Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat), on Tuesday, 6 November 2007, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 51 members in total.

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KEEPING OF CETACEANS IN CAPTIVITY

That this House welcomes the fact that no whales, dolphins and porpoises have been kept in captivity in the United Kingdom since 1993 but is concerned that there is no legislation to prevent these animals being housed in captive facilities within the United Kingdom in the future; notes that cetaceans are intelligent, social animals with complex needs which cannot be met in captivity and that there is evidence to suggest that captivity causes serious physical and behavioural welfare problems, and that many cetaceans are still taken from the wild to supply captive facilities; furthermore, notes with concern the involvement of companies in the United Kingdom with overseas establishments which keep cetaceans in captivity; and calls on the Government to introduce legislation specifically prohibiting the keeping of cetaceans in captivity other than in cases which involve short-term rehabilitation with a view to a release back to the wild in the cases of injured cetaceans.

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Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

63 

Session

2007-08

Other sponsors

Peter Bottomley

Andrew Dismore

David Leslie Taylor

Adrian Sanders

Evan Harris

Subjects

Animal welfare Animals Wildlife

Link

View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk