Call For Primate Ban Again - Is that really that bad a request?

[TSKA Rory Matier]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7663939.stm

This is not implication, speculation, scaremongering or whatever those who have reviled my writings from the past - here we have it again, another call for the banning of primates.

Primates have long been in the press for politics - with so much abuse on this species.

Marmosets especially the likes of the Cotton Eared Marmoset aka Common Marmoset, one of the most abused primates in the UK industry today, for it is this one species that is kept in singles more so than any other of the primates available to private keepers - and it is this species which has the worst husbandry technique applied to it - incorrect husbandry, inadequate housing , inproper ownership, this one species that is sold so often into the wrong hands!

"Are we a modern country or are we a country stuck in Victorian times that likes to keep primates in confined spaces in order to entertain us,"

It saddens me very much, that as l have said in the past that the fight for ensuring primate politics is kept in check has indeed gone unchecked - that the call for the primate codes of practice, best sodding guides or whatever they wish to term them, are now simply a long lost cause or so it would appear?

I find myself agreeing with the role of the ADG's on this subject, that Britain has long been behind in making sure that tighter and tougher legislation is in place for private primate keepers.

Primates should be under as much legislation and regulation as they possibly can be, and this does include placing them all under licencing, all under code of practice, AWA and so on.

The removal of squirrel monkeys and tamarin species commonly kept in the UK from the DWAL - Dangerous Wild Animals Licence did not help private primate keepers in any way shape or form, despite what some of them will tell you. However, talk to RESPONSIBLE keepers and the answers back will inform you that they never wanted the species to be lifted from the licence to begin with, but they had wanted all species of primate to be placed upon them

But again DEFRA in infinite wisdom failed to recognise the flaws in the removal of these species - that by doing it they would lose much needed information and indeed very required regulation on the keeping of these species.

The long abused term of primates as 'pets' has infuriated the responsible primate keepers for years, yet we still hear many owners of primates refer to them as such - 'my pet monkey/s' - this has added and continually adds fuel to the parties against the keeping of primates in the first place.

The continued errors and misinformation of the anti keeping groups, that many of the primates to hit the 'pet trade' per se are indeed, not captive bred but are wild caught, torn from their parents out of the wild of the jungles and sold directly to the UK. This is incorrect, athough there probably is an illegal trade in primates, like so many other species, but not too the extent that those whom oppose would believe it to be.

Unscrupulous traders/sellers alike also never cease to amaze me in the fact that we have so many primates being incorrectly sold to the wrong owners, with no vet checking, no questions asked, where there is a huge demand, there is always a great profit.

So with that in mind, l think we can all safely agree that YES primates should be banned ----------- or in reality can we?

Would this therefore be fair upon those keepers whom dare not place their heads above the parapets, for fear of having them not just shot off by the likes of the ADG's, the RSPCA, but also fellow keepers such as indeed reptile keepers, many of whom are just as guilty in their own husbandry on the species they choose to keep, as well as the public outcry from non keepers of any species, but these keepers whom do everything right by their charges, would a ban be fair on them?

Of course there will not be a ban, call for it as much as they will, but we can only hope that there is tighter legislation on not just primates which would certainly be a start, start acting under the animal welfare act, would most assuredly be another.

The downfall of the court case in Belgium earlier this year also has not aided the primate keeper or has it?

Is a call for a ban a bad thing?

Foxhunting - not banned - purely heavily legislated against, and if this was to be achieved for primates then this l feel would be a start - indeed this would help enormously.

"That would mean that there would be a restriction on who would be able to keep primates in the first place.

Yes, l think that this would be the way forwards for the safety of the primates, deliberation into who should own them - although the quote above is not simply that openminded, but the rest of the quote continues:

'.......added owners should be limited to organisations or individuals who were part of a registered conservation programme or housed rescued animals.

This would be too restrictive and again not fair to the keepers whom do spend thousands upon thousands of pounds on the right way to keep their animals.

A ban? No, l can not support an outright ban under any circumstances, but l can support tighter legislation.

But this article is worth reading by all keeping communities, and it is also worth baring in mind, that should, a ban actually be the result of years to follow, then they should start to look at the animals they also keep, for these too may come under the hammer.

Rory Matier
TSKActive

[SiUK]

yeah I seen this yesterday someone made a thread about it, not good but what they are saying isnt very factual.

[TSKA Rory Matier]

Not entirely true Si.

A lot of what this article covers is true, some of their facts l agree are not, but where as they might be 25% incorrect ..... that still leaves 75% of fact.


R

[SiUK]

how high is the percentage of WC illegal primates in the UK do you think?

[TSKA Rory Matier]

I am not talking of wild caught primates in the UK Si.

The reference l make to an illegal trade would be primates brought in from Europe without quarantine. This is something l believe alongside others that probably does occur.

R

[SiUK]

ah I see, quarentine is a long period and expensive so I guess dealers with no morals would try and get around it, to make more money faster.

[glidergirl]

Posted about this in yesterdays thread. If they're that worried about illegal imports then maybe it's THAT they should be spending time and money on. How is seizing my captive bred animals and possibly killing them (if the zoos are too full) going to stop that?

And to really rub salt in the wound ... he's from my area!

If you look at his WEBSITE - there is a picture of a chained macaque with the caption "A chained baby macaque sold by a pet dealer". Not really a fair portrayal of the UK pet trade I don't think!

[SiUK]

see if you can speak to him Marie

[glidergirl]

Rich would be better at that - I'd just lose my temper!

[SiUK]

like you said yesterday maybe write a letter?