQUITTED: SPCA CONSTABLE CALLS FOR TOUGHER ANIMAL CRUELTY LAWS July 26, 2000 The Edmonton Journal City B1 / Front Crime Gordon Kent, Legal Affairs Writer An SPCA constable was cited as calling for tougher animal cruelty laws Tuesday after an Edmonton man was acquitted of trying to poison a stray cat. Trevor Burns was cited as admitting leaving a plastic tub of antifreeze beside his Mill Woods condominium last year to kill an alley cat making a mess in his yard. But provincial court Judge Ralph Chisholm was cited as ruling that Burns, 27, didnıt break the law against placing poison for animals because it doesnıt apply to strays. Chisholm was cited as saying that no one had pets in the area. MacEachern, who investigated the case, was cited as saying that about 100 pets a year are poisoned in the city, mostly from tainted food thrown anonymously into their ownersı yards. They usually recover. Federal Justice Minister Anne McLellan was cited as introducing amendments to the Criminal Code last December intended to modernize cruelty laws, which havenıt changed much in more than a century. Justice lawyer Joanne Klineberg was cited as saying from Ottawa, that Bill C-17 will make it illegal to leave poison for any animal without lawful excuse, adding, ``What C-17 says is all of these animals can suffer the same pain, so theyıre all going to get the same protection. Our society today and the way it views animals is somewhat different than it was 100 years ago.ıı The bill has gone through first reading and is expected to be back before Parliament this fall. Klineberg didnıt know when it will be passed into law. WILDLIFE MUSEUM FEATURES MORE THAN 300 ANIMALS July 26, 2000 The Corner Brook Western Star Lifestyles Page16 0 Cathy Gale CODROY VALLEY - This story explained that Grand Codroy Wildlife Museum, which opened recently in Upper Ferry, Codroy Valley, is an attraction that will no doubt interest tourist and local residents. Partners Rod and Lydia Fudge, of Bishopıs Falls, and Calvin and Patricia Cormier, of Upper Ferry, renovated a former chicken building to create the museum that includes nine enclosed and five open exhibits - displaying about 350 animals - in a wildlife environment. On display are, according to this story, a barn yard and arctic scene, sea birds, a Newfoundland exhibit, coyotes, red fox, wild turkey, lynx, timber wolf, beaver and duck ponds, fish and geese, along with rare species like a blue lobster, a blond black bear, flying fish from Bermuda, and a Toucan (bird) from the Rain Forest. TRIAL BEGINS FOR REPORTERS FIRED FOR STORY ON GMO COW HORMONE ; RALPH NADER TESTIFIES July 26, 2000 Greenpeace USA -- Press Release http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/features/nader.htm When award-winning reporters Steve Wilson and Jane Akre filed their report on the genetically modified cow drug, recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), to their Tampa Florida Fox TV employer, they didnıt expect to wind up in a courtroom. The story was initially welcomed by the station and promoted heavily before the scheduled broadcast date. But pressure on Fox from Monsanto, the maker of BGH and a major Fox advertiser, led to the stationıs decision to pull the story. Even after Wilson and Akre revised the piece 83 times, Fox continued to refuse to air the story without including false and misleading information, according to the reporters. Fox then fired the couple, leading to their 1998 lawsuit against the station filed under Floridaıs whistleblower protection act. In January 1999, Greenpeace joined the Center for Food Safety and two dozen leading family farm, consumer and environmental organizations in a legal petition calling on FDA to take BGH off the market. The petition followed Canadaıs decision not to allow BGH in milk production there. The GMO cow drug is banned in Europe as well. On Monday, over two years after filing the suit, the "Fox BGH" trial finally began. Jane Akre testified for three days, describing her 21 years of experience in journalism, and her stand against Fox attempts to distort the news about BGH in response to Monsantoıs threats. Yesterday consumer advocate Ralph Nader testified in support of the whistleblowers, stating that if Wilson and Akre had given in to the stationıs demands, they would have been guilty of violating laws against distorting the news. According to press reports, outside the courtroom Nader called Monsanto a "corporate bully" that has repeatedly threatened journalists and authors who write unflatteringly about the companyıs products. In addition to the Fox case, Monsanto also attempted to stop publication of the book, Against the Grain, which critiques the companyıs failure to subject its GMO crops to adequate safety testing. The printer of the British journal The Ecologist destroyed all the copies of the magazineıs Winter 1998 edition, which was devoted to GMOs and Monsanto. The magazine went to print after editors scrambled to find another printer. While Monsanto denied any connection to the pulping of the first printing, Ecologist editor Teddy Goldsmith was quoted in the London Guardian stating, "The fact Monsanto had nothing to do with the decision to pulp is, if anything, more scary than if they had made some kind of legal threat. It goes to show what a powerful force a reputation can be." Nader apparently agrees, as he referred to the "chilling factor" that Monsanto threats have had on public debate over GMOs. Fact sheet on rBGH: