newsinsightplus.com
- 130000.Herds
- 2007AttributionSoundsBruce
- April 2, 2024
- 0 Comments
BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaBotswana offers to send 20,000 elephants to GermanyPublished6 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Jacqueline HowardBBC NewsThe president of Botswana has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in a political dispute.Earlier this year, Germany’s environment ministry suggested there should be stricter limits on importing hunting trophies. Botswana’s president Mokgweetsi Masisi told German media this would only impoverish Botswanans. He said elephant numbers had exploded as a result of conservation efforts, and hunting helped keep them in check.Germans should “live together with the animals, in the way you are trying to tell us to”, Mr Masisi told German newspaper Bild. The country is home to about a third of the world’s elephant population – more than 130,000.Herds were causing damage to property, eating crops and trampling residents, he told Bild.Botswana has previously given 8,000 elephants to countries such as Angola, and has offered hundreds more to Mozambique, as a means of bringing the population down.”We would like to offer such a gift to Germany,” Mr Masisi said, adding it was not a joke and he would not take no for an answer.Botswana banned trophy hunting in 2014, but lifted the restrictions in 2019 after facing pressure from local communities. The country now issues annual hunting quotas, saying that it provides a good source of income for the local community and that the practise is licensed and strictly controlled.It has previously considered using elephants for pet food.Germany is the EU’s largest importer of African elephant trophies, and hunting trophies overall, according to a 2021 report by the Humane Society International.’I’m afraid that elephants will kill me’Elephant ‘corridors’ – where locals take care to crossA spokeswoman for the environment ministry in Berlin told the AFP news agency that Botswana had not raised any concerns with Germany on the matter.”In light of the alarming loss of biological diversity, we have a special responsibility to do everything to ensure the import of hunting trophies is sustainable and legal,” she said.The ministry, however, remained in talks with African countries affected by import rules, including Botswana, the spokeswoman said.Australia, France and Belgium are among countries that have banned the trade in hunting trophies.In March, UK MPs voted to support a ban on importing hunting trophies, but the legislation has further scrutiny to pass before becoming law.A pledge to ban the import of hunting trophies was included in the Conservatives’ 2019 general election manifesto.Related TopicsGermanyBotswanaMore on this storyElephant ‘corridors’ – where locals take care to crossPublished6 August 2023’I’m afraid that elephants will kill me’Published13 May 2023Botswana holds elephant hunting auctionsPublished7 February 2020Botswana lifts ban on elephant huntingPublished22 May 2019Top StoriesLive. Three British aid workers killed in Gaza namedWhat do we know about the aid convoy strike?Published1 hour agoJK Rowling hate law posts not criminal, police sayPublished4 hours agoFeaturesWho were the seven aid workers killed in Gaza?’I was deepfaked by my best friend’Brain injury: ‘How digger accident left me with depression’The sailors still stranded on ship that crashed into bridgeWhen is it going to stop raining?AttributionWeather’There is space for black women in comedy’JK Rowling and the Scottish hate crime law. AudioJK Rowling and the Scottish hate crime lawAttributionSoundsLulu: I don’t speak before 12 noon. I’m not lyingWhy all Olympic curling stones come from a Scottish island. VideoWhy all Olympic curling stones come from a Scottish islandElsewhere on the BBCOne of the most talented bands to never make it…Why did trailblazers Microdisney fail to achieve the commercial success they deserved?AttributioniPlayer’He’s confused popularity with respect’Another chance to listen to Ricky Gervais on Desert Island Discs in 2007AttributionSoundsBruce Lee as you’ve never seen him beforeTen defining pictures throw a unique lens onto an extraordinary lifeAttributioniPlayerTime to learn and laughPaul Sinha improves your general knowledge with fascinating facts and hilarious storiesAttributionSoundsMost Read1Afrobeats star Davido to sue over April Fool’s joke2JK Rowling hate law posts not criminal, police say3Husband told ashes are not his wife’s4Wanted man, 80, arrested after 27 years on the run5Taylor Swift joins world’s billionaire list6Dozens dead in Istanbul nightclub fire7Who were the seven aid workers killed in Gaza?8People should not be arrested for smelling – minister9Billie Eilish and Nicki Minaj want stop to ‘predatory’ AI10Roman Kemp left Capital to stop reliving tragic day
