Protests to be held outside of Salford Civic Hall over endangered monkeys

Scheduled protests have been planned to take place outside of Salford Civic Hall tomorrow over the importation of endangered monkeys. 

The protests are expected to be between 8:30am and 9:30am, anti vivisection activists hoping to encourage Salford Councillors to collaborate with their neighbouring council.

The plans hope for the two councils to work together to stop flights landing at Manchester airport that carry endangered Long-Tailed Macaque monkeys.

With the frustrations being directed after it has been made aware that Salford City Council own a 3.2% share of Manchester airport.

The endangered monkeys are currently being imported in to the country, and used for contract testing in laboratories across the UK.

With the monkeys travelling from on long haul flights from Africa (Mauritius) and Asia (Vietnam) it has been considered cruel and led to a lot of upset.

As the monkeys have been taken from their native countries to the UK being carried in small wooden crates.

Since the annoucement of the protests a spokesperson of Salford City Council said: “We’re aware of the protest tomorrow and people’s right to peacefully protest.

“This is a matter that we will discuss with other partners across Greater Manchester.”

Sarah Kite, co-founder of Action for Primates, supports the campaign to end Manchester Airports said: “The suffering, trauma and stress these intelligent and sentient beings experience is unimaginable.

“It is shameful that the UK continues to import long-tailed macaques, including from Vietnam and Mauritius, with Manchester Airport the main initial destination.”

She continued to add: “Many of the monkeys who are flown into Manchester Airport are used in toxicity testing in contract research laboratories.

“The suffering caused to the monkeys is immense and can cause them serious harm or death.”

The calling for Salford City Council to join and work with Stockport Council comes after Cllr Mark Hunter declared that the imports of monkeys for research is a “deplorable trade”.

The council meeting that was held in October 2023 shared that over two thousand monkeys were brought into the country in 2022.

The statistics displayed at the meeting shared that it made the regional airport the UK gateway for importing live primates.

Stockport Councillor Mark Hunter described the initial statistics as “horrifying”.

It will be interesting to see if the protest from the animal rights activists will have an impact on the decisions from the council in the future.