What is rBGH? Is it hazardous to your health? How you can avoid it. Fact sheet on the myths and realities of genetically modified foods: Food Fight: The Truth About GMOs Frequently asked questions about genetic engineering Check out Greenpeaceıs True Food Now website: Visit the site now! Demand the right to avoid GMOs! The Greenpeace True Food Network will take on the food industry to insist that Americans get the same protection that food companies promise their customers elsewhere. You donıt have to be a Greenpeace supporter, and there is no fee to join the network. Sign up for the network from this Web site, or call 1-800-326-0959 for more information. BRAZIL CLEANS UP THIRD OIL SPILL IN SCENIC RIO BAY July 26, 2000 Reuters Shasta Darlington RIO DE JANEIRO -- This story explained that workers scrambled to clean up an oil spill that coated parts of Rio de Janeiroıs picturesque Guanabara Bay Wednesday as residents of Brazilıs tourist mecca fumed over the third such incident this year. State government officials were cited as saying that a greasy film of about 100 gallons of diesel appeared at the entrance of the bay Tuesday morning and washed up one day later on beaches in Niteroi, the city across the bay from Rio. Axel Grael, president of the environmental secretariat for the state of Rio de Janeiro, was quoted as saying, "By the end of the day we should finish vacuuming the waterıs surface and then in the next couple of days we will clean beaches." Officials had not determined the cause of the spill but were cited as saying that the diesel could have leaked out of a shipıs fuel tank or out of cargo tanks. It also could have been washed into the water when a tanker flushed its bilges. Although ecologists were concerned over the latest spill, the volume of oil was small compared with a major leak in January, when 270,000 gallons of crude oozed into the bay after an underwater pipeline ruptured. Delcio Rodrigues, of the Brazilian branch of the international environmental group Greenpeace, was quoted as saying, "It just shows that there arenıt enough investments in prevention, environmental impact and safety." Grael was cited as saying that diesel, lighter than crude oil but more toxic, could cause serious damage to the bayıs marine life, contaminating surface plankton and "affecting the whole food chain. PARASITE ŒMAKES RAT LOSE ITS FEAR OF CATı July 26, 2000 The UK Times http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/Times/timconcon01001.html Nigel Hawkes Oxford scientists have been cited as finding that rats infected by a parasite lose their fear of cats and even develop a fatal attraction for them. The behaviour is, according to this story, induced by the parasite to ensure that the rats are caught and eaten. The parasite completes its life-cycle in the cat, before being excreted. This story explained that Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan, a single-cell organism that can infect all mammals, including human beings. Rats carry the parasite as dormant cysts lodged in their brains. The report by Dr Manuel Berdoy, Dr Joanne Webster and Dr David Macdonald in Proceedings of the Royal Society was cited as showing that affected rats lose their fear of cats and are even drawn to feline smells. They believe Toxoplasma gondii could alter the personalities of human beings it infects. About 22 per cent of the British population carry it. Dr Webster was cited as saying that the parasite appeared to reduce anxiety in a similar way to Valium. TREATMENT OF CATTLE WASTE FOR RECOVERY OF SINGLE CELL PROTEIN Texas Tech University -- Press Release A. W.Gebriel, C. B. Fedler and N. C. Parker http://www.ce.ttu.edu/faculty/fedler/Research.htm Introduction Wastes from agricultural related activities (from both crop and animal production) are consistently identified as the most pervasive non-point pollution source in the United States. Agricultural waste is one of the leading causes of surface water quality problems and ground water contamination (Jensen, 1991; Sweeten and Melvin, 1985). The most common method of treating agricultural waste is with lagoons. Lagoons have been used for treating a variety of wastes, ranging from agricultural, municipal to industrial activities. They are very effective especially for treating animal waste. Red, pink, or purple pigmentation of lagoon water has been frequently observed. This pigmentation is attributed to the presence of purple sulfur bacteria that grow in anaerobic lagoons. The presence of these bacteria has been associated with reduced odor from lagoons (Lotringen and Gerrish, 1978). In addition to odor reduction, purple sulfur bacteria have been considered as a supplementary feed for animals, especially fishes and poultry (Kobayashi and Tchan, 1973). Purple sulfur bacteria are found in nearly all aquatic environments. They are present where light reaches anaerobic, sulfide-containing zones in lakes (Takahashi and Ichimura, 1968; Guerrero et al., 1985; Overmann et al., 1991), in lagoons treating a variety of wastes (Sletten and Singer, 1971; Hart and Turner, 1965; Holm and Vennes, 1970), and in sewage treatment plants (Siefert et al., 1978). They grow anaerobically in the presence of light and use H2S as an electron donor for photosynthesis. By utilizing H2S (the main cause of lagoon odor) purple sulfur bacteria reduce the odor level from anaerobic lagoons. In addition, cell protein of the purple sulfur bacteria is a useful by-product that can be