[ad_1] Germany wants tougher limits on hunting the animals, but Botswana says it has too many of them.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityBusinessMarket DataEconomyYour MoneyCompaniesTechnology of BusinessCEO SecretsArtificial IntelligenceIndia’s army of gold refiners face new competitionPublished1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, World Gold CouncilImage caption, India has thousands of workshops which melt down goldBy Priti GuptaMumbaiRefining gold has a long history in the family of Satish Pratap Salunke.Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, he and his business collect scrap gold from jewellers, melt it down and sell it back to the jewellers in the form of gold bars.He has two refineries, one in Kochi in the southern state of Kerala and the other in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. Relatives have refineries elsewhere in the south of India.”Every day my refiners on an average melt two to three kilograms of gold,” he says.Almost every town in India will have at least one small refinery similar to those run by Mr Salunke. It is known as the “unorganised” refining sector, which distinguishes it from big refiners who make gold bars and coins from imported, unrefined gold.It is estimated that, in total, Indian households hold a massive 25,000 tonnes of gold, and some of that is always available for sale, particularly when the price of gold is high or the economy is bad and people want to raise some cash.Jewellers may process returned gold themselves but will often use small refiners who will make the gold back into bars.Image source, Satish SalunkeImage caption, Satish Salunke says jewellers like to work with small refiners as they work fastMr Salunke says local jewellers like to deal with small refiners like his, because they work quickly and are happy to accept cash. “Most jewellers prefer buying gold from us, as we are based in every city with small units. A jeweller can take back his refined gold in a few hours, not like big refiners who will take days to refine the recycled gold.”According to the World Gold Council, of the 900 tonnes of gold refined in India in 2023, 117 came from recycled sources.But that recycling market is being eyed up by India’s big industrial gold refiners. They have expanded in recent years, spurred on by favourable import duties on their main source of gold – imported, unrefined gold known as gold doré.Between 2013 and 2021, India’s large-scale refiners increased their capacity from 300 to 1,800 tonnes of gold a year.But it is difficult for them to import enough unrefined gold to keep their refineries running. In fact, less than 50% of their refining capacity is used, according to Harshad Ajmera, secretary of the Association of Gold Refiners and Mints.So big refiners have been opening scrap collection centres in big cities, hoping to scoop up unwanted gold and turn it into high-quality bars.”At present most of the recycling of gold is done by the unorganised sector [small refiners] – that has to change,” says Mr Ajmera.More technology of businessCould AI take the grind out of accountancy?‘I want to help people fly – and keep them safe’How Temu is shaking-up the world of online shoppingCan Stockholm keep its edge in the music industry?Could product passports revolutionise the way we shop?He wants India to become a global hub for gold refining, which would mean importing more unrefined gold and for the big firms to take over more of the gold recycling.”Switzerland is the world’s largest gold refining centre and transit hub. We want India also to be in the same position,” says Mr Ajmera.CGR Metalloys is one of India’s leading gold refiners, refining about 150 tonnes of gold a year.Like the other big players, it has the latest equipment for gold smelting and refining, which it says is better for the environment and can guarantee the purity of its gold to extremely high levels. “The refined bullion is analysed to the highest levels of accuracy, on various methods of gold assaying,” says James Jose, managing director at CGR.It has opened three gold recycling centres in the state of Kerala.”Indian refineries have a huge capacity… we have huge overheads. So setting up collection centres will increase the flow of scrap gold. This will help increase my output by 30% to 40%,” says Mr Jose.In recent years, the government has become more involved in the refining industry. In 2020 the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) introduced a range of standards for gold bars including purity, weight, markings and dimensions.BIS-approved refiners can sell their bars to the commodity markets.”The industry is gradually shifting towards greater organisation and efficiency, led by established refineries licensed by the Bureau of Indian Standards, which is setting trusted benchmarks for refined gold products, which will make India a global hub,” says Somasundaram PR, the chief executive of the World Gold Council India.Some figures suggest that smaller refiners are losing ground. According to consultancy Metals Focus, in 2015 between 70 and 75% of the recycling industry was unorganised; by 2021 this had