Latvia, Law and Regulations, Markets and Companies

As they held the second reading of draft amendments to the Animal Protection Law today, most of the MPs chose not to support MP Julija Stepanenko’s (Harmony) proposal that would have allowed to use animals born in captivity in circus performances. Under Stepanenko’s proposal, the ban would only apply to animals born in the wild.

Stepanenko’s proposal won the support the Saeima Economics, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee, but it was overturned by Saeima today, upholding the wording of the draft legislation that already was passed in the first reading and banned the use of animals in circus shows regardless of whether they have been born in captivity or in the wild.

As reported, the Latvian animal rights organization Dzivnieku Briviba (Animal Freedom) submitted to the parliament a petition, titled For a Humane Circus and signed by more than 26,000 people, in a bid to stop animals being used in circus shows.

In 2015, the Latvian Food and Veterinary Service proposed to ban using animals in circus after talks with animal rights groups and a workgroup was formed to draw up the respective legislative amendments.

Several other European countries have already banned using animals in circus shows. Local circuses in Latvia do not keep their own animals. All wild animals that are used in circus performances in Latvia are brought to Latvia by traveling circus troupes from foreign countries.