The Committee on Petitions of the European Parliament has finally addressed a petition of roughly two million signatures, organized by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and supported by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Acknowledging the importance of the problem of the illegal bush meat trade, the committee decided to submit an official report to the Parliament that will be debated in plenary session.

In the petition, two million European citizens expressed their concerns about the illegal hunting and trade of great apes, elephants, and other threatened wildlife for human consumption. The two organizations call on the European Union (EU) to support efforts to stamp out this unsustainable trade, which is greatly detrimental to the well-being of the hunted animals.

At the hearing of the Committee on Petitions, U.K. MEP Jean Lambert asked the committee chairman to thoroughly investigate the issue by drafting an official report. Dr. Bryan Carroll, chairman of the EAZA Bush Meat Steering Committee, says “the way forward in ensuring that the bush meat crisis is addressed is for the Commission and the Parliament to adopt a position statement which would serve as a framework for future EU action.” The objective is that endangered species, such as elephants and gorillas, are fully protected while food supply for local communities is maintained. The EU is one of the key players in the field of nature conservation in Central Africa. However, the two organizations argue that the conservation programs financed by the EU in the region are neither important enough nor sufficiently effective. There is no specific budget line for bush meat or great apes comparable to the U.S.-initiated fund for great apes. EAZA and IFAW also say there are a number of EU interventions that have a negative impact on bush meat poaching and trade, such as the large-scale financial support for road building and the activities of the European logging companies. The logging industry is at the root of the problem, as companies open up the forest for hunting and bring along hundreds of workers who depend on bush meat as their main source of nourishment, leading to a steep increase in commercial hunting. In addition, the majority of logging companies in central Africa are operating illegally, an issue that the EU has not addressed in depth.

The bush meat trade is currently estimated to be over five million tons per year in the Congo Basin alone. This rate of exploitation of bush meat is leading to Empty Forest Syndrome, leaving forests with a deficit of large animals. The bush meat trade does not merely jeopardize wildlife populations. It also poses a great threat to human health, both in Africa and in Europe. Increased contact with wildlife results in an increased risk of transmitting animal-derived diseases—such as HIV, monkey pox (similar to smallpox), and Ebola. These diseases, if untreated, pose a severe threat to the livelihood of the Central African regions that they affect, which further fuels the poverty and desolation of the debilitated areas.

IFAW’s senior policy adviser in the EU office, Hemmo Muntingh, says, “The bush meat trade lies at the heart of the development issue. Research by IFAW experts has clearly shown the link which exists between resolving the bush meat problem and poverty alleviation.”

Scientific Studies Support Ride Safety

While the amusement industry has long known the scientific reasons for the safety of its rides, several studies have now demonstrated this information to the public. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and Exponent Failure Analysis Associates each performed separate studies at the request of Six Flags. They “confirmed that rides are based on biomedical and biomechanical science, are extraordinarily safe, and present no health risk to the public.”

IAAPA President Clark Robinson also participated in this event and briefly mentioned the industry’s development of a voluntary incident-reporting system. On February 25, the Brain Injury Association of America announced the findings and recommendations of its panel that reviewed the correlation between brain injury and roller coaster rides.

The panel assembled at the request of Representatives Ed Markey, Bill Pascrell, and 12 other members of Congress. The findings supported scientific data from the earlier Exponent and AANS studies, as well as those performed by Dr. Smith and Dr. Meaney of the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Meaney served as a panel member, and the industry was represented by Harold Hudson. Panel chair Dr. Gregory O’Shanick said, “The work of this panel helps to put to rest the fear of brain injury from riding roller coasters.”