However, the world’s oceans are becoming warmer, more acidic, increasingly filed with plastic and they are losing oxygen.

In the last few days, two important reports have been released that document the degradation of the world’s oceans, and deepen two aspects in particular: ocean deoxygenation and acidification.

The publication “Ocean deoxygenation: everyone’s problem” was issued at COP25 UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid in hopes of persuading world leaders to take measures to restore ocean health. The IUCN’s report is the result of the collaboration between 67 scientific experts from 17 countries.

The report shows that today, more than 700 oceanic sites are suffering from oxygen loss – in the 1960s, only 45 sites were affected by low oxygen conditions. Furthermore, the volume of anoxic waters, which are completely deprived of oxygen, has quadrupled and between 1960 and 2010, oxygen concentrations declined worldwide by about 2 percent.

Low levels of oxygen negatively affect the balance of marine life favouring species tolerant to low-oxygen conditions at the expense of larger fish, more sensitive to low-oxygen and throwing ocean ecosystems off balance. Among the latter, tuna, sharks and marlins that are driven into increasingly shallow surface layers of oxygen rich water, which makes them vulnerable to overfishing, whereas the jellyfish and microbes that stay in the deeper parts will flourish.

IUCN’s report stresses that climate change is the driving cause of ocean deoxygenation: warmer waters held less oxygen and increasing temperatures interfere with the ocean’s ability to properly distribute its oxygen concentrations. Another driver of ocean oxygen loss is nutrient pollution, the process where too many nutrients (mainly in the form of fertilizer, sewage and animal waste from the meat industry) are added to bodies of water stimulating an overgrowth of algae (eutrophication).

Another study titled “Attributing ocean acidification to major carbon producers” demonstrates that oceans are acidifying at a rate not seen in 66 million years. Acidification occurs because of an excess of CO2 into seawater; this alters ocean chemistry and leads to a drop in calcium carbonate Our oceans are now 26 percent more acidic since 1980!

Who is to blame for this? Just 20 companies have caused over one fifth of ocean acidification that occurred since 1965. Among these, Exxon, Total, Chevron, BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco.

Emissions traced to the world’s largest fossil fuel companies are responsible for more than a half of the ocean’s acidification since pre-industrial times. The study calculated the amount of ocean acidification that occurred as a result of carbon released during fossil fuel extraction, production and use. Despite being well aware of the environmental consequences of the oil and gas industry since at least the mid-1960s, not only haven’t they taken any measure to reduce the impacts, but also started a disinformation campaign.

But scientists can now quantify how much more acidic the ocean has become as a result of each fossil fuel company activity!

According to the reports, near-monumental efforts are needed by governments, society, corporations and people to reverse years of damage and ensure that oceans are able to continue breathing. Like IUCN’s report’s title says, “It’s Everyone’s Problem To Solve”

Sources:

https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2019-048-En.pdf

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab5abc/pdf

L'articolo OCEANS ARE IN TROUBLE proviene da OIPA.

According to the legislative proposal, ‘feral dogs’ are those dogs that have lost their status of ‘pet’ or ‘domestic animal’ and organize themselves into packs, breed and attack other animals. In other terms, they have acquired the characteristics of wild animals that do not depend on humans. The bill states that “feral dogs are invasive alien species, and their capture, hunting and control will be allowed under conditions stipulated by law”.  The legislative proposal would also allow the health authority to adopt specific control measures to prevent and contrast the threats posed by feral dogs to humans, livestock and other wild animals.

Supporters of the proposal claim that feral dogs have a negative impact on the environment, as they (1) kill wild animals, (2) upset the balance of the ecosystem, (3) transmit diseases to wild animals, (4) compete with wild animals for preys, (5) breed with closely related species.

The proposal actually embraces the demand of livestock breeders, who claim that feral dogs attack and kill their animals. It seems likely that the concern of the bill supporters regarding the welfare of wildlife is just an excuse, considering the economic interests of farmers and hunters.

WHY OIPA CHILE IS PROTESTING

Many dogs that are considered feral are actually owned dogs that are allowed to roam freely and unsupervised. In most cases, attacks to livestock and wild fauna are committed by owned free-roaming dogs – not by feral ones. Therefore, the root cause of the problem has to be sought in irresponsible pet ownership. Instead of exterminating these creatures (which is basically like sweeping dust under the rug), Chile should invest in educating people on pet ownership. Anyone who owns or wishes to own a dog should register and microchip their pet, while the veterinary health service should encourage neutering and spaying. The bad habit of dog abandonment is the true origin of the packs of feral dogs.

