Animal rights have changed, so One Voice wrote to the Ministry of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition and to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food asking them that the decree "circus"1 published in 2011 should be cancelled. We need to prohibit the possession of all wildlife in these institutions and finally, order their immediate transfer to "sanctuaries".
One Voice had based its application on several elements: in particular the fact that animals held in captivity have a new status² that defines them as sentient beings. They enjoy the same fundamental rights such as:
- the right to a life compatible with the biological imperatives of the species concerned, whose well-being is an integral part
- the right to integrity or to life (unless otherwise necessary),
- the right not to be abused, tortured or abandoned,
- the right not to be used in a way that is not abusive.
With no response from the two ministries, the One Voice association appealed to the State Council to decide on its requests. The case was to be closed at the end of March by the High Court without the relevant ministries having decided. The Minister of Agriculture has remained quiet for the time being, but against all odds the Ministry of the Ecological and Solidarity Transition filed a brief on March 1st 2018 so that the demands of the association are rejected !
And yet the minister of state, Nicolas Hulot, himself had declared in August 2nd on France Inter not being in favour of live animal shows adding that there were forms of cruelty commonly admitted which were inadmissible.
According to the Ministry of Ecology, the "circus" decree would sufficiently protect animals from the wild because it provides: firstly that animals "must be maintained and trained in conditions that are designed to meet their biological needs and behaviours, to ensure their safety, well-being and health", on the other hand that the conditions of accommodation of animals comply with the minimum requirements set by the same decree, depending on the species, and finally that animals "shall be allowed to move freely in outdoor facilities each day unless the weather conditions or their state of health do not permit". And as such, the authorizations granted to the circuses would respect the needs of the animals...
One Voice intends to replicate this argumentation to make it understood that wild animals have no place in itinerant businesses, as is also claimed by many independent scientific authorities based on objective concepts of animal welfare. Many countries are adapting their regulations in accordance with this new scientific evidence, and France remains bent on its positions from a bygone age.
1 The inter-ministerial decree of 18th March 2011 setting the conditions of detention and use of live animals of non-domestic species in itinerant shows.
2 Article 515-14 of the Civil Code.
