On January 17, SOS Pri­ma­tes atten­ded the scien­ti­fic con­fe­ren­ce “Scien­ce, Legis­la­tion and Great Apes: Towards Evi­den­ce-Based Regu­la­tion,” orga­ni­zed by the Ibe­rian Asso­cia­tion of Zoos and Aqua­riums (AIZA) at the Spa­nish Con­gress of Deputies.

It was ins­pi­ring to hear the pers­pec­ti­ves and con­tri­bu­tions of lea­ding pri­ma­to­lo­gists from across Spain. Although par­ti­ci­pants may approach the­se issues from dif­fe­rent back­grounds, ever­yo­ne sha­red the same goal: ensu­ring the best pos­si­ble futu­re for primates.

Moving for­ward, it is essen­tial to build a con­sen­sus that brings together scien­ti­fic evi­den­ce, ethi­cal res­pon­si­bi­lity, societ­y’s evol­ving values, pri­ma­te wel­fa­re, and con­ser­va­tion. Only by balan­cing the­se ele­ments can we crea­te poli­cies that truly bene­fit both pri­ma­tes and their habitats.