IMPORTATION OF ANIMALS (Hansard, 31 May 1967)

§ Mr. A. P. Costain (Folkestone and Hythe)

I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to extend control over the importation of live animals. When I first tabled this Motion, it was my intention to introduce a comprehensive Bill to cover the importation of all live animals from tropical and subtropical countries; but, on further consideration and after further research, I came to the conclusion that this was too comprehensive a Measure to introduce at this stage in the Parliamentary calendar. I therefore propose to ask the leave of the House to introduce a Bill to control the importation of tortoises and terrapins. I will, Mr. Speaker, with the leave of the House, move an Amendment in Committee so to amend the title. As there is some doubt about the definition of tortoises and terrapins, the Bill will contain a Clause defining these as the species chelonia.

I should like to inform the House that I have the unanimous support of a recent Parliamentary Committee of the Animal 2 Welfare Group. I have support from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and from the British Veterinary Association. I have the support of Dr. Boycott, a director of the Public Health Laboratory Service, Taunton Branch, the British Veterinary Zoological Society, the Universities Federation of Animal Welfare, and the Animal Health Trust. I also have all-party support in the House.

These authorities would welcome the restricted import of this species because of the danger of importing diseases transmit-table to man and to domestic animals. Parents buying tortoises do not realise the health risk which may be involved in their children handling these pets. I quote from a letter received from Dr. Boycott, a director of the Public Health Laboratory at Taunton, an independent authority, who, referring to tortoises, said this: Few people know that these animals are a real source of human disease, if a rare one. It was this which first interested me in them. Eighty to 100 per cent. of the species imported here harbour in their bowels bacteria which can cause enteritis in man. The risk is a slight one, for obvious reasons, and limited, as far as I know, to children, who are the only ones likely to fondle a tortoise. He is informed that about six infections have been reported in this country and the same number in Holland and Germany. There have been a good many more in the United States of America, but the species kept there as pets are terrapins … which are bred in captivity and fed on offals. It is not generally realised that about a quarter of a million tortoises are imported into this country each year for sale to the general public as pets. They come by 3 sea and by air, from Morocco, Tunisia, Yugoslavia and the U.S.S.R. Many of these tortoises die in transit, despite improvements brought about in transport conditions as a result of agitation by the R.S.P.C.A. and the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare. Of those that survive the journey and are subsequently sold to the public, herpetologists estimate that only about 1 per cent, survive the first 12 months after purchase. Replacement of these casualties helps to boost the trade.

I should like to give the House brief details of a large consignment of tortoises which reached this country in 1966. In May of that year, a consignment of 6,000 tortoises arrived at London Docks from Casablanca, consigned to a pet stores in the Midlands. They were in 100 baskets, each containing 60. As no representative of the firm had called to collect them, the matter was reported to the R.S.P.C.A. The Society arranged for the tortoises to be collected from the docks and transferred to its air hostel for animals at London Airport, where they remained until 4th June. When ultimately contacted, the owner of the pet stores claimed that he had cancelled the order for this consignment, but he eventually agreed to accept delivery. One wonders how long they would have remained at the docks but for the prompt action of the R.S.P.C.A.

In a similar case in April of this year, the River Thames Police reported to the R.S.P.C.A. emergency night staff at headquarters that there were 104 baskets containing tortoises which were awaiting collection at Free Trade Wharf. Each basket contained 60 tortoises—a total of 6,240. It transpired that this was part of a consignment of 35,000 tortoises, some of which had been collected by lorry, but the rest were left on the quayside when work for the day finished, where they were found by the river police. The 6,240 were taken by the R.S.P.C.A. to its air hostel for animals at London Airport. Of the 3,000 examined before they were collected by the firm that had ordered them, 40 were dead and many were weak. It must be remembered that these tortoises had already been transported from their country of origin. Other cases could be cited, but I will not bore the House with them.

4 The Royal Society fully realises the difficulty of looking after tortoises, and it has issued a leaflet on the subject. The problem is that these animals are not really fitted to live in our climate. An early spring causes them to wake up from hibernation, and they subsequently die. There is no doubt that many parents buy tortoises and terrapins as pets for their children without any knowledge of how to keep them.

It will be seen that terrapins as well as tortoises are included within the provisions of the Bill. The following comments in The Field of 27th April this year, regarding the tortoise trade, make my case clearly: Commenting a year ago on the scandalous casualties among oriental finches consigned in bulk air freights to the British pet trade, we called for its prohibition. The case of the tortoises found dying on arrival at London Docks demands that this call be repeated. Very few among those who sell imported cage birds or tortoises are callous. But some of those operating at the wholesale level quite obviously do not know, do not care, or do not think what is happening to the creatures out of which they are making money. Their abuses should be stopped by law. That is precisely what the Bill is designed to do. I can understand the child's viewpoint, but tortoises need professional care, and my Bill would allow them to be imported only for zoos, learned societies and those who have the facilities to look after them properly.

I appreciate that it is late in the Parliamentary calendar, but, in view of the interest which the Government have shown in giving time to private Members for the promotion of animal welfare, I very much hope that—I put this plea to the Leader of the House—that time will be given for the introduction and passage of this Bill.