Animal experimentation figures do not show reality of animal tests

The Ministry for Primary Industries has today released figures  on the numbers of animals used for research, testing and teaching in  2015. It was reported that 225,310 animals were used, over 4,300 per  week; a drop from the 310,287 used in 2014. The animals experimented on  included cows, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs, fish and other species.

Although the numbers have decreased compared to 2014, animal advocacy  group SAFE say this is expected because some studies take place across  several years, and MPI requires the numbers of animals to be reported at  the end. These figures do not indicate a trend, or result from any  policy change.

“This drop is nothing more than a glitch due to how the figures are  reported. Just last year a change to ensure animal experiments only took  place when there was no alternative was put forward and rejected by the  government. This is in contrast to the European Union where considering  alternatives is a legal requirement¹, offering some basic  protection to animals used for scientific purposes.” says SAFE campaigns  and policy officer Stephen Manson.

“The figures released only include the animals used in experiments that  finished last year, it certainly doesn’t include those confined and  being used for breeding, or those that don’t get used but are instead  killed as they are not wanted.”

“We need investment in cutting edge methods, for example those that use  human cells in 3D models, computer modelling, and other innovative  scientific methods that advance science without animal suffering.  Without this, it will continue to be business as usual; a drop one year,  an increase the next. In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of animals  suffer when they don’t need to, particularly given the severe  limitations of translating outcomes from animal research to human  medical progress.”

Also revealed in the MPI report was that more animals suffered in the  high and very high impact categories than the previous year, undergoing  procedures that by MPI’s own admission can cause extreme pain and  distress.

“What those over ten thousand animals went through before dying last  year is reduced down to a page of short bullet points in a report. Our  system needs to change; it needs to come out from behind closed doors  and be completely transparent. Given that tax payers money is used to  fund most research, the public deserve to know the full truth and  failures of this inefficient and unethical use of funds.” Mr Manson  added.

SAFE would like to see an overhaul of the regulatory system overseeing  New Zealand’s animal experiments, a system that SAFE says is vulnerable  to abuse and non-compliance, and an immediate stop of all experiments  expected to fall into the high and very high impact categories.

Notes

• 1. Article (11) of the DIRECTIVE 2010/63/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.

  “[…] When choosing methods, the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement should be implemented through a strict hierarchy of the requirement to use alternative methods. Where no alternative method is recognised by the legislation of the Union, the numbers of animals used may be reduced by resorting to other methods and by implementing testing strategies, such as the use of in vitro and other methods that would reduce and refine the use of animals.”
  
   

• MPI press release including link to the report.