18-07-2025
Don't give up on mistreated elephants, Starmer told
Labour could renege on a pledge to stop the mistreatment of elephants in the tourist industry, campaigners fear.
The party, while in opposition, hailed legislation passed in Parliament to combat animal cruelty as a 'significant step forward'. However, it has since failed to implement the law.
Steve Reed, the environment secretary, also promised before the election that Labour would introduce the 'biggest boost for animal welfare in a generation' after accusing the Tories of a dozen about-turns on its pledges to protect animals.
However, campaigners now fear that the Government is planning to ignore a law that was passed unopposed by both Houses of Parliament two years ago and instead opt for a voluntary approach by the tourist industry.
This legislation makes it an offence for tourist companies to advertise and sell activities involving animals overseas that would be illegal if they were carried out in the UK.
Although it is on the statute book and has been granted royal assent by the King, it has not been implemented. This requires two straightforward statutory instruments to be laid in Parliament.
The Animals (Low-Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 aims to combat the mistreatment of captive elephants, lions, monkeys, dolphins and ostriches who are often beaten, starved and isolated to 'train' them for the tourist market.
High profile supporters
The calls for the legislation have been backed by 200 animal protection organisations and high profile supporters including the Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the polar explorer; Stanley Johnson, the conservationist; Dame Joanna Lumley; Jenny Seagrove and Ricky Gervais.
The campaign is being led by Save the Asian Elephant (STAE), which has co-ordinated a petition signed by 1.2 million people. It also commissioned an opinion poll by Electoral Calculus that shows 88 per cent back the Act.
Duncan McNair, STAE's chief executive, said: 'The Act passed into law nearly two years ago with overwhelming public support by the immediate grant of Royal Assent by HM King Charles.
'Despite its strong support for the Act when in Opposition, our present Government has taken no steps to implement it.
He feared the Government was 'intent on completely ignoring the law' and was instead considering 'industry-led, non-legislative action'.
Failed to meet with animal welfare bodies
Mr McNair added: 'This just hands the matter back to the travel industry whose failure of any effective action over decades is the very reason for the need for the Act in the first place.
'The Government has been persistently lobbied by the travel industry and has been meeting with them. It has failed to meet with animal welfare bodies for nine months, citing 'diary pressures'.'
STAE claims that baby elephants are taken from the wild before being isolated, starved, beaten with metal bars and cut with hooks as part of their training for use in the tourist industry.
The Asian elephant has been on the official red list of endangered species since 1986, with its population having fallen to 40,000 worldwide, of which 15,000 are held in captivity.
The majority of surviving Asian elephants are in India. There are 4,000 in Thailand and a diminishing population in other South East Asian states such as the endangered pygmy elephant in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Similar practices are adopted with monkeys 'enslaved' for display and selfie picture taking, tigers drugged and chained in cages and dolphins held in small featureless pools.
Baroness Hayman, who was a shadow minister for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) before taking up the post in Government, told peers before the election that the legislation would 'represent a significant step forward in protecting wild animals from the cruelty and exploitation'.
'It will also demonstrate the UK's role in establishing world-leading standards on animal welfare in this area,' she said.
A Defra spokesman said: 'This government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. That is exactly what we will do.
'We are considering the most effective ways to stop the advertising of unethical and cruel animal activities abroad.'
