NAVS and ADI DISCOVER THAT THE UK IS THE BIGGEST PRIMATE USER IN EUþ

20/10/2010

NAVS and ADI DISCOVER THAT THE UK IS THE BIGGEST PRIMATE USER IN EU‏

The National Anti-Vivisection Society and Animal Defenders
International uncover figures that show the UK is the biggest user of
primates in the EU 
 
The National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) has welcomed the recent
publication by the European Commission of its Sixth Statistical Report
on the numbers of animals used in EU laboratories in 2008, the purpose
of which ultimately allows analysis of trends in animal experiments
and a direct comparison of the efforts of individual Member States to
replace animal testing.
 
On closer inspection however, it has become apparent that the UK can
claim the dubious title of the biggest user of primates in Europe.
 
Jan Creamer, Chief Executive of the NAVS said: "On publication of
animal testing results we carefully analyse the data. Having
researched the statistics we find it disgraceful that while the rest
of Europe decreases its primate testing, the UK carries on regardless,
and in some instances is even increasing species use."
 
In the UK, the use of primates has increased by 7.6% (from 3115 to
3354) between 2005 - 2008, while it has dropped overall in the rest of
Europe by 8.4%, as other member states have decreased their use.
 
The NAVS has analysed the 2009 UK figures separately and established
that 2815 primates were used so there has been a slight reduction.
However, the use of marmosets and tamarins increased from 262 in 2008
to 498 in 2009, so almost double the previous year's figure.
 
"These UK statistics are a national disgrace and shocking indictment
of the animal testing industry in the UK," Jan said. 
 
"These statistics clearly show that the UK does not compare well with
the rest of Europe and that our so-called "strict regulation" has not
protected animals.
 
"Countries such as Belgium, Holland, Austria and even France,
previously one of the worst offenders, have all dramatically decreased
their use of primates, some by as much as 100 per cent, while the UK
continues to buck the trend." 
 
The figures show that it remains far too easy to kill animals in
painful tests in the UK, including shocking abuse of non-human
primates who have a capacity to suffer very similar to humans.
 
As part of its investigation, The National Anti-Vivisection Society
also established that some of the EU statistics contained within the
report did not add up, prior to discovering that the European
Commission has now removed the report from the website while it
attempts to remedy the situation.
 
For instance, the Commission declared that the use of New World
monkeys had decreased by a huge 73%. However, the numbers actually
indicated that their use had only dropped by 42% (from 1564 in 2005 to
904 in 2008).
 
According to the original Report, a jump from 677 animals in 2005 to
1261 animals in 2008 was a mere 46% increase, but it was in fact an
86% increase, therefore almost twice as much as stated.
 
In addition, the use of animals in the category 'other carnivores' was
said to have decreased by an astonishing 205%, which was a
mathematically impossible statistic since the maximum possible
percentage decrease was 100%. The actual decrease was in fact a more
modest 67.25% (from 8711 animals in 2005 to 2853 animals in 2008).
 
"We found it deeply worrying that some of the other Commission figures
on the use of living animals were so poor, considering the severity of
the suffering caused to animals, and the importance of this kind of
data to control animal use," Jan said. 
 
"For the sake of all animals that are currently suffering within
laboratories throughout Europe, we sincerely hope that the Commission
is working hard to correct these inaccuracies, as this report directly
holds individual EU Member States accountable for every single animal
that they use, so its contents are of paramount importance." 
 
The Home Office will have the next couple of years to transpose the
new Directive 2010/63/EU on the use of animals in experiments. This
provides the new Coalition Government with the ideal opportunity to
fulfil their pre-election commitment to decrease the use of animals,
and show a determination to replace animal use with advanced,
non-animal techniques.
 
 Article 54 of the Directive will oblige Member States to report
annually to the Commission, as opposed to biannually, which will
permit a more precise monitoring of the trends at a European level. In
light of the lackadaisical approach to the statistics, the NAVS feel
that this factor is clearly an improvement.