The Act seeks to ban the advertising and sale of activities involving animals overseas that would be illegal if those activities were happening in the UK, such as elephant rides, tiger selfies or performing dolphins. In a letter sent this week to Steve Reed, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Low-Welfare Act Coalition writes: ‘It is now approaching 18 months since the 2023 Act became law.
‘Whilst we appreciate the government’s busy agenda, we have received no indication that its implementation is a priority for this government. Implementation is a tangible way for government to enact its promise. We urge you to seize this opportunity and prioritise implementation.
‘We are particularly concerned by indications from your department that, far from implementing the 2023 Act, priority may be given to “non legislative routes to influence behaviour change”. The compulsion of legislation was and remains required in this area precisely because non-legislative measures, such as unmonitored and unregulated voluntary codes put forward by the travel industry, have consistently proved ineffectual in reducing the suffering of animals as part of holiday packages advertised in the UK.’
Solicitor Duncan McNair, litigation partner at Spencer West, is the chief executive of Save the Asian Elephants and joint co-ordinator of the Low-Welfare Act Coalition.
Save the Asian Elephants reports that elephants used in tourism are taken from the wild when young and trained into obedience so as to be safe near tourists. This involves isolation, deprivation of food, water and sleep, and beating and stabbing with rods, chains and bullhooks. This treatment sometimes results in death.
The charity highlights that other endangered species can also suffer and die in tourism such as monkeys, lions, tigers, bears and dolphins, and humans can die or be injured by captive wild animals.
About 1,200 UK companies currently advertise some 300 or more venues abroad where such treatment happens to elephants.
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