We received a petition asking:
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make serious representations to the Government of the Peoples Republic of China to introduce stringent animal welfare regulations to reduce widespread cruelty to animals. There should be an immediate ban on all imported fur.”
Details of Petition:
” There is continued concern expressed throughout the western world regarding the welfare of animals in the Peoples Republic of China.In particular bear bile farming, the feeding of live animals to predators in zoos and the conscious skinning of animals in the fur trade has caused revulsion among the general public. This extent of this concern can be seen in on the Internet, for example a Facebook group aimed at signing a petition to ban the live skinning of animals quickly collected over a quarter of a million signatures. It is the responsibility of every moral person to work to reduce this level of suffering and it is incumbant on the Government to make the feelings of many of its citizens known to the Chinese Government. The Government should introduce an immediate ban on ALL fur products as much Chinese fur is imported mislabelled and via third parties.”
· Read the petition
· Petitions homepage
Read the Government’s response
The United Kingdom is at the forefront of international efforts to protect the interests of animals throughout the world. We welcome the work that non-governmental organisations, such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), undertake with the Chinese authorities to improve standards of animal welfare and to gradually build support for animal welfare issues there.
The Government has sought to establish the facts about the extent of the alleged trade in domestic cat and dog fur in the UK. We also continue to explore possible ways of addressing this issue if domestic cat and dog fur is found to be on sale here. So far, we have no corroborated evidence that such fur is entering the UK.
When Margaret Beckett was Secretary of State for Agriculture, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, she supported calls for the European Commission to investigate these allegations when the EU Agriculture Council met in May 2005. The European commission has hosted discussions between Chief Veterinary Officers of all the EU Member States at the request of the UK and others.
We firmly believe that action on this issue would be best taken at EU level as a harmonized approach throughout the EU would have greater impact, enhance animal welfare standards within the EU itself and avoid obstacles to the operation of the single market. The Government remains committed to working with the Commission and other Member States to explore all practical options, including the possibility of a ban, to address this issue.
Whilst we cannot intervene directly in Chinese legislation, we have taken every opportunity to put across the views of the UK government and public opinion with regard to bear baiting. In July 2006, the then UK Minister for Biodiversity, Barry Gardiner, raised the issue with Zhao Xuemin, Vice Minister in the State Forestry Administration during his visit to China.
We continue to work closely with other countries to promote the conservation of the world’s wildlife through our membership of international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Nine species of bear are listed on Appendix I of CITES. This means that all international trade in wild caught specimens of these animals (or products derived from them) is banned. A further three species of bear are listed on Appendix II, which means that international trade in them or products derived from them is allowed, subject to regulation to ensure that it stays below the level at which species’ might become endangered. CITES also regards captive-bred specimens of Appendix I species - such as Asiatic Black Bears, commonly bred in captivity to supply the market for bile and other bear products - as being included in Appendix II, thus allowing international trade in them subject to regulation.
In the UK we take a precautionary approach and ban all commercial trade in bear bile or gall bladders irrespective of their source, on the grounds that this trade is likely to be detrimental to the species. We have also taken action through the Defra research programme and funded independent research to find alternatives to various animal products used in traditional medicine, including bile from Asiatic Black Bears, and to encourage the traditional medicine community to use those alternatives.
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