Events

On this Page, you will find all events that are organized and held by the Institute of Animal Law of Asia.

All our webinars are pre-recorded and can be found on our YouTube Channel.

There is a very high probability that nonhuman animals will continue to exist for a very long time. Accordingly, the impact we can have by acting in ways that reduce the chances that the future is negative for all sentient beings may be very important. This is so, in particular, because there are risks that in the future the situation of animals becomes even worse than in the present: both animal exploitation and wild animal suffering can be expanded, and new forms of harming nonhuman sentient beings may appear. This means that we should take very seriously the task of researching and implementing a longtermist strategic approach.

The event was organized under the Project “Amplifying the Interests of Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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Despite the fact that dog meat consumption is not part of the mainstream food culture of China, the eating habit is driven by the country's dog meat traders who rely on a host of illegal and other activities to sustain their trading operation. The dog meat trade has turned China into a "civil war." China has no animal protection laws, it has no laws against animal cruelty. Should China sit still and wait for the enactment of animal protection laws or are there any laws that can be used to go after illegal activities involved in the trade? In this presentation, Dr. Peter Li discussed China's controversial dog meat industry and the existence of alternative legal measures that can be used to prosecute and hold the traders responsible.

The event was organized under the Project “Amplifying the Interests of Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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In this presentation, Ms. Richey gave an update on the global shark crisis and look at the current status of shark conservation efforts to reduce consumption and change behavior, especially in Hong Kong and the Asia region.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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In What Can Animal Law Learn From Environmental Law?, Professor Abate has assembled an experienced team of 36 academics, advocates, and legal professionals from the environmental and animal law fields to examine the experiences of these two fields. This presentation addressed some of the key themes of the book’s coverage and provided case studies from the book’s chapters to illustrate how animal law can learn from environmental law and how the two fields can work together to secure mutual gains.

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The use of wild animals for display and performance in China and Vietnam continues to rise with the development of many new ocean parks and entertainment facilities displaying animals captured from the wild, this is leading to widespread welfare issues for animals that have been live caught, transported and forced to perform. Many other animals are bred and trained for the terrestrial circus industry and elephant tourism industry causing further welfare issues.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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This presentation discussed what are legal rights for animals, discuss the two primary paths forward, and how dogs, because of their emotional attachment with humans, are creating the first intrusion into the real-world arena of legal rights. Legal rights will arise because of the logic of protecting other beings who are like humans or because of the emotional attachment to non-human animals that are now part of the core of millions of families; logic or emotion. In the United States, the state legislatures are being to acknowledge that companion animals can and should be recognized as individuals with interests and needs apart from their human companions.

The event was organized under the Project “Amplifying the Interests of Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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In this presentation, Dr. Lori Marino discussed the concept of nonhuman personhood from a philosophical and legal perspective focusing on the extensive scientific evidence that shows many animals meet the definition of personhood used in the law to protect human beings. She also discussed the ways human cognitive biases and psychological defense mechanisms prevent nonhuman personhood from being accepted both legally and philosophically and why this concept is important for recognizing the independent rights of other animals beyond welfare.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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In this presentation, Dr. Maria Baideldinova described the currently existing legal provisions, which regulate the creation and functioning of dolphinariums in Kazakhstan, identified the gaps, and discussed the perspectives of legislative developments in this sphere.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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Protecting animals of all species requires understanding the unique political, economic, and cultural context of the target community which varies from country to country, and conservation of marine ecosystems is no different. While speciesism is the dominant worldview and prevalent even in most animal protection movements, the success of sea life protections requires a shift in that paradigm. Cat Besch discussed how we can redirect the discourse to animal rights solutions that are better tailored to regional needs that also work for all species, including humans.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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Some sharks, rays, and chimaera are top predators, and others are harmless filter feeders, but most are poorly understood. Yet it is known that many of them play an important role in our marine ecosystems but are under increasing pressure, largely from fishing. In this presentation, Erika introduced these amazing animals, outlined their importance and conservation status, and explored threats to them, as well as explained the laws for their conservation and management.


The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”


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In this presentation, Jamie Woodhouse explained what Sentientism is, where it came from, why everyone should agree with it, and how it can help us fix all of the world’s problems – for non-human and human sentients alike.

 

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”


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Common practices in aquaculture and fisheries infringe on fish welfare and cause prolonged suffering. This presentation covered the status of aquaculture and fisheries, how these industries handle fish, and what can be done to improve fishes’ welfare in these systems.

 

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”


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In this presentation, Maddy Dawe, the Campaigns Coordinator of the Humane League UK, discussed how aquatic animals have the capacity to suffer much like our companion animals, and the welfare issues associated with our consumption of fish and other aquatic species. She also talked about the importance of urgently protecting aquatic animals in the legal system, the current situation for aquatic animals in UK law, and how The Humane League UK is working to change the lives of fish for the better.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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In this presentation, Professor Gary Francione, the Board of Governors Professor of Law at Rutgers University School of Law, discussed the six principles of the Abolitionist theory he has pioneered.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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In this presentation, Kevin Schneider, the Executive Director of the Nonhuman Rights Project (NhRP), talked about the NhRP's work, discussed what it means to be a legal "thing" with no rights instead of a legal "person" with fundamental rights, the historic progress the NhRP has made since it filed its first nonhuman rights lawsuits in 2013, as well as the past and ongoing cases.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”

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Our everyday life use can significantly impact ocean life. Specifically, after the coronavirus outbreak, the waste in the waters dramatically increased. In this presentation, Gary Stokes, the Director of Operations of OceansAsia, talked about the statistics of impacted aquatic animals, work in OceansAsia, and veganism.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”


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In this presentation, Lakshmi Venkataraman, the Campaign Manager of the Farm Animal Protection, Humane Society International India, provided a broad outline of HSI/India's aquaculture scoping report; covered the statistics, species, trends of aquaculture in India; possible interventions, as well as HSI/India's recent Roundtable on Fish Welfare and Aquaculture.

The event was organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”


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Dr. Teale Phelps Bondaroff, Director of Research of OceansAsia, presented on marine conservation issues relating to fishing, with a specific focus on overfishing and illegal fishing and the impact of these activities on marine wildlife and ecosystems. His presentation also explored some of the connections between illegal fishing and organized crime.

The event is organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”


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In this presentation, Madison Steffey, the Lewis & Clark Law School graduate, covered how marine parks harm marine mammals and how the laws of the United States have failed to protect marine mammals in captivity, especially cetaceans. She discussed how these laws are outdated and the failure of the agencies in charge to implement real change to protect these animals. She also went over different campaigns and advocates who have tried to free some of these animals and what we can do to ensure those in captivity now can be released and that no other animals are captured and held captive.

The event is organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”


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In South America, there are many problems affecting aquatic animals and their habitats. These problems are shaped, in part, by the geographic and demographic characteristics of the region, but also by the political problems and idiosyncrasies that characterize it. The purpose of this presentation is to provide an approach to the region's problems in this field by analyzing the Chilean case, as a leader in the region.

The event is organized under the Project “Enhancing Legal Regulations for Aquatic Animals in Kazakhstan.”


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