Episode Six - The Hidden Cost of Farmed Fish

It’s been a while, but Peter and Andrew are back with another 25 minutes of animal welfare and conservation musings. This month, they talk about the abandoned lock down pets, how zoos might look in the future and the true meaning of ‘being woke’. It’s a thorny issue, and fraught with potholes, but the origins of woke are way more interesting then we think. Oh, and Andrew spends most of the chat having his chin and ear chewed by Peter’s Staffie, Pippa!

Possibly one of the hardest Podcasts Peter has ever recorded. In this episode, he and Andrew talk about the recent passing of Peter’s wife and friend of 50 years, Myra. A truly open, honest and candid discussion about death, what it means for the individual left behind and the complex scale of emotions that arise. And how Myra changed Peter’s world view and remains the driver and companion for everything he does and will do in the name of animal welfare. For Myra. 13 April 1942 - 30 March 2021

Coinciding with the launch of Compassion in World Farming’s Rethink Fish campaign, Peter and Andrew invite CEO Philip Lymbery to reveal the true cost of farmed fish. The Scottish salmon farming industry is rife with fish welfare issues and serious environmental problems. At current production levels sea lice infestation and disease are out of control, causing fish suffering on an alarming scale and threatening wild fish populations. Compassion in World Farming have launched an open letter to the Scottish government, urgently calling for a moratorium on the expansion of the industry, with a view to phasing out intensive salmon farming (www.ciwf.org.uk/ScottishSalmon) This is a fascinating and eye-opening conversation, shedding a light on something many of us don’t often think about. Peter and Andrew delve deep into a subject that some find will uncomfortable. Our intention is always to give the listener real, honest and scientifically backed information that enables a person to make informed choices. And, as always, we invite discussion and conversation so please let us know your thoughts and questions at [email protected]. To find out more about Compassion in World Farming’s Rethink Fish campaign, please visit: ciwf.org.uk/our-campaigns/rethink-fish

In this episode, Peter and Andrew examine the reality behind decisions to not eat meat. Is it a luxury? Should people care? Why bother if you’re just one person? They also look at the collective power individuals have, and how that might be a realistic solution to change the way people consume animals and put pressure on the environment. And the modern-day responsibilities of vegetarians and vegans. Gone are the days of militancy and didactic speeches! As always, feedback is more than welcome to create conversation. Simply email Peter and Andrew at [email protected]

In this episode, Peter and Andrew speak to Juliet Gellatley. Juliet (BSc Zoology & Psychology; nutritional therapist, DIP CNM; Dip DM) is the founder and director of Viva! - a campaigning charity based in Bristol, UK and its sister group, Viva! Poland – www.viva.org.pl In this open and candid conversation, they talk about her childhood, what led Juliet to become the founder of Viva and the future of intensive animal farming. No matter where you stand on the issue of meat consumption and animal welfare, this is a very compelling, friendly and accessible chat. There are surprising revelations and critical research about the world we live in and it will be hard to ignore some of the stark facts. Juliet is a brilliant, intelligent, and affable orator who is most definitely part of the solution.

In the second part of their ground-breaking conversation with the Global CEO of Compassion in World Farming, Philip Lymbery, Peter and Andrew delve into the business of intensive dairy farming. The conversation includes: • Details of the life of a dairy cow • The extreme metabolic pressures on cows • What an intensive dairy farm looks like • How Philip and British Journalist Isabel Oakeshott came to develop the book, ‘Farmageddon’ • The weight and might of the industrialised agriculture business • How factory farming is decimating the natural environment • How eating better, ethically sourced meat & dairy – or removing them completely – will literally save the world. • How intensive farming is driving real farmers out of business. As always, please subscribe and share because knowledge is power. When we know better, we do better. And contact Peter and Andrew at any time by searching for Orange Planet Pictures on social media or emailing [email protected]

In the first of a two-part conversation, Peter and Andrew speak Philip Lymbery. Philip is Global Chief Executive Officer of the leading international farm animal welfare organisation, Compassion in World Farming, Visiting Professor at the University of Winchester and the President of Eurogroup for Animals, Brussels. He is an award-winning author, ornithologist, photographer, naturalist and self-confessed animal advocate. For 25 years Philip has worked extensively on animal welfare issues, wildlife and the environment. Peter and Andrew speak to Philip about some of the key global issues generated by our reliance on intensive farming practices. Some of the topics discussed in this episode include: • When and why was intensive factory farming introduced? • Why is animal protein mistakenly considered to pack a greater punch than plant protein? • The deliberately hidden costs of meat and how the consumer unwittingly pays for it three times. • The mass mechanisation of the industry devastating the peace and quiet of the countryside, caging animals and removing human involvement. • The grossly distorted economics that surround the factory farming industry. • Why aren’t Governments stepping in to help find another way? • The power of the meat lobbies. • How we are locked into a system that forces us to collude with our own destruction. • How factory farming underpins climate change, natural devastation, and global pandemics. • How industrial agriculture is stripping the soil of its biodiversity • The life of a factory-farmed chicken. • The gross misuse of anti-biotics on the intensive farming industry.

Peter and Andrew explore the reasons behind the Corona virus and discuss how intensive animal agriculture could possibly lead to the evolution of a similar disease. Having both filmed in a horrendous live animal market in Indonesia, they talk about whether it’s possible for dog and cat butchers to actually learn compassion. And when the West criticise the eating practices of the East, are we actually throwing stones from our glass houses? Also, is a plant-based diet the future? If so, what are the reasons stopping people from adopting such a lifestyle? And what are conditions like in a US slaughterhouse? Peter shares are story that reveals how far removed Western practices are from animal compassion. As mentioned in the programme, Peter and Andrew spent some time filming in the terrible live animal markets in Indonesia. This is the film they produced called, 'The Long Wait to Die -Uncovering Indonesia's Extreme Meat Markets' https://vimeo.com/328981320