Coastal First Nations has lent support to the proposed Jane Goodall Act (Bill S-214), which would protect captive wild animals and ban the captive breeding of great apes, elephants and other wild animals.
The Bill also designates more than 800 other species for protection, including bears, wolves, seals and sea lions, and would grant some animals limited legal standing in court so the legal system can prioritize their well-being.
“For far too long, our relatives, bears, wolves, cougars, whales, seals, sea lions, birds, salmon, halibut, herring, and all living creatures have not been recognized by Crown governments and modern society for the individual beings and collective societies they are a part of … [It] is not difficult for our peoples, working through our Nation authorities, to say we support a law that offers protection to the animals we live and interact with.” — Christine Smith-Martin, Coastal First Nations CEO
Feature image: Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press