Spanish organisation, Proyecto Gran Simio, has called on the government to urgently pass a law to protect great apes.
In collaboration with Rainforest Rescue, the group is calling for signatories to a petition addressed to the Directorate-General for Animal Rights in the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda.
The Spanish government had pledged to pass a law to protect bonobos, orangutans, chimpanzees and gorillas as part of its Animal Welfare Act, but it has not yet done so, and the groups believe that time is running out for man’s endangered close relatives in the animal kingdom.
In early 2023, the Spanish Congress and Senate passed the Animal Welfare Act, a landmark law recognising animals as sentient beings. The Act explicitly requires the government to present a draft law to protect great apes – bonobos, orangutans, chimpanzees, and gorillas – within three months of its enactment.
But those protections for great apes now appear to be two years overdue, according to Proyecto Gran Simioand and Rainforest Rescue.
The Jane Goodall Institute estimates that about 140 great apes live in captivity in Spain, often under poor conditions.
“Great apes suffer from illegal wildlife trafficking, deforestation and the impacts of human activities such as mining, oil exploration and intensive agriculture. Unless we protect them, we will also lose the biodiversity that ensures ecosystem balance.
“A law is vital for the survival of endangered great apes. Enacting it will strengthen Spain’s commitment to international conservation and protection programmes and send a clear message to the world: Great apes belong in the wild because they are indispensable for preserving rainforests. For those who cannot live in freedom, a law is urgently needed,” said John Hayduska of Rainforest Rescue.
The Letter:
To: The Spanish Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda; Directorate-General for Animal Rights
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In Spain, Animal Protection Law 7/2023 of March 28 stipulates that “three months after the law comes into force, i.e. from December 29, 2023, the government must present a draft law for the protection of great apes” (according to the 4th additional provision). It is now more than a year overdue.
As stated in the explanatory memorandum to the public hearing prior to the drafting of the bill on great apes, “special protection for this group of primates is necessary … to eliminate practices that threaten the life, physical integrity, dignity and survival of great apes.” https://www.dsca.gob.es/sites/default/files/consultapub/CPP-Ley-Grandes-Simios.pdf
The Great Ape Law should set minimum standards for the welfare of great apes that have been exploited in zoos and other facilities for decades. It will be an important tool to ensure that they are never again treated as objects of entertainment or mere economic resources for humans. The law should cover the following points:
- An end to captive ape programs, as there is no independent scientific support for them and they only serve to increase populations and replace those that die.
- An end to transfers between zoos that disrupt the family units of great apes.
- Prohibition of their use in circus performances, advertising, television, film etc.
- Prohibition of experiments of any kind.
- An end to captive breeding.
- Strict flood and fire protocols.
- If animals must live in captivity, strict conditions should apply. They must live in an environment that is optimal for their development.
- Entry to Spain should only be permitted for great apes if their destination is a rescue center.
- Spain must incorporate the commitments it has agreed upon with global organizations such as UNEP, GRAPS and others into its own legal system and continue its commitment to protecting great apes in international forums.
We must stop the unrestricted exploitation of those who share our evolutionary path. This law harms no one but benefits everyone. Every day that goes by without this law being passed is another day these extraordinary beings suffer needlessly and remain unprotected and vulnerable – hastening their demise.
Great apes deserve to live with dignity. A law to protect great apes is not just a regulation but a statement of principle that is urgently needed. Thank you for putting it into effect as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,