Sri Lanka blocks the export of 100,000 monkeys to China
Animal rights groups welcomed the decision, fearing toque macaques would end up in restaurants and labs rather than zoos. This type of monkey cannot survive long outside its natural environment. Some 30 groups turned to the courts to stop any deal.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Sri Lanka has dropped a plan to sell 100,000 toque macaque to China. The Attorney General's Office informed the Court of Appeal of the government’s decision; the latter is set to hear a petition to stop the plan.
Environmental and animal rights groups, who oppose the sale, welcomed the announcement. They had warned that the animals could be used in zoos and labs without consideration for their needs and health.
Acting on behalf of the Department of Wildlife Conservation, Deputy Solicitor General Manohara Jayasinghe, made the announcement after the Court of Appeal received a petition challenging the capture and export of macaques to China.
“I am very happy to hear this,” said Sanjeeva Jayawardena, the President's Counsel, acting for animal rights groups; otherwise, “these monkeys will end up in Chinese restaurants.”
A two-judge bench – Justices Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and M.A.R. Marikkar – have been chosen to hear the petition on 7 July to formally confirm the government’s undertaking.
In April, activist groups held a protest against the plan put forward by a private Chinese company to ship 100,000 monkeys found only in Sri Lanka to be displayed in Chinese zoos.
When the Sri Lankan cabinet received the proposal, it took it under consideration and set up a committee to evaluate it, this according to Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana,
Environmentalist and animal rights groups reacted immediately warning that the animals were more likely to end in labs for biomedical experiments than in Chinese zoos.
Using animals, they say, for economic gain and repay part of Sri Lanka’s debt is not right, nor admissible, this despite the country’s deep economic crisis.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) also intervened, thanking the Sri Lankan government for rejecting the proposal and not merchandising animals.
“These monkeys do not belong in captivity. It is almost certain that, once in China, they would be funnelled into biomedical experiments and [be] dead within months,” said Dr Lisa Jones-Engel, the PETA senior science advisor.
The animal rights group had previously written to the authorities to ban the sale, certain that they would end up in labs, subjected to experiments, torture and certain death.
Following a statement by Minister Mahinda Amaraweera regarding the export of toque macaque monkeys to China, some 30 animal rights groups (including the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka) turned to the courts to stop the government.
.png)
26/04/2023 14:04
