The future ‘Jane Goodall Law’ to protect great apes

VICTORY! After the meeting at the Ministry we celebrate that we are one step closer to the great apes being more and better protected.

This past Monday, the three Spanish primate rescue centres (Rainfer, MONA and AAP-Primadomus) met at the headquarters of the Ministry of Social Rights with Minister Pablo Bustinduy to present him with a formal request to set up a technical working group, made up of expert jurists in animal law, primatologists and animal welfare professionals. And the request HAS BEEN ACCEPTED!

And we were not alone, the meeting was attended by the main entities and organisations dedicated to the protection and care of these animals (Jane Goodall Institute, Intercids, Great Ape Project, AIZA, UPF Animal Ethics and Animal Guardians Foundation), with the support of more than 150 organisations and a public petition with more than 72,400 signatures.

Jane Goodall Law

This meeting will result in what has been called the “Jane Goodall Law” in honour of our beloved and admired primatologist, as a tribute to her tireless educational and ethical work in defense of these species.

This is a pioneering proposal in the world, with which Spain would become the first country to recognise, by law, basic rights for great apes.

Among the objectives included in the draft are:

• eradicate the illegal traffic of these species,
• establish an express prohibition on possession,
• prohibit experimentation or research when this could cause them harm or suffering,
• prohibit their use for commercial purposes and shows
• establish strict conditions for their custody, in any case for conservation purposes
• restrict their possession and breeding in captivity to zoological parks