included in the diet for poultry and fish. Effective treatment of animal waste and production of bacterial biomass requires knowledge of environmental conditions that favor growth of purple sulfur bacteria. Light intensity, anaerobic conditions, sulfide concentration, temperature, and pH have been reported to affect the growth of purple sulfur bacteria (Pfenning and Truper, 1989) with light intensity and sulfide concentrations the most important factors. However, light penetration and sulfide concentration are influenced by depth of the lagoon and the concentration of the waste. Studies in the past have focused on monitoring the presence of purple sulfur bacteria and the environmental conditions that existed where they were found. Most of these studies were done in lakes where the sulfide concentration and other nutrients are low and extent of light penetration is deeper than in waste treatment lagoons. The main emphasis of this research is to determine the effect of depth and surface area of a reactor on growth of purple sulfur bacteria using cattle waste as a substrate. Research support was provided by the Water Resources Center, Texas Tech University and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Advanced Technology Program Project No. 003644-064. Corresponding author. Jointly sponsored by Texas Tech University, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the National Biological Survey, and the Wildlife Management Institute. HARBOUR FISH HOOKED ON LIFE IN THE BIG CITY July 26, 2000 The Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/news/0007/27/national/national6.html James Woodford, Environment Writer This story explained that Sydney Harbourıs fish are voting with their fins - given a choice between a sheltered, sandy cove and a noisy, frantic marina, they are overwhelmingly choosing the marine equivalent of urban life. Beneath the tens of millions of dollars worth of luxury cruisers and yachts moored at marinas, and in spite of pollution, noise and drastic environmental change, scientists have been cited as discovered a hotbed of fish biodiversity. Mr Peter Barnes, the research manager at the University of Sydneyıs Centre for Research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, has been cited as finding that marinas boast huge numbers and types of fish compared with less disturbed locations. Mr Barnes was cited as saying marinas, jetties and pool walls are widespread in Sydney Harbour, estimated to affect 30 per cent of sandy shoreline east of Bradleys Head and the Spit Bridge. Mr Barnes was cited as saying that in some ways, the results of the surveys defied common sense because he would have thought the potential for oil and chemical spills and high levels of activity would have discouraged big populations of fish. Instead, his results were cited as indicating that from a fishıs perspective, a marina offers a similar type of environment to that which would normally be found around rocky reefs. At a typical marina, Mr Barnes found 500 fish per visit, made up of 25 species. In an undisturbed, sandy sea floor "control" location, he typically found fewer than 10 fish, made up of four species. FARM-SCAPE FOR JULY 26, 2000 (EPISODE 480) July 26, 2000 Farm-Scape Maple Leaf Pork says itıs "Signature Pork" program is a key component of the companyıs "made in Canada" strategy of "vertical coordination." Iım Bruce Cochrane and this is Farm-Scape...a presentation of Manitobaıs pork producers. Iıll be back...in a moment. Commercial Break Maple Leafıs "Signature Pork" program was developed in Burlington and was first released in August 1996. Now an adapted version is being made available to producers in Western Canada. Director of Procurement for Western Canada Gary Stott says "Signature Pork" was well received in Ontario and successful to the point where over 90 per of the companyıs Burlington processing plantıs requirements are under contract. Clip-Gary Stott-Maple Leaf Pork Itıs a made in Canada model of vertical coordination as opposed to the US style of vertical integration, whereby we want to work together with independent producers. The signature program for the most part is a contractual agreement between the producer and Maple Leaf Pork and the contractual agreement can range anywhere from a one to five year period of time. The benefits to the producer is certainly that they have the opportunity to partner with a world class Canadian processor right here at home. They have a much more predictable stable cash flow in order that they can manage their business over the long term much better. For Maple Leaf, it secures a stable supply of hogs over the long term and, from an industry standpoint, you can vertically coordinate the food chain to get consistencies and product quality and drive out costs and make a much stronger more sustainable pork industry in Western Canada. Stott says a unique aspect of signature west is the "Medallion" program under which a cost of production formula is used to assure producers a price for five years into the future. He adds, irregardless of farm size, everybody has access to the signature program in western Canada. HENS RANGE FREE AMONG TREES July 26, 2000 The Electronic Telegraph David Brown http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000403834005896&rtmo=wAsi0jwb&atmo=99999 999&pg=/et/00/7/26/nhen26.html A poultry farmer has,according to this story, planted 4,000 trees after being told his free-range hens needed more