Previous Campaigns and Projects

 

 

Naturewatch was involved in supporting the pioneering work of The Fethiye Friends of Animals Association.  The organisation operated under the guidance of  Ms. Perihan Agnelli, a local businesswoman.  The society's main project was a neuter-and-release program to tackle the stray dog problem.  A mobile clinic service operated to reach the surrounding regions and was expanded to include more cities following its success in Fethiye.

 

 

When we think of Australian farming, we tend to think of cheerful stockmen and healthy sheep roaming free across miles of grazing land. However, the sad truth is that some seven million animals are exported live from Australia each year, mainly sheep and cattle, but also goats, pigs, camels and deer, mainly to the Middle and Far East. These voyages take weeks, and during this time animals die from disease, starvation, thirst, heat exhaustion and accidents.

 

 

 

Our work in Europe to improve animal welfare standards during transport and at market began at the end of 2000 when horrific video footage taken at a Belgian livestock market was published. A group of animal welfare organisations began lobbying for the creation of a European Livestock Markets Directive.

  

Each week over 100 lorries crammed with horses arrive at the Italian border.  Many will have travelled almost 1,500 miles, often without rest periods contrary to European Union law. We worked alongside other European animal welfare groups to stop this cruel trade. 

Click here for a summary of our Help the Horses campaign.

 

 

The Labour Party came to office in 1997 having said that they would back a Royal Commission on animal experiments.  Despite this, nothing happened. Naturewatch therefore campaigned under the banner "Labour's broken promises", demanding that the promised Royal Commission be set up.
 
The Government dragged their feet and, fortunately for Labour, they were let off the hook by a select committee of the House of Lords producing their own report, which was a thoroughly researched review.  We therefore decided to campaign for the implementation of the Lords' report, which achieved success in the announcement of a National Centre for the 3Rs.

 

Since the fall of its Communist regime, the plight of Romania’s children has often been in the news. But it’s not just the children who suffer – Romania has a vast population of stray animals, medieval livestock markets, and prison-like zoos. It’s not that the Romanian people don’t care about their animals – they do – it’s just that the country is so poor that it cannot support its animals humanely.  A Naturewatch delegation went to Romania to see how we could help.