declined to between 60 and 65%.Image source, World Gold CouncilImage caption, Small refiners are facing more competition from big playersThe moves made by big recycling firms do not concern Mr Salunke much – he says he knows his customers.”Local jewellers are not willing to pay a recycling cost which is too much beyond what we charge,” he says.And, like other smaller refiners, Mr Salunke has also been investing in modern refining technology.They are moving away from using nitric acid to purify gold, instead switching to Aqua Regia, which is less polluting. “The gold recycled by us is as pure as gold recycled by an organised refinery,” says Mr Salunke. “Now we have a testing facility to check the purity, so it would be wrong to say we cannot refine gold into its purest form.”Related TopicsRecyclingIndiaTechnology of BusinessGoldTop StoriesJeffrey Donaldson: From the White House to Antrim police stationPublished5 hours agoMan arrested as hostage situation in Dutch bar endsPublished1 hour agoStabbed Iranian TV host’s station ‘faced threats’Published3 hours agoFeaturesWhy are electric car fires so hard to deal with?Seven bills going up and one going down in April’I drove 14 hours to see a Banksy for 10 minutes’AI photos show people with cancer their lost futureEwan McGregor ‘turned into his grandad’ in new roleThe Papers: DUP leader charged and ‘hefty’ water bill riseThe football pitch that doubles as an execution groundCanada’s drug experiment hits strong oppositionA view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridge. VideoA view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridgeElsewhere on the BBCAmbition, money and deceptionThe scandalous true story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, starring Amanda SeyfriedAttributioniPlayerGet a job, pay the bills. Sounds simple, right?Fresh, surreal comedy from the mind of Lucia KeskinAttributioniPlayerFrom Starman to film star…How did the silver screen inspire David Bowie?AttributioniPlayerCan new evidence solve aviation’s greatest mystery?Ten years after the Malaysian Airlines flight disappeared, new technology may explain whyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Lizzo says she ‘quits’ after ‘lies’ against her2Why are electric car fires so hard to deal with?3From the White House to Antrim police station4Man arrested as hostage situation in Dutch bar ends5Cambridge complete Boat Race double over OxfordAttributionSport6’Escorted through the airport like a criminal’7Seven bills going up and one going down in April8Stabbed Iranian TV host’s station ‘faced threats’9Girl’s death sparks deadly mob violence in Mexico10AI photos show people with cancer their lost future](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/46F6/production/_132966181_img-20240304-wa0005.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCape Town cattle highlight awful conditions on livestock shipsPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Millions of farm animals endure long ocean voyages every yearBy Wedaeli ChibelushiBBC NewsResidents of Cape Town woke up to a pungent, sewage-like smell engulfing their neighbourhoods on Monday morning.The source? A ship from Brazil carrying 19,000 cattle had anchored in the South African port city the night before, in order to reload on animal feed.After performing an assessment on board the Al Kuwait, staff from a leading animal welfare organisation, the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA), said the cattle had been on board for two-and-a-half weeks and were living in a “build-up of faeces and ammonia [a gas released from urine]”.Conditions were “awful” and the stench was “unimaginable”, the NSPCA said in its statement.The ship has now left for Iraq but there will still be a funk in the air, campaign groups say. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, The Al Kuwait is heading to Iraq with 19,000 head of cattle on boardThe cattle are just a fraction of the millions of farm animals that endure lengthy journeys in order to be slaughtered and eaten in another country.Animal rights organisations have long complained that conditions on board these ships can be hazardous. They say that, in some cases, creatures have been trampled to death because of overcrowding, while dehydration, disease and hunger are also risks.Defenders of exporting livestock argue that the practice brings food security to importing nations and also financially benefits farming communities in countries that export.A handful of casualties have made headlines in recent years, like when more than 40 crew members and almost 6,000 cattle died after a ship sank of the Japanese coast, or when earlier this month a vessel carrying 16,000 sheep and cattle became stranded off the coast of Australia in extreme heat.Although disasters like these are horrific, “the really bad thing is just the day-to-day suffering” of exported livestock, Peter Stevenson from global animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) told the BBC.The 19,000 