PETA and 40 Other Animal Charities Sign Brexit Animal-Protection Manifesto
The British government has pledged to make the UK a world leader in animal care and protection after leaving the EU. Now, PETA and 40 other leading animal-protection charities are joining forces and supporting a manifesto that lays out a set of recommendations to ensure the government is true to its word.
While not taking a position for or against Brexit, the report examines the animal-protection measures that are enshrined in EU law and the ways in which animals in the UK could be affected by Brexit. In addition to recommending that various EU regulations be transferred into British law, the report identifies several opportunities for introducing new policies to improve animal welfare, including the following:
- A ban on the sale of real fur
- A ban on the export of live animals for slaughter
- Legal protection for crabs, lobsters, octopuses, and squids
- An end to “severe” suffering in animal experiments
- A ban on the import of foie gras
The report also calls on the government to ensure that animal welfare is a top priority in future trade agreements and to protect animals from being abused in the pursuit of economic gain.
It was produced by the UK Centre for Animal Law and Wildlife and Countryside Link with the support of other animal-protection groups, including PETA, Animal Equality, Born Free, Humane Society International UK, and the RSPCA.
What You Can Do
With Brexit still a year away, one of the most significant things the government can do in the meantime to protect animals is to outlaw wild-animal circuses. Please contact the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove, and ask him to introduce a ban now.