The application of the bill would increase the risk of indiscriminate killing, giving hunters the opportunity to shoot dogs that are found at least 200 meters from houses. Because it is impossible to determine whether a dog is owned or not only by its appearance, especially from a distance, this rule is a senseless. A real distinction between feral and owned dog can only be made through lab analysis of the feces or the stomach contents. The bill therefore also would allow hunting and killing those dogs that are owned by irresponsible people that let them run free.

Photo: Libera Chile

The existing 21.020 Law regarding responsible pet ownership grants a special legal status to cats and dogs. It provides for mass sterilization, identification of non-owned pets and capture and rehabilitation of dangerous dogs. By correctly implementing this Law and allocating more resources, the “feral dogs” problem would not exist in the country. The legislative proposal therefore goes in the opposite direction of the 21.020 Law, which aims at raising respect for domestic animals and prohibits the use of lethal methods to control the canine population. It makes no sense to punish pet abandonment and require owners to take good care of their pets while, on the other side, authorizing dog hunting.

Legalizing the killing of dogs is a step back. It is a savage proposal that will not solve the problem. The real solution would be responsible ownership and sterilization of both owned and non-owned dogs, not hunting or mass killing.  Dogs should never pay the price of the irresponsible conduct of their owners and the lack of effective measures by the government.

NO A LA LEY DE CAZA DE PERROS!

L'articolo DOG HUNTING BILL DEBATED IN CHILEAN PARLIAMENT: OIPA CHILE PROTESTS proviene da OIPA.

Upon arrival in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, Che spoke with some locals and discovered that a group of five dogs living near the beach were threatened by a man named Jim, who lives in the city and has been protecting the local sea turtles for over ten years. Because the stray dogs had been destroying the turtles’ nests and feeding on the eggs and young, Jim’s intention was to kill the dogs. Che then decided to meet with Jim, who finally agreed that the best way to protect both the dogs and the turtles would be to transfer the dogs in a shelter.

To protect the stray dogs’ safety, Che met with the National Director of Livestock and the National President of Veterinary Associations. They both pledged support to the mission of ensuring welfare of companion animals and encouraged him to set up an animal welfare organization in order to acquire the authorization of the Government to manage the population of stray dogs and open a rescue center, although this could require some time.

After the authorization will be given, the project will involve catching, neutering or spaying and vaccinating Gabon’s stray dogs and building a rescue center where they can safely live. Furthermore, it will be important to raise awareness about animal welfare among the population.

Given that in Gabon there are no laws that protect companion animals, let alone strays, we must act quickly to guarantee the dogs’ safety.

This is only the first step: the animals need your help! You can make a difference in the life of Gabon’s stray dogs by making a donation to our cause. All the support is precious!

L'articolo HELPING STRAY DOGS IN GABON proviene da OIPA.

The officers had received many reports claiming that loud and continuous whimpering could be heard coming from a garage in the yard of a small apartment building in town. When the OIPA officers arrived, they discovered a very disturbing scene: the dog was so trapped in that lump of dirt and hair that he could not even move, see, hear or smell. The only recognizable part of his body was the mouth with very few teeth.

The coordinator of the OIPA Brescia animal control officers, Iride Serramondi, stated “Unlike what was claimed by the owners, the condition in which we found the animal was a result of who knows how many years of neglect. Owning a dogs first of all means taking care of it, always: this is why this kind of mistreatment, which causes extreme suffering, should be severely punished”.

Giving the exceptional seriousness of the situation, the OIPA officers immediately called a veterinarian and promptly seized the animal. The dog is now in custody of the municipal dog shelter where, after being carefully examined and groomed, he was diagnosed with dermatitis and hearing and sight problems. The owners have been charged with detention of an animal in circumstances that are not compatible with its nature and causing severe suffering.

If you want to support his recovery, make a donation!  Causal: OIPA Brescia

L'articolo LOCKED IN A DARK GARAGE, ENTIRELY COVERED WITH LAYERS OF DIRT, FECES AND HAIRS: THE OIPA BRESCIA ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS SEIZED AN ELDERLY DOG proviene da OIPA.

When our volunteer Emanuela saw him while driving, she immediately stopped and came towards him.

The dog was exhausted and tuck into the food and water he was given by Emanuela.

The dog exhibited a deep inflamed lesion around his neck, a sure sign of an extremely tight collar.

