Fréttir
21.4.2010
Fréttatilkynning frá Dýraverndarsambandi Íslands vegna húsdýrahalds á gossvæðum og víðar
Aðalfundur Dýraverndarsambands Íslands, haldinn í Kópavogi 17.apríl 2010, hvetur bændur og aðra eigendur húsdýra á gossvæðum á Suðurlandi til að fylgjast vel með og fara í hvívetna eftir ráðleggingum Matvælastofnunar um hýsingu allra húsdýra, þar með útigangshrossa, eftir því sem tök eru á. Í ljósi þeirrar hættu sem velferð og heilsu dýra stafar af eldgosum og öskufalli, jafnvel langt frá gosstað, er þeim eindregnu óskum beint til hrossabænda og annarra eigenda hrossa um land allt sem ekki hafa húsaskjól fyrir öll sín hross að gera átak til úrbóta. Reynslan hefur sýnt að áhrifa af eldgosum getur gætt víða um land og því er mikilvægt að gera ráðstafanir í tíma og vera á varðbergi. Þá vonast Dýraverndarsambandið til að á næstu árum verði komið upp viðunandi húsakosti fyrir öll hross í landinu og þannig uppfyllt eitt af grundvallarmarkmiðum dýraverndarsamtaka allt frá formlegri stofnun þeirra hér á landi árið 1914, enda undirstriki núverandi hamfarir nauðsyn og mikilvægi þessa markmiðs.
A short report in English on the volcanic eruption in Iceland and its threats to animal welfare
The volcanic eruption which started in Eyjafjallajökull close to the south coast of Iceland on 14 April has devastated pastures,hayfields and other arable land on several cattle,sheep and horse farms located close to the glacier which is historcally known for its volcanic activity. The powdery,grey lava ash,also disrupting air traffic in Europe,is both a welfare and a health risk to animals ,may damage both the respiratory and alimentary tracts and cause flourine poisoning which may upset the calcium balance of the body and cause other health problems. With lambing and foaling mainly taking place in May, and bearing in mind several harmful effects of previous eruptions, females in late pregnancy and during lactation are particularly susceptible. Our General Meeting,held on 17 April, has sent the above declaration ,summarized here, to the news media in Iceland urging farmers and other owners of domestic animals in the affected areas to take note of and follow the instructions of the Food and Veterinary Authority of Iceland which empasizes the need for housing and indoor feeding of all livestock. Due to the large numbers of horses and insufficient housing space for them several horses have been evacuated and moved to safe pastures or are housed elsewhere. Changes in the direction winds are blowing could cause contamination of farm land in other parts of the country,even hundreds of kilometers away.
Therefore we are urging those owners of horses in Iceland who have not secured sufficient and suitable buildings for all their animals to aim for improvements, as soon as poissible, and not later than within the next few years . It has always been one of the fundamental aims of our society since its foundation in 1914 to encourage all livestock keepers to provide housing for all their livestock in our country of ice and fire. Fortunately, no farm animals have died so far but there is a great strain on the farmers and their families looking after their livestock and having at the same time to face the serious damage of their land and farms as a whole. There is a strong feeling of solidarity throughout this community and the country at large and the Government of Iceland and several other official bodies, as well as NGO bodies, are providing emergency support.
ÓRD 20/04/10 dyravernd@dyravernd.is