Good news for monkeys, bad press for Barbados
May 1st, 2012 by admin
The island nations of Barbados and St. Kitts & Nevis are 350 miles apart but have one unfortunate similarity. For centuries, the calls of African green monkeys have been heard in the forests of both countries. Sadly, both countries allow the trapping and export of wild monkeys for use in laboratory experimentation.
Recently, ARFF was part of a successful effort to persuade an airline to cuts its ties with the cruel primate trade following a flight from Barbados.
On April 19, the BUAV revealed that in August 2011, a Choice Airways plane transported 22 wild-caught monkeys from Barbados to Miami for Alpha Genesis, a company that sells monkeys to research laboratories. ARFF urged its supporters to contact Choice Airways and ask the company to refuse to transport monkeys destined for the research industry in the future. By the end of the day, Choice Airways had released a statement that confirmed the airline will no longer transport primates. The April 26 issue of Barbados Today featured a story about the airline’s decision.
Please contact Barbados’ Consul General in Miami and politely ask that Barbados ban the export of monkeys destined for the research industry. Let him know that the continued export of wild-caught monkeys could harm the international reputation of Barbados.
Consul General Colin S. Mayers
Phone: (786) 515-1201
E-mail: miami@foreign.gov.bb
Visit Stolen from Paradise.com, ARFF’s website arguing for a ban on the export from St. Kitts & Nevis of monkeys destined for the research industry.
The United States is the largest importer of monkeys from Barbados and St. Kitts & Nevis. Miami is the most common port of entry.