‘Chief of boar affairs’ to fight damage by wild animals in Nagasaki. And, the other story, the Fukushima Exclusion Zone Pigs.

October 30, 2011

Japanese Wild Boar with her babies

I will start this out with asking you, what word is missing from this article?  That’s right, FERAL.  These are wild animals in Nagasaki.  The timing of this article is clever.  The Government of  Japan is showing a reason why the Fukushima pigs need to be culled.  The issue that the Government of Japan’s Ministry of Environment ‘s Minister, Goshi Hosono, has with the pigs is that the pigs are causing damage to the Fukushima residents property.  The only difference would be that the boars are wild and have not gone through what the Fukushima pigs have gone through to survive.  The wild pigs are not domesticated and have plenty of food to scavenge.  The domesticated pigs that were set free by their owners are not finding cultivated farmer’s fields to eat.  The boar are not subject, yet, to a ” take no survivors” culling campaign.  Their domesticated cousins are enduring an outright slaughter fest, like the one happening in Fukushima.  Did you think that the Government of Japan was not “euthanizing” animals anymore because its not in the news? 

If you did think that, then you are wrong.  The Government of Japan has never stopped ” euthanizing” animals in the Fukushima exclusion zone.  They are catching and killing, I will not use this word, “euthanize” without the quotation marks, since  ” euthanize” is not the correct word to use for the way these animals are killed.  The Government of Japan would have you believe that these animals go down in the proper way that animals are supposed to be euthanized, but the eye-witness reports speak of animals struggling and in great pain before they finally die.  And, it takes them awhile to die.

The Government of Japan does not discriminate, they will put down sows, mother pigs, and all of her babies.  What is unsaid is how many do they take for their “radiation studies” ?

This is from NPO SALA NETWORK via e-mail :

In Minami-Souma City, over 100 cattle were killed in September – not only the cattle forced in the cattle barn, but also those cattle who were freed.  Most of the cattle you can see in our website were already killed, I’m afraid.

Currently, the pigs are captured including baby pigs. They ran even faster than dogs. Big male pigs are also captured because they are dangerous (the government say). After the culling of the pigs, they are going to capture the remaining cattle.

http://www.salanetwork.or.jp/e_index.html

Personally, I think that the farmers in Nagasaki should learn to live with the wild animals and learn methods that will keep them from their crops.  I don’t agree with hunting them.

 

 

‘Chief of boar affairs’ to fight damage by wild animals in Nagasaki

“Chief of boar affairs” Shigeki Hirata, front right, instructs prefectural officials during a workshop in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. (Mainichi)

NAGASAKI — Authorities here have coined a new job position, “chief of boar affairs,” and employed an expert to fill it as part of the prefecture’s efforts to prevent persistent damage caused by the wild animals.

The “chief of boar affairs” will be responsible for suggesting and implementing specific measures to help the prefecture get rid of wild boar-inflicted damage that has become a serious nuisance to residents over the past few years. Duties will also include training of other officials, referred to as “A-level instructors,” for similar purposes.

Since 2004, when the prefecture suffered its greatest ever wild boar-inflicted agricultural losses of approximately 457 million yen, officials have implemented various countermeasures including relaxation of hunting regulations, and beginning in 2006 the appointment of wild animal specialists.

The misbehaving animals, however, have kept coming, causing an estimated 400 million yen in damages in fiscal 2010 — twice the previous year’s numbers.

“Learn to see things from a boar’s perspective,” Shigeki Hirata, the newly appointed “chief of boar affairs” advised aspiring “A-level instructors” during a September workshop in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. Forty-eight people have thus far received “A-level instructor” certification in the training program, which began in fiscal 2009.

Pointing at an approximately 1-meter-high metal fence set up around a farm field near the workshop site, its top tilted outwards, Hirata reminded that a boar’s line of sight is estimated to be about 50 centimeters off the ground. According to his instructions, a tilted fence is more efficient than a straight one, not unlike stone walls surrounding castles that were built tilting outward to ward off rival samurai.

The 40-year-old Hirata, who studied wild boars at the graduate school of the University of Tsukuba, was appointed to the “boar chief” position on Sept. 1, after serving as an expert wildlife advisor to the prefecture.

“There is still a major lack of knowledge of how to prevent wild boar damage and manage protection fences,” Hirata argues. According to him, the animals are quick learners, and that relying on common theories — such as that boars fear cows and that creosol-scented bags chase them away — will in fact have the opposite effect.

Electric fences are also an option for keeping wild boars out, Hirata says, but they can become less effective if weeds grow around them, decreasing the voltage.

According to prefectural estimates, more than 70 percent of the 5,483 reports of agricultural damage inflicted by the animals during fiscal 2010 were from areas where no countermeasures had been taken. Moreover, approximately 60 percent of the sites had no protection fences.

“To prevent further damage we should expand correct measures and promote cooperation among residents,” the chief of boar affairs said.

