National Antivisection Society
Barcelona: Exposé of the laboratory primate trade and campaign launch July 24th, 2009
Posted: 24 July 2009
July 24th, 2009
Barcelona: Exposé of the laboratory primate trade and campaign launch
Animal Defenders International (ADI) and Animanaturalis host screening of shocking DVD
A major new campaign to end the use of monkeys in European laboratories is being launched in Barcelona today.
Where: Barcelona office of MEP Raúl Romeva, C/ Ciutat, 7 E-08002 Barcelona
When: 12:00pm, Friday July 24th 2009
This event is open to the press and the public will include a screening of the documentary Save the Primates introduced by MEP Raúl Romeva and will unveil what the campaigners hope will be the biggest awareness drive on the use of primates in experimentation that Spain has ever seen.
The hard hitting documentary includes video of:
- Wild monkeys being trapped for experiments
- Inside a laboratory monkey suppliers
- Experiments being performed on conscious monkeys
- The latest modern alternatives to animal experiments
New campaign materials being launched by ADI and Animanaturalis include:
- Postcards which will be distributed throughout Spain
- A new petition which will be distributed and will be available online
- Copies of the Save the Primates DVD
- Information sheets and reports for an awareness drive
ADI and Animanaturalis are also launching a new all Spanish Save the Primates website where people will be able to view the documentary, download information, sign the new petition, and send a message to Council of Ministers and European Parliament.
The campaign aims to increase pressure on the Council of Ministers who are currently considering Europe-wide rules on animal experiments. The European Commission have proposed restrictions of primate experiments and a crackdown on the wild capture of primates by dealers supplying European laboratories. Campaigners will be calling on the Spanish Government to strengthen these measures at the Council of Ministers.
Spain is a key battleground for the protection of primates in laboratories. In 2007 almost half of Spain’s MEPs (46%) backed a call to end the use of apes and wild caught monkeys and to establish a timetable to phase out experiments on monkeys. A facility at Camarles south of Barcelona, which has faced huge local opposition, is a European distribution centre for thousands of monkeys from Mauritius where wild monkeys are regularly trapped. The Camarles monkeys are reported to be the offspring of wild caught monkeys – a cruel trade the European Commission have proposed be phase out in seven years.
ADI and Animanaturalis plan to increase political support by engaging the Spanish people in this debate with petitions in city centres, online and a special postcard campaign.
Alexandra Cardenas, ADI Campaigner will tell the meeting in Barcelona: “This is a unique opportunity to put Europe on a course to end the use of primates in experiments. Our video evidence shows the terror monkeys experience as they are torn from the wild, the miserable conditions in the centres that sell monkeys for research, and the horrific experiments these animals endure. Through our website people can see the evidence for themselves and send a message straight to the European Parliament and Council of Ministers.”
Animanaturalis Activists Coordinator, Aida Gascón, says: “The industry and labs hide a very cruel reality for the animals. We hope that with this campaign thousands of citizens will not only be aware of this situation but also take an active stand, writing letters and protesting against animal maltreatment. The animals do not have a voice and need to be defended."
For more information or copies of literature or DVDs;
Broadcast video rushes and copies of the video on DigiBeta, mini DV or DVD;
Digital high resolution photographs,
Please contact:
Aida Gascon at +34691058681 or AidaG@animanaturalis.org
or Alexandra Cardenas at +44(0)2076303340 or alexandracardenas@ad-international.org
Please sign our online petition:
New website of the campaign in Spanish: http://www.experimentacionanimal.org
More info on the campaign so far:
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About Animal Defenders International:
Animal Defenders International exists to educate, create awareness and alleviate the suffering of animals and work to protect wildlife and the environment. ADI lobbies governments for measures to protect animals and the environment, and organises the rescue of animals in distress. In 2002, at the Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), ADI’s campaign secured new rules for the cross border movements of endangered species with travelling animal exhibitions in 170 countries. In 2007, ADI secured the adoption of Written Declaration 40/2007 by the European Parliament calling for an end to the use of apes and wild caught monkeys in experiments and for timetable to phase out all experiments on monkeys. The European Commission proposals currently under consideration are a response to this Declaration. In 2008, ADI secured a ban on the use of all animals in travelling circuses in Bolivia. ADI has offices in London, San Francisco and Bogota, has representatives in many countries and works with partner organisations all over the world. http://www.ad-international.org
About Animanaturalis:
Founded in March 2003, Animanaturalis is an Ibero-American organisation working to establish, divulge and protect the rights of all animals and to promote social and legislative changes. AN is present in Spain, Argentina, Chile, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and México. In these countries it works hard through education, diffusion of information and sensibilization with campaigns that include protests, demos, conferences etc. For 8 years, AN has organised massive protests in Pamplona against the bull runs in San Fermin. In 2008, the signer Alaska contributed to a joint AN/PETA campaign by posing nude for a photo against bullfighting. It has also organised protests against fur farms, agro industrial farms and animals in entertainment and on the benefits of a 100% vegetarian diet. http://www.animanaturalis.org
