Reminder: TOMORROW - BAN LIVE TURTLE & FROG COMMERCE! - Sacramento, 10am

February 2, 2010

Click Here for Online Version----- Attention: Bay Area Vegetarians, Vegans and Animal Advocates! -----Please Share & Re-Post***TOMORROW***HELP BAN LIVE TURTLE & FROG COMMERCE!!! 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 protectour 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 intoCalifornia every year. ALL

of the turtles are taken from the wild in other states, depleting local

populations. A January 2009study 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, TOMORROW, 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 - ***TOMORROW*** - Wednesday, February 3rdMeeting begins at10:00am, and the live animal topic is 5th on the agenda, which should come up for discussion, quickly. (please take in to account parking and entrance security measures...)We anticipate this item will have been covered by 11:30amSPEAKING 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, coordinatorACTION FOR ANIMALSOakland, CA tel. 510/652-5603Weare

also coordinating rides and carpools. If you are interested

inattending and/or need help traveling and would like a ride, please

contact me or Eric 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,-DouglassVegan Recruiterarmyofcompassion*Army of Compassion*Vegan AdvocacySave lives, one bite at a time:Go Vegan!Check out AoC YouTubes!Add AoC Facebook!