公開質問状

 

平成23年6月　8日

 

動物ボランティア団体全国民間ネットワーク

代表　太田成江

連絡先　〒305-8799

筑波学園支店どめ

 

 

内閣総理大臣

原子力災害対策本部長　菅直人　殿

 

　毎々、東日本大震災及び福島原発事故対策に邁進されておりますこと、ご苦労様でございます。

　さて、東京電力福島第一原子力発電所での事故発生による緊急避難措置のため、多くの家庭動物・畜産動物が圏内に取り残されております。

　これら動物を一日も早く、救済することは被災地住民の切実な願いとなっております。

　ついては、福島原発事故に伴う避難区域に取り残された動物の救済に関して、公開質問状を提出させていただきます。

 

　　＊以下の質問のすべてに対し、①犬猫について②牛・馬・豚・トリについて、

　　　それぞれ分けてお答え下さい。

 

１　４月２２日以前について

 

1.　3月12日の緊急避難区域を設定した際に、動物の飼い主に対し、動物の処遇についてどのような説明をしましたか。

（数日で戻れる、いつ戻れるかわかならい、二度と戻れない等）

 

2.　動物を連れて脱出しようとした住民に対して、どのような対応をしましたか。

（いっしょに避難させた、動物を置いて人間のみ避難するよう指示した等）

　また、動物を緊急避難区域から出してはならない（連れ出し禁止）との指示をした場合、その法的根拠は何ですか。

 

3.　連れ出し禁止に抵抗を示した住民に対し、どのような対応をしましたか。

 

4.　連れ出しを求めた住民の要望に対して、何らかの対策を講じましたか。

（受け入れ先を探す、シェルターを用意する、避難所への同行を許可する等）

 

5.　住民が定期的に避難区域内に戻り、残してきた動物に給餌・給水を含む世話を行えるか否かについて、どのような説明をしましたか。

　また、その法的根拠は何ですか。

 

6.　区域内の犬猫・家畜の保護に対して国は独自の方策をとりましたか。

　また、国が何の方策もとらなかった場合、その理由は何ですか。

 

２　４月２２日警戒区域設定以降

 

7.　警戒区域内に入って動物を保護したいという住民や民間団体の要望に対し、どのような対応をしましたか。

　また、関係市町村に対してどのような指示を出しましたか。何らかの指示をした場合、法的な根拠は何ですか。

 

8.　警戒区域に定期的に入り、動物たちに給餌・給水をしたいという住民、民間団体の要望に対し、どのような対応をしましたか。

　また、関係市町村に対してどのような指示を出しましたか。何らかの指示をした場合、法的な根拠はありますか。

 

9.　警戒区域内、計画的避難区域内、緊急時避難準備区域内のそれぞれの動物の保護あるいは処置に関し、今後の国としての計画をお聞かせ下さい。

　また、福島県及び関係市町村に対して、今後どのような指示を出すことを考えていますか。

 

10.　被災動物の救済のためには一時保護場所の設置が急務です。

　国としてこの災害に対し責任をもって対策を講じるため、一時保護所を建設・運営し、１頭でも多くの被災動物を救済する計画はおありですか。

 

11.　民間団体の活用について、何らかのお考えはありますか。

 

12.　２０キロ圏内の立入禁止は理解できますが、それはすべての愛護動物（家畜も家庭動物も）の移動が終わったところで発表するべきだったと考えられます。

　動物愛護法第6章第44条には次のとおり記載されております。

「愛護動物をみだりに殺し、又は傷つけた者は、1年以下の懲役又は100万円以下の罰金に処する。愛護動物に対し、みだりに給餌又は給水をやめることにより衰弱させる等の虐待を行った者は、50万円以下の罰金に処する。愛護動物を遺棄した者は、50万円以下の罰金に処する」。

　今回、貴殿は警戒区域の動物たちを遺棄・虐待したことになるのではないでしょうか。

　一般の国民と同様、政治家も官僚も国の法律を守る義務があります。これについてお考えをお聞かせ下さい。

 

　以上の点について、本書面到達後、１０日以内に文書でご回答戴けますようお願い申し上げます。

　なお、誠実にご回答を頂けない場合、国は飼い主に対して飼養放棄を指示し、動物愛護管理法を自ら反故したことを認めたと理解させて戴きます。

 

We have sent an Open Letter addressed to Prime Minister Kan

in reference to the “Animals left behind in the Evacuation Zone as result

of the nuclear accident in Fukushima”

 

 

Open Letter

 

 

June 8, 2011

Private Network of Volunteer Groups for Animals in Japan

Masae Ota, Representative

Tsukuba Gakuen Branch, Zipcode 305-8799

 

 

Mr. Naoto Kan

Prime Minister of Japan

Director-General of Nuclear Emergency Response Headquarters

 

Dear Prime Minister Kan;

 

First of all, we wish to extend our appreciation to the efforts and hardship you are encountering daily in regards to the Eastern Japan major earthquake as well as the nuclear crisis of Fukushima.

