30 september 2020

Verbod op wilde dieren in Frankrijk

Frankrijk – De Franse minister voor ecologische transitie*, Barbara Pompili, heeft vanmorgen, tijdens een persconferentie, haar beslissing meegedeeld om wilde dieren in rondreizende circussen te verbieden.

Laat het duidelijk zijn dat alvorens tot de uitvoering van de beslissing van de minister over te gaan, eerst nog een wet zal moeten worden besproken in het parlement en vervolgens moet daarover nog worden gestemd.

Het toepassen van de wet zal eveneens enkele jaren in beslag kunnen nemen (volgens sommige insiders zou de limiet datum 2025 kunnen zijn), gezien elk circus met wilde dieren geval per geval zal worden behandeld, en er moet worden nagegaan welke de beste oplossing is voor de opvang van de wilde dieren en de reconversie van het personeel dat met de dieren werkte.

*Het Ministerie voor de Ecologische Transitie (Frans: Ministère de la Transition écologique ), gewoonlijk gewoon Ministerie van Ecologie genoemd , is een afdeling van de regering van Frankrijk . Het ministerie is verantwoordelijk voor de voorbereiding en uitvoering van het beleid van de Franse regering op het gebied van duurzame ontwikkeling, klimaat, energietransitie en biodiversiteit. Barbara Pompili werd op 6 juli 2020 benoemd tot minister van Ecologische Transitie.

Engelse tekst 

Report, Christian Nolens – France, 29-09-2020

WILD ANIMALS IN TRAVELING CIRCUSES ‘GRADUALLY’ BANNED.

REPRODUCTION OF KILLER WHALES AND DOLPHINS IN CAPTIVITY PROHIBITED.

Barbara Pompili, presented today a series of measures on “the welfare of captive wildlife,” including ending the farming of American mink for their fur. The presentation of wild animals in traveling circuses will be “gradually” banned in France, as well as the reproduction and introduction of new killer whales and dolphins in the three dolphinariums of the country, Barbara Pompili, the Minister of  ecological transition announced on Tuesday, September 29th.

She did not give a specific timeline for the implementation of these bans. The minister, who presented a series of measures on the “welfare of captive wildlife”, also announced the end of the breeding of American mink for their fur, noting that “our times have changed in their attitude towards wild animals ”. “It is time that our ancestral fascination with these wild beings no longer translates into situations where their captivity is favored over their well-being,” the minister said at a press conference.

Concretely, the end of wild animals in traveling circuses will be done “in the years to come”, said the minister, without giving a specific deadline. “Setting a date doesn’t solve all the problems, I prefer to set up a process to make it happen as quickly as possible. ”

Regarding the fate of these animals – there are for example some 500 wild animals in French circuses, as confirmed by the profession – “solutions will be found on a case-by-case basis, with each circus, for each animal”, declared the Minister, stressing that these animals can obviously not be “released” in their original biotope.

No new dolphinarium can be created

The measures will only concern animals in “traveling” circuses, but not for other shows featuring wild animals, the minister explained. The government will release an envelope of 8 million euros “for the reconversion of circuses and dolphinarium staff”.

“We ask them [the circuses] to reinvent themselves.

It’s going to be a timethey will  need support, the state is going to be at their side, “she said. More than 20 European countries have already restricted or banned the display of animals, as have around “400 communities” in France, according to the minister.