Mauritius has supplied long-tailed macaques to the research industry since the 1980s. In recent years, the African island nation has taken a leading role in the lab monkey business as allegations of criminality in supply chains from Southeast Asian countries have led to increased demand elsewhere.
Now, the nonprofit Action for Primates has uncovered information that raises questions about the legitimacy of Mauritius’ trade in macaques.
In response to inquiries from Nedim Buyukmihci, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Medicine at University of California-Davis and co-founder of Action for Primates, Mauritian officials indicated that sustainability assessments required under the regulatory regime for the macaque trade have not been done.
Failing to conduct these assessments would be a violation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates the trade in macaques. Considering this, Action for Primates has called on the treaty body to launch an investigation into the matter.
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