He was loaded on the car without question and brought to the vet, who stated that his condition was quite critical: his neck wound was infested with maggots, he had a terribly high temperature, he was anaemic. He was checked out and treated by the vet without protest. He was immediately administered intravenous antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, vitamins, and painkillers.

Oscar is around ten years old and we do not know anything about his past. For sure, his life hasn’t been a happy one, at least until now. Maybe he was abandoned because he was too old, or maybe he managed to escape. Whatever his story is, OIPA volunteers will do everything to help get Oscar’s mind off it all.

Oscar requires to be hospitalized for one week because he must remain under medical supervision and needs intravenous therapy and other treatments.

As soon as he feels better, OIPA volunteers will look for a very special forever family for him.

OIPA volunteers are covering all Oscar’s medical costs. Please help them, make a donation! Causal: OIPA Tunisia – Oscar

L'articolo OIPA TUNISIA, EVERY DAY A NEW EMERGENCY proviene da OIPA.

For this, our volunteers have to fight every single day against the ignorance and malice of people and institutions.

Below you can read the stories of some of the dogs rescued and treated by OIPA volunteers.

JOY spent her first few years with a shepherd. For a dog, life is not easy when owned by this kind of people.

 Kept in chains, neglected and underfed, she also had her tail docked. Our volunteers managed to persuade him to give them the dog. Joy recovered well and after she got her strength up, she has been sterilized.

She has been moved to a shelter, all on our volunteers’ money. She cannot live on the street because it is too dangerous. The Tunisian institutions still shoot dogs, and so do many private individuals. Many people still and foolishly believe that dogs are impure creatures. Definitely, Tunisia is not a safe place for them.

MICKY

This puppy was found in the conditions you can see in the video: dragging himself along the roadside, frightened and totally alone.

The vet said that he had almost certainly been bitten by one or more dogs. He was quarantined in a volunteer’s backyard. We have done everything to get him back on his paws… physical therapy, punctures…

After the quarantine lifted, we helped him socialize with other dogs because after a long period of isolation he was terrified of dogs.

Micky can run and play now…even if his paw plays tricks on him once in a while.

Micky has had a troubled past, but now he is a socialized and sweet dog.  He is actually living in a shelter, waiting for a forever family.

And lastly, a happy-ending story

This is SAMI. Someone locked him up in a sewer pipe, leaving him to die. OIPA volunteer Emanuela heard his moans, but could not find a way to free him easily. She has therefore decided to feed and water him through a hole.

Fortunately, it did not take a long time to earn his trust. After a few days, she finally got him out of what could have been his tomb. Sami is now happily adopted!!

If you wish to contribute to supporting Micky, Joyand their treatments make a donation to OIPA. Don’t forget to specify the purpose of the payment: OIPA TUNISIA

L'articolo JOY, MICKY AND SAMI: THREE NICE DOGS RESCUED BY OIPA IN TUNISIA proviene da OIPA.

Wasting food is not a common habit among animals, even though it has been observed with a certain frequency in fruit-eating animals such as monkeys. However, no detailed survey on this particular behaviour had been carried out until now.

In this study, researchers focused on parrots, wondering whether if food wasting happened among all species and habitats and it was an accidental or voluntary behaviour.

It was found that food wasting is a widespread behaviour found in all the 103 studied parrot species, despite some differences among them and the period of the year. Wasting is more frequent during the non-breeding season, in exotic plant species and on unripe fruits or seeds.

The study emphasizes the important implications of food wasting for the species involved – not only parrots but also plants and other species that feed on wasted food – and for the functioning of the ecosystem in its whole.

The study discovered that parrots have a much more important role for the conservation of the ecosystems than previously thought, especially in the light of the current scenario of the global change where forest recovery may depend on the efficiency of seed dispersal. Thus, parrots play their part in protecting the tropical habitats and therefore the conservation efforts for the environment should also be directed to parrots. Indeed, many parrot species are highly endangered with extinction.

It seems that this particular behaviour may benefit other species. Parrots act as seed-dispersers, pollinators or plant healers. Dropped fruits or seeds become available to ground dwelling animals that otherwise cannot benefit from them. Besides eating them, these species can also act as secondary dispersers.

The quantities of wasted food are quite large: in the wild, parrots wasted 11.8% of the fruits and 14.6% of the seeds that they handled; while the percentage of waste by parrots held in captivity was higher (21.2%).

Parrots waste less fruit and seeds during the non-breeding season; this is probably related to the higher nutritional requirements that individual have while raising chicks.

