P-05-796 Calling on the Welsh Government to Ban The Use of Wild Animals in Circuses in Wales
P-05-796 Calling on the Welsh Government to Ban The Use of Wild Animals in Circuses in Wales
This
petition was submitted by Linda Evelyn Joyce Jones having collected 1,517
signatures online and 1,737 on paper. An associated petition on another website
also collected 3,144 signatures.
Text of Petition
We
call on the Welsh Assembly to ask the Welsh Government to ban the use of wild
animals in circuses in Wales. Animal Welfare (except hunting and animal
experimentation) is a devolved matter in Wales.
In
December 2015 Rebecca Evans AM (then Deputy Minister for Farming and Food) said
"The Welsh Government believes there is no place for the use of wild
animals in circuses".
Under
her instructions the WG commissioned a independent report which took evidence
from over 600 experts in the field. This report was published in July 2016, and
the conclusions it reached were clear.
The
report stated "The scientific evidence indicates that captive wild animals
in travelling circuses do not active their optimal welfare requirements set out
under the Animal Welfare Act of 2006". The report also stated" Life
for wild animals in travelling circuses and mobile zoos does not constitute
either a "good life" or a "life worth living".
In
December 2016 Lesley Griffiths AM (Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural
Affairs) stated that the WG were working towards a licensing system , similar
to the one currently operated by DEFRA in England. It should be noted that this
system was put in place by the UK Government in 2011 as a temporary measure
until a ban was put into place.
It
can clearly be shown by the licensing documents available in the public
dominion that this licensing system fails the animals. The two animal circuses
currently licensed by DEFRA have repeatedly breached the conditions of their
licenses, and had them suspended at one time or another.
In a poll carried out by RSPCA Cymru 74% of
the Welsh public wanted this outdated practice banned. They also submitted a
petition to The Petitions Committee of the Welsh Assembly in 2015.
Status
This
petition was considered completed by the Petitions
Committee at its meeting on 25/09/2018.
It
was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 23/01/2018.
Assembly
Constituency and Region
- Arfon
- North Wales
Further information
Business type: Petition
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
First published: 12/12/2017