100 signatures reached
To: The National Assembly for Wales
End The Exotic Pet Trade in Wales.
We call on the National Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to take action against the trade in exotic animals captured and bred for the pet trade in Wales, and to forbid the licensing of all businesses involved in this destructive, cruel and unethical trade, with clear exemptions for rescue centres and licensed rescue centres.
We further urge the Welsh Government to follow the example of the Scottish Government which committed to a review of the trade and importation of exotic animals for the pet trade in Scotland in February 2015, led by The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment. For Wales to be taken seriously in the global conservation community, we maintain that we cannot be seen to be allowing this trade - which elicits the concerns of the British Veterinary Association (BVA), The Federation of Veterinarians of Europ (FVE) and the RSPCA - to continue in our own country.
Why is this important?
Animals such as monkeys, meerkats, reptiles and turtles are wild animals who belong in their natural habitat, not in cages and glass tanks in somebody’s home. Over 1000 species of mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians and fish are bred and captured for the exotic pet trade, and it is our argument that the complex social, physical and behavioural needs of these animals cannot be met other than in their natural habitats. Furthermore, there is strong evidence linking the trade in exotic animals with habitat destruction and the extinction of species in the wild. In tandem with the suffering of such animals in transit - including many documented deaths - young animals can grow into dangerous adults which can become unmanageable in domestic environments not conducive to satisfying their welfare needs for increased space and food.
As mentioned in the petition above, a similar campaign was launched in Scotland by the charity One Kind to great effect. With the backing of RSPCA, PDSA, Animal Welfare Party, Captured Animals Protection Society, Four Paws, Wild Futures, Born Free Foundation, plus a host of other significant organizations, the Scottish campaign instigated a review of Scottish Government policy, with the debate centering on the introduction of a Positive List System, which would permit for the keeping of an exotic pet only if its suitability to life in private ownership were incontrovertibly assessed by such a system using clear, transparent and evidence based criteria collated on species conservation, the dangers of invasive disease, ease of good husbandry - including proof of appropriate knowledge of needs and care - and the clear availability of care guidelines, and enforcement measures.
In order to ascertain the exact number of licenses issued by local authorities in Wales I contacted all 22 councils. At the time of this petition's submission I have received replies from exactly half of these, making the number of licenses issued by local authorities to exotic pet shops so far 68. This number, of course, does not include internet sites, whether separate to or part of the pet shops mentioned. Thus, it is clear that thousands of exotic animals are being traded in Wales. The welfare of such animals is a matter for public concern, and I believe a debate should take place about the propriety of such a trade in Wales. Fundamental to any overview must be the suitability of wild reptiles and large birds to lives as exotic pets, and the regulating of standards for their care, with the ultimate objective of ending the trade in such species altogether.
Please help us to end this vile trade in Wales by signing this petition. It doesn't matter where you are, your signature will help show the Government of Wales the strength of feeling against the capture, importation, breeding, and sale of wild animals in Wales.
