Ministers will be able to ban harmful activities from holiday deals.
The UK Government has gained new powers to help protect animals abroad suffering from exploitation by the tourist trade, after the Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act was passed into law on Monday, 18 September.
Introduced to Parliament by Angela Richardson MP and Lord Black of Brentwood, the new law allows the Government to ban the advertising and selling of specific tourist activities that have a negative affect on the welfare of the animals involved.
This includes activities which involve animals being kept in captivity or confinement, subjected to cruel training methods, or forced to be ridden, drugged, de-clawed, or pose for selfies. Elephant riding and dolphin shows are among the activities which it could soon be illegal to advertise or sell.
Animal welfare is a devolved matter in the UK, and the new law applies to England and Northern Ireland.
The Association of British Travel Agents has previously published voluntary guidelines on animal welfare for the travel industry, including a list of activities deemed unacceptable. Some travel companies have already chosen to exclude certain animal activities from their offers.
A 2015 study, involving researchers from the University of Oxford, found that up to 550,000 animals worldwide may experience poor welfare for the entertainment of tourists.
Government minister Lord Benyon said: “We know that some foreign tourist attractions often subject majestic animals like elephants to cruel and brutal training methods.
“The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act is an important step in our commitment to ensure high animal welfare standards both here in this country and abroad, and I encourage holidaymakers to do their research so they can make informed choices that do not encourage poor animal welfare practices.”
The new law has been welcomed by animal welfare organisations and charities, including Save The Asian Elephants and World Animal Protection. However, some have also called for the Government to do more to protect animals.
Mark Jones, head of policy at Born Free, said: “The passing of this act represents a shining light in what was a promising Government animal welfare agenda, much of which has subsequently fallen by the wayside.
“The British public consistently support measures to improve animal welfare and protect wildlife. It’s high time our politicians acknowledge this fact and act accordingly.”
Image (C) Shutterstock
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