Monkey Welfare Code Launched by DEFRA
On 21st January of 2010, the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-human Primates was formally launched by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to the delight of animal welfare organisations across the UK. The code will act as guidance to the application of Section 9 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and becomes the first code of practice to protect the welfare of monkeys kept as pets in England.
Wild Futures has been calling for a change in the law for many years and has campaigned against the trade in primates as pets alongside the RSPCA, International Fund for Animal Welfare and Animal Defenders International, amongst others. Thursday’s outcome comes as welcome news for Brooke Aldrich, Wild Futures’ Campaign Manager who explains:
“The Code of Practice is the result of long-term and continued cooperation and consultation between animal welfare organisations and government. We are thrilled that it has now been passed and we look forward to helping to facilitate its implementation in coming months. The code will be the first set of guidelines to protect the welfare of monkeys being kept privately in England. We will continue to campaign until we achieve our goal of ending the cruel trade in primates as pets in this country and we see this week’s events as a vital step towards its realisation”.
The next challenge for all parties involved will be to ensure that the code is correctly integrated into the practices of those responsible for its implementation.
Says Rachel Hevesi, Primate Welfare Consultant for Wild Futures:
“We cannot rest on our laurels now that the code has been passed; we will have to work just as hard as we did in the code’s creation to ensure that it is now publicised, used and adhered to. This means that veterinary associations, local authorities and legal establishments need to come on board, learn about the code and actively encourage its use. We would like to invite interested parties to contact us if they would like to be involved in this process”.
Wild Futures were congratulated by Rob Atkinson, Head of Wildlife Science for the RSPCA in recognition of the charity’s role in the development and subsequent passing of the code. He said:
“We hope that the Wild Futures team will take great pride in this news. Thank you from the RSPCA for everything that you have done in seeing this process through”.
There are an estimated 5,000 non-human primates being kept privately in the UK.
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Notes to Editors
The code can be found by visiting http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/cruelty/documents/primate-cop.pdf
Wild Futures (Charity reg. No. 1102532) is an educational and environmental charity promoting the welfare and conservation of primates, and working to end the abuses of primates in captivity. Its flagship project, The Monkey Sanctuary, in Cornwall, is home to victims of the primate pet trade. Drawing on over 40 years of primate expertise, Wild Futures acts as an advisory body to sanctuaries and conservation organisations in the UK and overseas and advises DEFRA on UK animal welfare legislation.
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