Exposing animal cruelty and promoting humane farming: 15 years of speaking up for animals, now this animal rights group faces closure
The Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST), founded 15 years ago, has long focused on animal welfare. It once climbed a tree to secretly film cattle being abused and force-fed water before slaughter, and exposed Uni-President and Wei Chuan for using inhumane battery-cage eggs while passing them off as friendly farming, prompting the Council of Agriculture to publish guidelines for friendly egg production. But busy speaking up for animals, it had no time to speak for itself. Chen Yu-min, director of EAST, revealed that because of a shortfall of more than one million in fundraising, the group recently had no choice but to start unpaid leave, hoping to recruit 300 regular donors who each donate 200 yuan a month, so that the slow-speaking EAST can keep fighting.
Climbing a tree to secretly film, exposing the abuse of water-stuffed cattle
If journalists were to vote for their favorite civil society group, EAST might rank in the top three. Founded in 1999, the Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan is one of the few NGOs in the country with investigative capability. Its press conferences are always very "meaty"; besides attaching all kinds of government statistics, it also goes deep into the "opponent's" site to bring back first-hand evidence. Most animal protection groups in Taiwan focus on stray cats and dogs; EAST is one of the few groups in Taiwan that focuses on farm animals, laboratory animals, and exhibition animals.
In June this year, Apple Daily exposed the Fubo slaughterhouse in New Taipei City for injecting water into cattle after slaughter to increase weight and sell at a better price. In fact, two years earlier EAST had already held a press conference, releasing video of the Fubo slaughterhouse and the public Shanhua meat market piercing cattle noses with wire and inserting tubes into cattle stomachs to pump in water. This was the result of half a year of work, risking their lives to climb trees and film secretly.
In fact, as early as 2001, EAST called on the Council of Agriculture to resolve the chaos in cattle slaughter. After more than 10 years of effort, the Council of Agriculture only issued regulations in 2012 requiring slaughterhouses to install networked surveillance cameras. When Apple Daily once again exposed the Fubo slaughterhouse this year, officials from the Council of Agriculture came to the EAST office the very next day to ask whether they had any relevant information.
In recent years EAST has repeatedly called for the gradual abolition of battery-cage eggs, prompting the Council of Agriculture this year to issue the "Definition and Guidelines for Friendly Egg Production Systems", low-interest loans for the transition to friendly farming, and more. Bai Deng-wen, a farmer raising free-range chickens in Nantou, said gratefully that EAST does not just follow media topics, but truly helps small farmers find sales channels, and often calls to ask about sales. Officials from the Council of Agriculture have also praised EAST more than once as "a group you can communicate with," one that does not play on people's emotions about animals but tries to help improve the system.
Short of more than one million in funding, hoping to recruit regular donors
Next year EAST will continue its main themes of farm animals, laboratory animals, and humanely raised eggs. Its newest issue is promoting the relaxation of sow stalls. Many pregnant sows are confined in small stalls to give birth and nurse, but because the space is too small, this has in recent years sparked international controversy over humane treatment.
Besides donating money, people can also show support through action. Couples planning to marry can join EAST's "Searching for the Wings of Happiness" campaign and respond by not serving shark fin at wedding banquets. EAST will provide free eco-friendly bags sponsored by another foundation, and can even customize them with wedding photos printed on them, producing a unique newspaper for the couple.
Support the Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan http://www.east.org.tw/sponsorship_type.php
Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan 2014 work reporthttp://www.east.org.tw/FCKuplo…/…/2014-ISSUES/20141208-1.pdf
Support environmentally friendly eggshttp://www.east.org.tw/that_content.php?s_id=6&m_id=27&id=419