The Bristol Declaration
The Bristol Declaration brings charities together to speak up for wild animals, calling for a future where they can live free from cruelty, exploitation and suffering, with their welfare at the heart of UK Government policy making.
This week (9 September), welfare and wildlife organisations met at the Wild Summit to create the Bristol Declaration on Wild Animal Welfare.
The event, led by Naturewatch Foundation, Humane World for Animals, Born Free, RSPCA, Four Paws UK, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), brought together 100 nature lovers and animal welfare advocates to develop solutions to the major issues affecting wild animal welfare.
The declaration calls on the Government to put the welfare of wild animals at the heart of decision-making, and to make good on its commitment in the Animal Welfare Strategy to deliver a "generational step change in animal welfare."
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Bristol Declaration:
We, the undersigned, recognise that all wild animals should be able to live free from cruelty, exploitation and suffering, and call on the UK Government to put the welfare of wild animals at the heart of policy making.
As a country that places animals at the heart of its culture and identity, the UK has long sought to demonstrate leadership on animal welfare
The Government’s recent Animal Welfare Strategy contained several welcome commitments aimed at addressing issues that currently result in the suffering of wild animals, including banning trail hunting, banning snares and reviewing the penalties for wildlife crimes.
However, these commitments alone do not go far enough and will not address the true scale of the threats facing the UK’s wild animals. Too often, the welfare of wild animals continues to be overlooked across many areas of policy and decision-making.
Wild animals face growing threats from wildlife crime, commercial exploitation, habitat loss and degradation, climate change, inappropriate development, and other human activities that cause suffering, disrupt habitats, and prevent natural behaviours.
If the UK is to deliver on its promise to deliver the most ambitious animal welfare programme in a generation, it must ensure that the interests of wild animals are recognised and protected across government, and that animal welfare is treated as a central consideration in environmental, planning, agricultural and wildlife policy.
To secure a better future for wild animals across the UK and beyond, we call on the UK Government to take action in five key areas:
This declaration represents the collective voice of more than 100 advocates who gathered in Bristol for the Wild Summit.
By adopting these principles, the UK can demonstrate leadership in advancing the welfare of wild animals and help create a future in which wildlife is protected from extinction and unnecessary suffering.
Take meaningful action to end wildlife crime
Address the wild pet trade
Enshrining wild animal welfare into all government decision making
Supporting, prioritising and enabling wild animal friendly land use
Ensure and support wild animal friendly planning and development
