31 March 2011 – Keith has added his signature to an open letter to the UK government which calls for a ban on the trade of the offspring of wild primates.

The letter reads:

“Dear Mr Cameron

We, the undersigned, believe that the trade in wild-caught nonhuman primates for research inflicts immense suffering. Despite a ban in the UK on the import of wild-caught primates since 1997, there is not a similar ban on their offspring who are imported every year from Mauritius for British laboratories. The UK is, therefore, perpetuating a trade that centres on the cruel trapping of wild animals.  We call on the Government to completely diassociate itself from this cruelty and to introduce a ban on the importation of the offspring of wild-caught primates as well as those from any facility which captures primates from the wild.”

The letter was also signed by Jean Lambert MEP, the leader of the Green Party and MP for Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, and Green London Assembly members Darren Johnson and Jenny Jones.

Commenting on BUAV’s campaign Keith said: “Trading wild primates such as macaques and baboons for research is a cruel and inhumane practice which must stop. It makes no sense that in the UK we have a ban on importing wild-caught primates, but that there is still no ban in place to stop us from importing their offspring. Introducing such a ban would send a strong message that the UK does not endorse the cruel and unnecessary trapping of wild animals.”

For more information on the campaign see http://www.buav.org/our-campaigns/primate-campaign/buav-primate-trade-investigations/