(Mainichi Japan) October 30, 2011

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/national/news/20111030p2a00m0na005000c.html


How well has the Government of Japan taken care of the Fukushima citizens? Fukushima victims: homeless, desperate and angry.

October 28, 2011

The Government of Japan has always stated that their citizens are a priority when dealing with the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster.  Yet, what the Government of Japan actually practices is one of disregard.  It is only after there is a problem that they rush to address it.  This has been repeated over and over again.  What it indicates is that there is no thought about the Fukushima citizens until there is a  problem.  Then, the Government of Japan runs around putting out the fire it created.  These are citizens of Japan and yet, it is only after the Fukushima citizens become angry that the Government of Japan addresses the problem.   That is, if the Cabinet members aren’t too busy laughing.

The article below describes how the Fukushima citizens feel.  They should cheer up when they find out that they have become research subjects for the Government of Japan’s “world record” study of the effects of Radiation on its population.

Fukushima victims:homeless,desperate and angry

By Yoko Kubota

FUKUSHIMA, Japan | Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:42pm EDT

Oct 18 (Reuters) – At last, victims of Japan’s nuclear crisis can claim compensation. And they are angry.

They are furious at the red tape they have to wade through just to receive basic help and in despair they still cannot get on with their lives seven months after the huge quake and tsunami triggered the world’s worst nuclear disaster in 25 years.

Shouts fill a room at a temporary housing complex where seven officials, kneeling in their dark suits, face 70 or so tenants who were forced to abandon their homes near the Fukushima nuclear plant after some of its reactors went into meltdown after the March 11 quake struck.

“We don’t know who we can trust!” one man yelled in the cramped room where the officials were trying to explain the hugely complex procedures to claim compensation.

“Can we actually go back home? And if not, can you guarantee our livelihoods?”

About 80,000 people were forced to leave their homes by the nuclear crisis.

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Factbox on compensation for victims

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While the owner of the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Co , has made temporary payments to some victims, it was only last month that it finally began accepting applications for compensation.

But the procedure is so complicated that it seems to just make things worse.

After claimants have read a 160-page instruction manual, they then have to fill in a 60-page form and attach receipts for lodging, transportation and medical costs.

“It’s too difficult. I’m going to see how it goes. I don’t want to rush and mess up,” said Toshiyuki Owada, 65, an evacuee from Namie town, about 20 km (12 miles) away from the plant.

Owada is one of many who still has not applied for compensation even though they have lost jobs or businesses and are running out of cash.

COMPLEX AND UNFAIR

The complexity of the task is one deterrent.

There is another — the perception that Tepco is not playing fair.

Confidence in the authorities is low. The government is seen as having bungled its early response to the crisis and being secretive about what was really happening.

Tepco is accused of failing to take sufficient safety measures at the Fukushima plant even though it knew the risks and then deliberately underplaying the extent of the accident.

It is also seen as insensitive.

One clause in the original instruction booklet telling victims they would have to agree to waive their right to challenge the compensation amount in order to receive payment provoked a public uproar.

Chastised by the government, the company promised to drop the clause, issued a simplified 4-page instruction booklet and assigned 1,000 employees to Fukushima prefecture to help victims with the process.

“There may be times when the content is difficult to understand or in some cases our employee in charge may not grasp it fully, but we would like to explain and respond as carefully as possible,” said Tepco spokesman Naoyuki Matsumoto.

A government panel overseeing the compensation scheme estimates claims are likely to reach 3.6 trillion yen ($46.5 billion) in the financial year to next March.

FEW CLAIMANTS

But so far just 7,100 individuals have applied to Tepco for compensation out of the 80,000 it send forms to.

And of the 10,000 businesses in the Fukushima area, a mere 300 have submitted claims.

The company expects a total of 300,000 claims from businesses given that the impact of the radiation crisis has been so widespread.

Victims can sue but that is rare.

Junichi Matsumoto, a Tepco official, said the utility faces about 10 lawsuits so far. He declined to disclose details but said some were seeking more than the firm deemed appropriate.

Yuichi Kaido, an attorney and the secretary-general of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, said lawsuits are considered a last resort in conservative rural northeast Japan.

“In the end, many lawsuits could take place,” he said.

“But the majority is thinking of first speaking with Tokyo Electric or seeking mediation . “

SENSE OF RESIGNATION

The final compensation depends on whether and when victims will be able to return to homes within a 20-km evacuation zone. That question remains unanswered, breeding a growing sense of resignation among evacuees.

Some said they doubt they will ever be able to go home and suggested their entire towns simply be relocated and many worry about long-term health effects of radiation.

An Asahi newspaper poll showed this month that 43 percent of evacuees still want to return, down from 62 percent in June.

For many, what is now on the table — reimbursement for moving and transportation costs associated with evacuating, compensation for damage to health, lost jobs, and psychological suffering — only deepens frustration over what they have lost.

