Animal activist and naturalist Chris Packman joined Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby from his home on This Morning today to discuss the Chinese government’s decision to reopen wet markets. It has been widely speculated that coronavirus originated in a Wuhan wet market and Phillip made it clear to viewers that he was furious with the decision to let these style of markets reopen.
The animal welfare activist made his views on the wet markets clear as he urged government officials around the world to enforce their closure.
Chinese wet markets, in particular, have come under scrutiny in recent weeks after the coronavirus outbreak was linked to a market in Wuhan.
Chinese authorise shut down the market in question and confirmed there would be strict supervision of wet markets once normal life was resumed.
These markets often include a number of different species packed closely together that normally have no interaction with one another in the wild.
Read more: This Morning: Holly Willoughby and Phillip derail ITV show
Phil agreed and raged: “I’m sorry, it is tradition and it is culture but I think the world now has got to say, ‘You have to shut them down’.”
This Morning viewers agreed with Phil and took to Twitter to share their frustration at these markets being reopened.
One said: “#ThisMorning It is unbelievable that things like those markets are allowed to still exit in a modern society. They are cruel, outdate and unnecessary.”
“@ChrisGPackham #ThisMorning you’re so right regarding these wet markets, but I think we need as a nation to stop buying from China, and other places that have these wet markets, money talks and if they think there losing there exports then maybe they’d listen #COVIDー19,” a second wrote.
