Advocates for Animals and The Donkey Sanctuary join trade talks in East Africa to help combat devastating donkey skin trade

On 8 November 2024, The Donkey Sanctuary, represented by Advocates for Animals, attended the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Committee meeting in the Ugandan Parliament. EALA is the legislative arm of the East African Community, a trading bloc of eight countries in East Africa.  

The meeting was the first EALA Assembly following the commitment from The African Union in February this year to implement a continent-wide moratorium on the slaughter of donkeys for their skins. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the issues associated with the trade in donkey skins with the agriculture and trade committees and to explore solutions so the East African Community can honour and implement the AU commitment. 

Donkey skins are traded at an alarming rate to produce a gelatine product called ejiao, which is used as a Chinese medicine that is claimed to cure a variety of ailments. The trade originated from China; however, after decimating its own donkey population to meet the demand for the product, Chinese manufacturers have turned to other countries, which includes several countries in East Africa, primarily Kenya and Tanzania. 

Donkey farming is often claimed to be a way to meet the demand and to create a sustainable trading opportunity; however, this is not possible due to donkeys' long gestation periods, the high likelihood of one foal at a time, and the significant risk of abortion when donkeys are in a stressful environment. It is telling that no successful farming programme has been set up, including in China. Unable to farm donkeys in order to meet demand, agents for ejiao industry are targeting vulnerable donkey populations around the world. Escalating demand is rapidly outweighing the supply, which in turn is putting East Africa’s  donkey populations and the communities that rely on them at risk. 

The trade is riddled with legal issues, including widespread non-compliance with animal welfare, disease and environmental laws. 

EALA recognises the issue in its two reports on the skin trade in 2021 and 2022 and is now exploring the most suitable way forward. 

Quotes

Hon.Dr Woda Jeremaih Odok (Ph.D Animal Nutrition/Animal husbandry), EALA  member

“East Africa Community needs to legislate and regulate donkey's skin business /donkey slaughter for the welfare of the communities which depend on donkey's in their livelihood and to prevent donkey's extinction in EAC because of the high demand of the donkey's skin by other regions .

Our donkeys are being slaughtered, skinned in an inhuman way  and sold.out with very minimal price yet the products (Eijao) from their skin are being sold at price of USD 780 per Kg.

As I've been  granted leave of the Assembly to introduce a private member bill on Prevention and control of animal transboundary and zoonotic diseases.

This bill has part ix which is about Animal welfare This will grant the rights of Animals to be treated and handled well.”

Edie Bowles, Solicitor, Advocates for Animals 

"I have been working with The Donkey Sanctuary to tackle the donkey skin trade for several years. During that time I have observed widespread illegality at every stage of this cruel industry. Whilst The Donkey Sanctuary continues to  have success with its campaign, with more and more countries questioning and banning the trade, we are working with the East African Community, a key player in this challenge, to bring about a robust regional solution to the problem." 

Dr Otieno Mtula, Regional and Advocacy Campaigns Manager for The Donkey Sanctuary:

“This year has been one of great progress toward ending the cruel and devastating donkey skin trade. When every Member State of the African Union made the commitment in February to ban the slaughter of donkeys for their skins and implement national plans for their welfare, it was a unified decision to protect one of the continent’s most precious resources.

“It is therefore with great faith and optimism that we are here in Uganda, among the leaders and decision-makers of East Africa, who now have the opportunity – and the responsibility – to see this commitment become a reality across the region. This is a critical time for donkey-reliant communities here in Africa and promises to be the start of a new era for donkey welfare.”

Getting advice

This post is not legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you require legal advice on animal protection laws please contact info@advocates-for-animals.com.