Nepal won't allow monkey exports
Shirley McGreal
the Nepali groups involved!
Directions given to stop the export of Monkeys
The parliament committee has ordered Ministry of Forest and Soil
Conservation to stop the process of export of rhesus monkeys.
The natural resource and management committee has called Mr. Shyam
Bajimaya DG of Department of National park and wildlife conservation
and Mr. Prabesh Man Shrestha, Chief; Nepal Biomedical Research
Centre, who asked for the permission to export rhesus and ordered
them to stop the process. The centre was continuously requesting for
the permission to export monkeys.
According to the present Acts and Laws of the country, the committee
has concluded that, it is not liable to export wildlife including
monkeys to the third countries.
Centre has been requesting for the permission for export of 25
monkeys to the 'Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research' for
biomedical research since three years.
As the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 has not
mentioned clearly about the export of wild animals, the committee
decided that it would not be possible to take decision on such a
sensitive case like export of wild animal, based on the wildlife
Farming, reproduction and Research Policy 2060 only. Working plan
also mentioned that, only the blood and skin samples from the second
generation of the farmed animals should be allowed exporting.
After the order of minister of Forest Kiran Gurung to the Department
for the proceeding of the process of export in the 2009/2/10, the
committee has called on Mr. Uday Raj Sharma, Secretary; Ministry of
Forest to stop the export of monkeys.
Secretary Sharma informed that, although the export was requested,
ministry has not decided yet. Writ was filed in Supreme Court by the
Roots and Shoots on 2009/1/29 against the export. Though Shrestha
requested for the export of second generation from his farming, due
to the lack of scientific tool and possibility of the mixing of other
rhesus from wild the committee has ordered to stop the export for now.
Without the scientific monitoring, legal process and lack of tools
the Ministry of Forest did not consider about the sensitive case like
export of wild animals and its impact on the biodiversity. So the
committee has requested not to give permission for export without
legal process.
Red monkeys are listed in the article 2 of "CITES Convention" and as
the NPWC Act 2029 have prohibited exporting any wild animal including
monkeys to the third countries, the committee gave order to stop the
export of red monkeys to US for research.
DG of DNPWC Bajimaya and Monkey farmer Shrestha said that, if there
is amendment in the CITES law and Wildlife conservation Act, there is
possibility for exporting monkeys for research. According to
Technical Deputy secretary of Department Mr. Surya Bahadur Pandey,
Department had already proposed the correction of the CITES and
Wildlife conservation Act five years ago.
Dr. Shirley McGreal, OBE, Chairwoman
International Primate Protection League
PO Box 766
Summerville, SC 29484, USA
Phone - 843-871-2280, Fax- 843-871-7988
E-mail - smcg...@ippl.org, Web: www.ippl.org
Working to Protect All Primates Since 1973
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