The Sri Lankan Government is unlikely to receive any payment for the proposed export of 100,000 toque macaque monkeys to China, The Sunday Morning learns.
Earlier this month, reports of the Government considering a proposal by a Chinese entity to export 100,000 toque macaques to China drew widespread condemnation and criticism from conservationists and political parties alike.
However, the Government maintains that no agreement has been made as of yet (22) and that a committee will be appointed to study the request.
Last week, the Chinese Embassy in Colombo issued a statement that the request for the monkeys did not come from the Chinese Government.
According to a senior official at the Ministry of Agriculture who wished to remain unnamed, the Government will not receive payment or any form of financial compensation for the proposed export of 100,000 toque macaques if the proposal is carried out.
Sources also revealed that the Minister of Agriculture had met with representatives of the Chinese company to discuss the agreement last month.
Attempts by The Sunday Morning to contact the company in question, Zhejiang Wuyu Animal Breeding Co. Ltd., which according to the Agriculture Ministry runs over 1,000 zoos in China, led to the observation that the entity had no registered presence on the internet.
When asked about the company’s lack of an online presence, ministry sources said that it too had inquired about this and the Chinese company had responded that it was not interested in having an online presence or promoting itself, as it was already an established company with 20 years of experience in handling over 1,000 zoos in China.
The lack of a website for such a large operation in a country as advanced as China raises concerns, particularly since it is soliciting the transfer of over 100,000 monkeys from Sri Lanka.
When contacted, the Chinese Embassy spokesperson said they were unaware of the company as it was a private company and instructed that further inquiries about the company be made from the Ministry of Agriculture.