cattle that docked in South Africa are part of a much larger herd of Brazilian exports – in 2022 the South American country sent 150,000 live cattle abroad, CIWF estimates. Last year, a Brazilian judge outlawed live cattle exports from the country, citing poor welfare practices, but the ban is yet to be imposed.Australia and the European Union (EU) are also major exporters of livestock, with the latter selling around 4.5 million live farm animals to foreign countries, according to the South African chapter of animal welfare charity Four Paws.In Africa, Somalia and Sudan export the most. Sudan’s authorities said the country exported more than 2.7 million cattle in 2023, despite a raging civil war, according to local media.But why do countries want to import live animals, rather than chilled or frozen meat?”There is a traditional belief in many countries… that fresh meat is in some way tastier, healthier than boxed, chilled or frozen meat,” Mr Stevenson said.Some of these nations would struggle to rear animals from birth as they experience arid conditions that have only worsened with global warming.Australia’s LiveCorp, an organisation serving Australia’s livestock exporters, and AgForce, which represents Queensland’s rural producers, argue that shipping animals contributes to food security in water-stressed regions such as the Middle East. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Campaigners have long protested against the export of livestock across the worldThey also say the export of livestock benefits the Australian economy and farming communities, which can sell their animals for a higher price abroad than they can domestically.Nonetheless, Australia committed to “phasing out” live sheep exports in 2023. It has not set a deadline, however. Its neighbour New Zealand enforced a ban the same year. In Europe, Luxembourg has outlawed the trade and the UK is on its way to doing the same – a bill passed through its lower chamber of parliament, the House of Commons, last month. On Wednesday it will be considered by the upper chamber, the House of Lords. Four Paws notes that as well as hosting a ship full of livestock in its Cape Town port, South Africa exports farm animals itself.”There is insufficient regulation in place and raising animals in the country simply to be transported to be killed in another means that South Africa bears the harmful impacts associated with animal agriculture while the importing country does not,” Fiona Miles, the charity’s South Africa director, said.Not only did the cattle docked in Cape Town cause a nasty stink, they also reminded the world of the risks animals face on the long journeys to our plates.”Animals are sentient beings and feel pain and stress just like we do,” Ms Miles said.You may also be interested in:Millions of donkeys killed each year to make medicineHow undercover sting outwitted pangolin traffickersRelated TopicsAnimal welfareSouth AfricaIraqAround the BBCFocus on Africa podcastsTop StoriesTrident missile test fails for second time in a rowPublished12 minutes agoMartha’s rule to be introduced in some hospitals from AprilPublished1 hour ago’I was raped more than 100 times by grooming gang’Published3 hours agoFeaturesThe strangers who saved each other’s livesThe Papers: Prince’s call for peace and Labour revolt threatThe secret to my Mr Universe title? Potatoes and porridgeBeef trade risks key Brazil ecosystem – campaignersWindsor was ‘a brilliant dancer and a lovely man’The Ethiopian schoolchildren surviving on wild berries. VideoThe Ethiopian schoolchildren surviving on wild berriesHow the stench from a ship has drawn attention to cattle welfareNavalny’s widow faces daunting challengePrince William speaks out on Israel-Gaza conflict. AudioPrince William speaks out on Israel-Gaza conflictAttributionSoundsElsewhere on the BBCFacing impossible choices, what would you do?An ordinary family take on the extraordinary battle of life, death and survivalAttributioniPlayerIs nature better off without us?Discover the wonder of nature and meet the people determined to keep it wonderfulAttributionSounds’I regret posting online that I was Madeleine McCann’Marianna Spring investigates extraordinary cases of online hateAttributionSoundsSix places you might not know were named after peopleDiscover the human stories behind the names of these famous tourist destinationsAttributionBitesizeMost Read1Trident missile test fails for second time in a row2’I was raped more than 100 times by grooming gang’3Hospitals to introduce Martha’s rule from April4Jordan North to replace Roman Kemp as Capital host5Government finances show big surplus in January6Handwritten Hotel California lyrics at heart of trial7Prince’s call for peace and Labour revolt threat8Families’ shock as cost to take pets abroad hiked9The secret to my Mr Universe title? Potatoes and porridge10China says US veto sent wrong message over Gaza](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/469F/production/_132697081_gettyimages-2017181910_976.jpg)
