The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to high mortality, sickness and unprecedented damage to our economy. Our healthcare system is overburdened, levels of unemployment are rising and people’s everyday lives have been extraordinarily disrupted by this emerging, deadly zoonotic disease. This paper outlines the key issues at stake with respect to COVID-19 and fur farming and makes various recommendations to ensure that the production of fur does not impede efforts to eradicate this disease by preserving a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2, or undermining the efficacy of future vaccines.

Although kangaroos and wallabies are Australia’s national symbol, almost 90 million of them have been hunted for their skin or meat over the last 30 years. All commercially hunted kangaroos are wild animals, not farmed for meat production purposes, and the EU currently is Australia’s main market for kangaroo exports, both for skins and hides and for meat products. This report provides explains why Eurogroup for Animals believes it is high time that the EU introduces an import ban on all goods derived from the hunting of kangaroos.

The lack of proper regulations on the keeping of exotic pet animals and insufficient knowledge of private keepers undermine the welfare and health of both humans and animals and poses a threat to biodiversity. This report provides an analysis of national legislation related to the keeping and sale of exotic pets in Europe as well as recommendations for national governments.

The EU must take the responsibility in taking action on trade in wildlife and show that the painful lesson of COVID-19 has been learned. The European Commission is presently drafting the Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, a crucial component of the EU Green Deal and a great opportunity to take action. This document, if ambitious enough, can initiate a decisive change of direction for the EU policies on wildlife trade.

The present report aims at summarising and explaining the problems related to the keeping and trade of exotic pets, presenting arguments stated in peer reviewed articles and published reports. This report also demonstrates that, while there are several ways to regulate the keeping and sale of exotic pets, a Positive List (a list of allowed species) is the most effective, concise, transparent, precautionary, enforceable and economically feasible way to reduce the suffering of exotic animals and the risks for the environment and the human and animal health.

Eurogroup for Animals welcomes the drafting of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030 as a key delivery of the EU Green Deal. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment Report published in May 2019 exposed that biodiversity is declining globally at unprecedented rates. In the EU alone, unsustainable intensification of agriculture and fisheries have
left only 23% of protected species and 16% of protected habitats in good conservation, and therefore sustainable, status. Clearly, EU efforts to avert global biodiversity loss by 2020, as required by Target 6 of the 2020 Biodiversity Strategy, have failed to meet their objective. There’s no time left for political disengagement and lack of commitment: the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy must be the tool to make the change needed to reverse biodiversity loss, also by securing adequate financial resources and adopting necessary new legislation.

A positive list is a list of species that are allowed to be kept as pets, with or without the requirement of a permit or authorisation. This is an efficient, clear and precautionary way to reduce the risks caused by exotic species and to minimize their welfare problems. As Belgium has been the first European Union country which adopted a positive list system to regulate the keeping and sale of exotic pets, this offers an excellent opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of the system.

There are more than 200 million pets in Europe, including mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians. However, many species, especially exotic animals, are unsuited to a life in captivity. This may result in severe animal welfare problems, and can also be detrimental to biodiversity, have a negative impact on public health, and present a danger to the health of other animals. Therefore, the impacts of keeping exotic pets can have high costs across many sectors. Rescue centres are increasingly confronted on a daily basis with the problems that stem from this trade. Owners may no longer want their pet because it was an unsuitable match from an impulsive and poorly-informed purchase. There are several ways to regulate the keeping and sale of exotic pets, but a Positive List (a list of allowed species) is the most effective, concise, transparent, enforceable and economically feasible way.