The habit of wasting food benefits smaller species, thanks to parrots’ ability to open hard fruits and leave them partially consumed and thus available for other species. They waste plenty of half-eaten fruits, reducing the original size or breaking hard fruit parts thus allowing their consumption by smaller size animals.

This report shows a nice but fundamental habit of parrots, amazing animals that play an altruistic role towards smaller animals, plants and the whole ecosystem.

Click here to read the full report

L'articolo PARROTS: THE STRANGE HABIT OF THROWING FOOD AWAY proviene da OIPA.

But she felt lonely and suffered from major depression. One day, last Thursday, she made her final decision. She slit her wrists at her place in front of her beloved four-legged friends.

When her friends realised what was happening, it was already too late. Her last words were for her pets. With her last forces, she asked her friend Margarita to take care of her pets and look for a new family for them.

She had fifteen pets: 10 dogs and 5 cats; all of them had been rescued from the street.

Even in the pain for their loss of a friend, OIPA and freelance volunteers jumped into action to find a forever family to Karin’s pets. OIPA vice-representative Angela featured in a TV program (‘Coffee Break’, Canal 21) and told the story of Karin and her pets.

Fortunately, and thanks to the efforts of the volunteers, ALL Karin’s pets have been adopted in a few days! We are very sure she would have been happy to see this.

The sad story of Karin should make us reflect: it may be wise to consider, who will look after my pet when I die? You cannot simply assume your pet will be taken on by friends or family members. Actually this doesn’t happen that often.

For this, it is a wide idea to include your pets in your will. Also, you should have a real conversation with your family members about looking after your pets, so as to be sure that your pet’s welfare is taken into account when you pass away.

It is a big responsibility to have one or more pets, and if we really love them, we have a moral duty to plan for our pets after we are gone.

A warm hug to Karin’s family and friends – both human and nonhuman.

Read more about OIPA activities in Chile here 

L'articolo AFTER THEIR OWNER DIES, 15 PETS REMAIN ALONE. OIPA CHILE INTERVENES proviene da OIPA.

The most violent clashes occurred in Santiago, but protests happened all over the nation.

This situation of unrest is something new and of difficult understanding for the many free-roaming dogs that populate the Chilean streets. Just think that an estimated 253 thousand stray dogs live in Chile, most of them in urban areas.

OIPA has a team of volunteers in Chillán, the capital city of the Ñuble Region, central Chile. Over the most turbulent days, they have rescued dogs who are in greater danger – puppies, old, fat and with impaired mobility ones. They have then brought the dogs in a safe place, a creperie with a large outdoor area where dogs have been sheltered during the “hottest” days.

Indeed, the use of tear-gas during demonstrations poses a danger to the life and health of free-roaming dogs, which wander the streets in complete panic. Moreover, fear can sometimes also turn the most peaceful dog in a nasty one. Fortunately, people who are protesting often take care of stray dogs and do their best to make them safe.

Solidarity among protesters and stray dogs has a long tradition in Chile.

In 2011, Chile was in the wave of student protests. One day, a stray dog joined the young protesters in a demonstration. Nice with the students, he was instead aggressive towards the Chilean police officers.

He soon became known as “Negro Matapacos” – a slang for black cop-killer. He has then continued to take part in protests for years.

Negro Matapacos remains an icon, the canine face of socialism and revolution.

A big thank you to Samuel, Angela and all other volunteers that are taking care of stray dogs in such a turbulent time.

If you want to support OIPA Chile and our rescue operation, please make a donation here. Remember to earmark your donation for “OIPA Chile”

L'articolo CHILE PROTESTS: OIPA RESCUES THE MOST VULNERABLE DOGS proviene da OIPA.

Our volunteers had a few busy and intense weeks!!

Through an awareness campaign run in five primary schools, we reached a high number of pupils and taught them the 5 freedoms of animals and some tips on how to best connect with pets.

We also educated rural communities on responsible pet ownership and provided free treatment and vaccines to over 40 cats and dogs in need through our mobile clinic. In our previous campaigns, we realised that older people are often unable to bring their pets to the venue. They love their pets, but despite this, a lack of financial means and difficulty in moving makes it impossible for them to provide good medical assistance to their companions. For this, we spent a few days to visiting pets owned by the elderly in their own homes, where cats and dogs were vaccinated and treated against bacterial infection.

Thanks again to AKI for financing our activities! 

Read more about OIPA activities in Cameroon here

L'articolo SPREADING RESPECT FOR DOMESTIC ANIMALS IN CAMEROON proviene da OIPA.