London, 5th September 2023
Today (Tuesday 5th September) the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF) has welcomed the Committee Stage of Conservative MP Angela Richardson’s Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill. The Bill is led in the House of Lords by Lord Black of Brentwood.
Many animal tourist attractions abroad involve poor animal welfare practices. Captured elephants abroad are often young and forced to endure long, painful beatings, while being deprived of water, food, and sleep. This process, designed to ‘domesticate’ the elephant, ensures submission for tourist activities.
The Government has committed to taking action to end the UK’s role in advertising and selling such tourist activities. Defra’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare published in 2021 said: “Animals such as Asian elephants may be subjected to cruel and brutal training practices to ensure their obedience. We will legislate to ban the advertising and offering for sale here of specific, unacceptable practices abroad.”
Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation fully supports the Bill to ban the sale and advertising of unacceptable and cruel tourist practices abroad. CAWF Co-Founder Lorraine Platt has been a Director of Save The Asian Elephants (STAE) since February 2018.
Lorraine Platt, Co-Founder of Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation and Director of Save The Asian Elephants, commented: “We are delighted to welcome the Committee Stage of the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Bill. This legislation will end the advertising of overseas “attractions” where Asian elephants and their babies are brutalised for tourism fun. Such a ban was featured in Defra’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare and is supported comprehensively across Britain. It will steer demand, and then supply, to ethical venues where elephants and humans are safe from abuse and fatalities.
“We would like to thank Lord Black for leading this Bill in the House of Lords, as well as Angela Richardson MP for her leadership in the House of Commons. We look forward to continuing to support the Bill through its next stages in Parliament.”
About Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation (CAWF)
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation was established in 2016 to raise awareness on the lives of billions of animals reared on intensive farms around the world and how this impact upon animal welfare, the environment and people’s health. We want to highlight the action people can take to help advance farm animal welfare.
Animal welfare is an increasing concern amongst the public, who frequently look to Government to take the lead in both maintaining and improving standards.
The Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation believes it is highly important that the welfare of farm animals is placed at the forefront of the Governments plan for food and farming along with its focus on productivity, competitiveness, and technology.
Media contact: Sophia Stileman (sophia.stileman@conservativeanimalwelfarefoundation.org)