shelter. Tim Bonner, who was cited as saying that his inspiration came from the fact that the birdsı ancestors came from the jungle, claims his 9,000 hens are now happier and lay more eggs. When the poplar trees mature he will fell them for timber. Mr Bonner, from East Worlington, Devon, was quoted as saying, "This is the way free-range hen farming should go. My birds have never been healthier or more relaxed." This story explained that a member of the Freedom Food scheme operated by the RSPCA, he planted the forest with the help of a £5,000 grant from the Forestry Authority to protect the hens from strong sunshine, wind and rain. He was quoted as saying, "Farmers usually have a shed or large, table-like construction. But the birds congregate inside instead of roaming about. It seems to defy the object of free range." IMPLANTATION OR INJECTABLE DOSAGE FORM NEW ANIMAL DRUGS; TRENBOLONE AND ESTRADIOL July 26, 2000 Federal Register(Volume 65, Number 144) [Rules and Regulations] [Page 45878-45879] [DOCID:fr26jy00-21] http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2000_register&doci d=00-18822-filed DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration 21 CFR Part 522 Implantation or Injectable Dosage Form New Animal Drugs; Trenbolone and Estradiol AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the animal drug regulations to reflect approval of two supplemental new animal drug applications (NADAıs) filed by Hoechst Roussel Vet. The supplemental NADAıs provide for use of two additional trenbolone acetate and estradiol ear implants, one for heifers fed in confinement for slaughter for increased rate of weight gain, and the other for steers fed in confinement for slaughter for increased rate of weight gain and improved feed efficiency. DATES: This rule is effective July 26, 2000. SIZE OF BIRD GENOME LINKED TO LONGEVITY July 26, 2000 Reuters LONDON -- Scottish scientists were cited as saying on Wednesday that the secret to a long life, in birds at least, is in the size of their genome. Birds live much longer than mammals and birds of the same size have very different sized genomes. Researchers at Glasgow University have been cited as discovered that birds with the biggest genomes, the amount of DNA in their cells, tend to live the longest. Professor Pat Monaghan was cited as telling Reuters, "Across the animal kingdom there is a huge variation in the amount of DNA different organisms have. People have long been interested in trying to see if they can link that to any feature in the organism. Even though birds tend to have relatively small amounts of DNA, the birds which have a lot for their body size live a long time, so birds with the biggest genomes live the longest. We were surprised that there was such a good relationship with lifespan, or potential longevity." The research is published in the latest issue of the journal Trends in Genetics. EXTINCTION TRACED TO METHANE BURP July 26, 2000 The Associated Press Matthew Fordahl This story explained that huge reservoirs of methane trapped beneath the ocean floor rapidly escaped during prehistoric global warming and depleted much of the seaıs oxygen, according to new research into why many forms of life suddenly vanished 183 million years ago. The findings, reported in Thursdayıs issue of the journal Nature, shed new light not only on the disappearance of as many as 80 per cent of some deep-sea species but also a process suspected in other prehistoric mass extinctions. The study also was cited as raising questions about todayıs sea floor reservoir of methane hydrate, which the federal government plans to study as a possible energy source. On the Net: The journal Nature: http://www.nature.com U.S. Geological Survey site on methane hydrate: http://marine.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/gas-hydrates/title.html UPSET ELEPHANTS July 29, 2000 New Scientist http://www.newscientist.com/letters/letters_224933.html Nigel Wake, Maidenhead, Berkshire, wrote in this letter to the editor: We are told that Karen McComb (AnimalNet July 14/00 -- II http://www.newscientist.com/news/news_224732.html) and colleagues have been playing back the calls of long-dead elephants, to those that are still alive and are likely to remember the deceased and recognise their calls‹which they apparently did (15 July, p 14). We know that elephants are highly social animals and have a long period of grieving when a family member dies (perhaps the longest of all animals). To reawaken an elephantıs memory of the dead family member could, this letter argues, cause further unnecessary grieving. But, more importantly, it might well have started a new myth in elephant circles about spiritualism and ghosts ‹something that had not, as far as we know, troubled them for millions of years. To subscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: (subscription is free) listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: subscribe animalnet-L firstname lastname i.e. subscribe animalnet -L Wendy Powell To unsubscribe to AnimalNet, send mail to: listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca leave subject line blank in the body of the message type: signoff animalnet-L For more information about the AnimalNet research program, please contact: Dr. Wendy Powell wpowell@uoguelph.ca http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood archived at: http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/safefood/archives/animalnet-archives.htm