 

As you know, there are many domestic animals as well as agricultural animals left behind in the emergency evacuation zones as a result of the accident which occurred at TEPCO’s Daiichi (Unit 1) Nuclear Power Station in Fukushima.

There is an earnest plea from the residents who were forced to evacuate to have these

animals left behind rescued as quickly as possible. Therefore, we are submitting this

open letter in reference to the rescue of the animals left behind in the evacuation zone

as a result of the nuclear accident in Fukushima.

 

(Note)   Please kindly respond to all of the questions below by separating your

             response to (1) Dogs and Cats, and (2) Cattle, Horses, Pigs, Birds

 

 

 

 

(A)       BEFORE 4/22/11

 

(1)When the emergency evacuation order was decided, were any explanation given to the pet/animal owners as to what to do with the animals ?

(example: whether they will be allowed to return in a few days, or whether it was unknown as to when they will be able to return, or whether they will never be able to return, etc.)

 

(2)How did you react to the residents who tried to evacuate along with their animals ?

(example: whether you allowed them to take the animals with them, or whether you instructed them to leave the animals behind and only for humans to evacuate, etc.)

Also, if your instruction was for the animals not to be allowed to leave the evacuation zone (forbidding to take the animals out of the zone,) what was the legal grounds of this instruction ?

 

(3)How did you deal with the residents who resisted leaving the animals behind ?

 

(4)What measures were taken for the residents who wished to take the animals with them ?

(example: help search for a receiving location, or help search for a shelter, or to allow them to take the animals with them to the refuge centers, etc)

 

(5)Were explanations given for the residents to be allowed or not to periodically

return to their own residence in the evacuated zone in order to feed and care for the animals left behind ? What was the legal grounds for your explanation ?

 

(6)Did the Government consider taking action or measures to rescue the dogs, cats and other animals who were left behind in the evacuation zone ?

Also, if the Government did not take any action, what was the reason ?

 

(B)       AFTER THE 4/22/11 RESTRICTION OF THE EVACUATION ZONE

 

(7) What measures were taken to the residents and private rescue organizations who expressed wishes to enter the restricted zone in order to save and rescue the animals left behind ? Also, were instructions given to the villages, towns,

cities in these restricted zones, and if so, what was the legal grounds for this instruction ?

 

(8)What measures were taken to the residents and private organizations who expressed wishes to be allowed to periodically enter the restricted zone in order to feed and care for the animals left behind ? Also, were instructions given to the villages, towns and cities in these restricted zones, and if so, what was the legal grounds for this instruction ?

 

(9)Please kindly explain the Government’s current and future plans in regards to the rescue intent of the animals in the restricted zone, the evacuation-considered zones, as well as the emergency evacuation-prepared zones ?

Also, what kind of instructions are you considering for the current/future timeline to pass on to the designated villages/towns/cities in and around Fukuoka ?

 

 

(10)There is an urgent need to establish a temporary refuge center for the rescued animals.

Is the Government considering taking responsibility to ensure saving as many disaster animals as possible by considering establishment and operation of a temporary animal refuge center ?

 

(11)Do you have any plans or ideas in regards to utilizing the private animal

rescue organizations ?

 

(12)Although we understand the necessity of restricting entrance into the

20 km exclusion zone, we believe that this should have been mandated after safely evacuating all animals (agricultural as well as domestic animals) out of the zone.

 

The Animal Protection Law Section 6 Article 44 indicates as follows:

It is prohibited by law to kill protected animals unreasonably, and those who

injure any such animal will be punishable by law by imprisonment of 1 year or

less or fined 1,000,000 yen or less.

It is also punishable by law, fined 500,000 yen or less, if one unreasonably stops

providing food or water to the protected animals, thus considered act of abuse by putting their health and life into danger.  

 Law also prohibits those who abandon protected animals with fine of 500,000 yen or less.

As for the current incident, do you not feel that you are violating the law by abandoning and abusing the animals within the restricted exclusion zones ?

 

Politicians and bureaucrats, alongside the general citizens, should have the legal obligation to abide by the law of the country. Please comment on how you

feel about this subject matter.

 

We would appreciate it very much if you can kindly review the above points and respond in writing within the next 10 days.

Furthermore, if we do not receive a sincere response from you, we will take it to understand that the Government acknowledges that they have instructed the owners to abandon their animals and thus acknowledging the fact that the Government has violated the Animal Protection and Supervision Law.