Tokyo Electric said it will pay about 100,000 yen a month for the period to end of August as compensation for psychological trauma. After that, the sum will be halved.

“Evidence that we have lived our lives is completely destroyed and for that, we are told that we will be compensated 100,000 yen for our psychological suffering. That’s it?” said 75-year-old restaurant owner Sumiko Toyoguchi, who had to leave her home in Namie.

“What’s at the root of our frustration is that we cannot see what our tomorrow will be like.” ($1 = 77.365 Japanese Yen) (Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Jonathan Thatcher)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/18/japan-nuclear-compensation-idUSL3E7LC0AZ20111018


Radiation research suggested as way to keep released livestock near nuclear plant alive. Kaichiku Otasuke Tai has a better plan.

October 28, 2011
NPO SALA NETWORK  has been working with Kachiku Otasuke-Tai and have a better plan.  Relocate the cattle to land that can be donated or purchased.  They would like to have the cattle live out their lives in peace.  They have endured so much already.  If you would like to donate or help by signing their petition, you can find Kachiku Otasuke-Tai on Facebook.

From SALA :

A member of animal rescue cooperation network, ”KACHIKU OTASUKE-TAI” (Help Cattle Group), is receiving over 2100 criticism from overeseas (USA, France, UK, Germany, etc.) against the Japanese Central and the Local Governments’ way of treating cattle in the 20km no-go zone near Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The cattle have been long neglected since the disaster and even some of them survive they are to be “destroyed”, some of them have already been.

The suggestion to use the cattle for radiation studies is terrible.  They would have the cattle continue to live in the radioactive environment and watch them slowly degenerate.  There would be too much temptation by the researchers to want to sacrifice an animal for study.  This one stinks.

TEPCO can afford to buy land for the remaining animals to live.  They can subsidize their care, instead of giving themselves bonuses.

Please support the efforts of NPO SALA NETWORK and Kaichiku Otasuke-Tai.

Radiation research suggested as way to keep released livestock near nuclear plant alive
Masami Yoshizawa looks after one of his cows at his farm in Fukushima Prefecture. (Photo courtesy of the Kibo-no-Bokujo -- Fukushima Project)

Masami Yoshizawa looks after one of his cows at his farm in Fukushima Prefecture. (Photo courtesy of the Kibo-no-Bokujo — Fukushima Project)

KORIYAMA, Fukushima — Pursuing research on radiation’s effects on animals has been suggested as a way to keep livestock animals roaming the no-entry zone near the disaster-hit Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant from being killed or starving in the harsh winter.

Nearly 2,000 cows and other livestock are estimated to still be in the 20-kilometer radius no-entry zone around the crippled power plant.

The plan is being pushed by members of the citizens’ group “Kibo-no-Bokujo — Fukushima Project” (ranch of hope — Fukushima project). On Oct. 21, around 30 people including local livestock farmers, government legislators and veterinarians met in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, to discuss the issue.

Masami Yoshizawa, 57, who has about 330 high-quality beef cow at his livestock farm situated in the no-entry zone, said he cannot bear to abandon the animals.

“I know the cows have lost their economic value since they’ve been exposed to radiation. But I think there must be a way to allow them to live. As a cattle breeder, I cannot leave them to die,” he said. “We have to catch them by winter.”

Yoshizawa has gotten permission from the government to regularly return to his livestock farm to feed his animals. He says that every time, livestock other than his own also come seeking food.

Meanwhile, a 54-year-old woman who had beef cattle in the no-entry zone said tearfully, “I freed 30 of my cows before evacuating. I believe they’re still alive.”

There have also, however, been reports of cows and pigs that are now living wild making their way into residents’ left-behind homes.

To keep the animals alive while preventing damage to resident’s property, the Kibo-no-Bokujo — Fukushima Project is working on a plan to enclose the animals on Yoshizawa’s farm, where researchers will use them to observe the effects of radiation on large mammals. They are planning to get help from universities and other research institutes.

Earlier, in May of this year, university researchers asked the central government to let livestock exposed to radiation in Fukushima Prefecture live for use in research. Senior Vice Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Nobutaka Tsutsui expressed support for the idea, but almost no concrete measures have been mapped out.

According to the Kibo-no-Bokujo — Fukushima Project, there were approximately 3,500 cows, 30,000 pigs and 680,000 chickens remaining in the 20-kilometer radius no-entry zone, which got that designation on April 22. On May 12, the government decided to slaughter all livestock in the zone, and it has so far killed about 300 cows. Most of the pigs and chickens are believed to have died from lack of water and food without people to look after them. Not counting any remaining chicken, there are estimated to be somewhat less than 2,000 animals left, mostly cows.

(Mainichi Japan) October 25, 2011

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111025p2a00m0na012000c.html

 http://www.salanetwork.or.jp/e_index.html
http://ameblo.jp/helpcow/