HELP BAN LIVE TURTLE & FROG COMMERCE! - Feb 3rd, 10am

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----- Attention: Bay Area Vegetarians, Vegans and Animal Advocates! -----Please Share & Re-Post

 

HELP BAN LIVE TURTLE & FROG COMMERCE!!!

 

 

 

Please read carefully:

 

For 15 years the California Fish & Game Commission has been urged to

ban the importation and sale of live frogs and turtles for the state's many live animal food markets (for human consumption).

 

At long last,

all five Commissioners seem to agree that the ban is needed to protect

our native wildlife.

 

 

WE NEED PUBLIC COMMENT TO ENCOURAGE COMMISSIONERS TO ACT ON THIS ISSUE!

 

 

 

Some TWO MILLION American bullfrogs (commercially- raised in Taiwan, for

the most part), and perhaps 300,000 freshwater turtles are imported into

California every year.

ALL of the turtles are taken

from

the wild in other states, depleting local populations. A January 2009

study in BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION noted that, of the frogs they

performed necropsies on,

62% tested positive for the dreaded chytrid fungus, a prime suspect in

the

extinctions of scores of amphibian species worldwide in recent years.

 

None of these animals are native to California, and nearly all are diseased and/or infected or contaminated with parasites.

When

released into local waters (a frequent, though illegal practice), these

exotic turtles and frogs prey upon and displace our native

wildlife.

 

 

Though animal cruelty and deprivation in retail markets is staggering,

that is NOT the focus of the Commission,

which is PROTECTION OF OUR

NATURAL RESOURCES.

 

 

 

So when you speak, write or address the Commission, please focus on these concerns (please see included link), and

NOT animal welfare/cruelty points.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Attend the California Fish & Game Commission meeting addressing this Wednesday, February 3rd in Sacramento!

Again,

to be effective on this topic against turtles and frogs sold live

in business, please prepare a short comment that stays on subject.

 

 

WHERE:

State of California, California Fish & Game Commission, Resources Building, Auditorium, 1st Floor

 

1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento

 

 

 

 

 

WHEN:

10:00am - this Wednesday, February 3rd

 

 

 

Meeting begins at

10:00am, and the live animal topic is 5th on the agenda, which should come up for discussion, quickly.

We anticipate this item will have been covered by 11:30am

(please take in to account parking and entrance security measures...)

 

 

 

SPEAKING POINTS:

Please consult this report for pertinent information on this issue for context on speaking points:

 

 

 

Magnitude of the US trade in amphibians

 

 

Please

contact me or Eric Mills with any questions or help with "talking points."

 

And please alert your

members, and disperse this alert accordingly.

This may be our best shot

at sparing the lives of millions of these animals.

Thanks for caring.

 

Action for Animals (AFA) would appreciate copies of any letters or emails you send.

 

If you have any questions, please contact:

Eric Mills, coordinator

ACTION FOR ANIMALS

Oakland, CA

 

tel. 510/652-5603

 

 

 

We

are also coordinating rides and carpools. If you are interested in

attending and need help traveling or would like a ride, please contact

me to coordinate.

 

 

Again, let me or Eric know if you have any questions, and thank you for your support!

 

Hope to see you!

 

For Animals,

 

-Douglass

Vegan Recruiter

armyofcompassion

*Army of Compassion*

Vegan

Advocacy

 

Save lives, one bite at a time:

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