According to animal welfare charity OneKind there are more ... · According to animal welfare...
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Transcript of According to animal welfare charity OneKind there are more ... · According to animal welfare...
According to animal welfare charity OneKind there are more than 1000
species of mammals, birds, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians,
and hundreds of fish species, are involved in the pet trade.
In 2014 the Pet Food Manufacturers' Association estimated an exotic
pet population in the UK of approximately 42 million (including fish).1
The trade in exotic pets is believed to drive habitat destruction and
extinction of animals in the wild. While some wild pets are bred in
captivity, many exotic animals are plucked directly from their native
habitats. The stress of been captured and transported often causes
animals to die before they reach the UK.2
Another concern is that young animals can grow into dangerous adults
which can become unmanageable. In addition a domestic environment
may not satisfy their welfare needs3. As exotic animals grow, their
needs for food and space increase leading to the risk of neglect and
abuse.4 The RSPCA states:
An article from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) summarises
their concerns about keeping exotic animals as pets:
Exotic Pets
The keeping of dangerous wild animals as pets is regulated by the
Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and the selling by pet shops of
exotic animals as pets is regulated by the Pet Animals Act 1951. There
are no detailed controls on the keeping of non-dangerous exotic
animals as pets, which some charities think is unacceptable6.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, gives protection to some native
species which might once have been considered for keeping as exotic
pets and prohibits the release of exotic species into the wild. Some of
the European endangered species which in the past were seen as
potential pets are today afforded protection under the Berne
Convention and other similar EU statutes.
The BVA issued a joint statement with the British Veterinary Zoological
Society (BVZS) on the importation of wild reptiles and amphibians into
the EU in 2014. The statement outlines the major issues with the
trading and keeping of exotic pets and recommends enforcement of
current import and welfare legislation. It also recommends a caveat to
allow certain species to be taken into captivity for a specific purpose
such as conservation.
The BVA issued a holding statement, in June 2013, which calls for
information to assess the economic and environmental impact of
harvesting other exotic species from the wild, and independent
research into the implications of catching fish in the wild.7 There is also
a BVA working group with various specialist divisions, to look into
issues around the keeping and trade of exotic pets, including reviewing
the holding statement and joint statement with BVZS. The working
group will report back to BVA’s Ethics and Welfare Group during 2015.
The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE) believes that some
exotic species are completely unsuitable to be kept by the general
public. At a meeting in October 2013 FVE agreed to support the
principle of drafting 'suitability lists', which specify the species that can
or cannot be kept by private individuals.
The Ecologist published an article in November 2014, calling the exotic
pet trade “an evil which must be stopped”. The article states that exotic
pet mortality is high and survivors are often abandoned by their owners
and released into the wild. It also highlights the dangers of imported
exotic diseases:
The RSPCA and Born Free are both charities that disagree with
keeping exotic animals as pets due to the suffering caused to many
animals and the possibility of transmitting infection diseases. For
more information see charity and other organisations’ websites:
Born Free
Born Free is calling on the UK Government to review the
current legislation relating to the sale and keeping of exotic
animals. There is a petition for interested individuals to sign
calling for a ban of the use of wild-caught animals for the pet
trade.
RSPCA - The RSPCA has concerns about the trade and
keeping of exotic pets and states trends are often linked to
social media, film and TV, like the demand for terrapins
following the film ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’. As part of
their 5 pledges the RSPCA has pledged to reduce the number
of exotic animals kept as pets and increase their humane
care.
Animal Protection Agency (APA)
In an article “Hands off Exotics” the APA sets out its stance on
exotic animals:
The article includes an action checklist encouraging interested
parties to write to a local newspaper whenever they publish a
story about exotic pets and explain why exotic animal don't
make good pets and why supporting the trade is not a good
idea.
UK National Wildlife Crime Unit
The UK NWCU states that one of its priorities is the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES is an international
agreement between governments which aims to ensure that
international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants
does not threaten their survival.
The Scottish Government committed to a review in February 2015 of
the trade and importations of exotic animals for the pet trade in
Scotland. This is being led by The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs
and the Environment, Richard Lochhead. Following discussions with
animal welfare charity OneKind, Mr Lochhead stated he is keen to
review current legislation and explore the effect tighter controls on
exotic pet ownership could have10. The BBC published an article
summarising what the review will cover, as well as some of the issues
the review is hoping to address.11
