National Antivisection Society
The NAVS condemns shocking rise in GM animal experiments
18th July 2003
Shocking new figures released by the government today, show that genetically modified animals now account for over a quarter of all animal experiments. There were 2.73 million experiments on animals in 2002, over 700,000 on GM animals alone, a figure which has more than doubled in six years. The Home Office report also shows a disturbing rise in the number of animal experiments, 110,000 more than the previous year. Over 25,000 experiments were conducted on dogs, cats, horses and monkeys.
Jan Creamer, Chief Executive of the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) said: “I’m appalled by these figures. The rise in the use of genetically modified animals for experiments confirms that after a decade of hype, most GM animals are simply created to be killed. As a civilised society, we should be working towards ending these cruel experiments, not increasing them. The government has casually dismissed the increase in the number of experiments, yet these new figures mean that over 300 extra animals are used in laboratories each day. More animals than ever are suffering for science when there are proven alternatives to animal experiments".
The Home Office statistics for 2002 detail experiments on:
- 2,293,200 mice, rats or other rodents
- 191,100 fish
- 136,000 birds
- up to 27,300 dogs, cats, horses and monkeys
The vast majority of animals (82%) are used for non-toxicological procedures, such as pharmaceutical research and development, and not for legally required safety tests, as is often assumed. This is why the NAVS has proposed a National Centre for the Replacement of Animal Experiments, to drive forward non-animal research techniques.
The publication of the annual Home Office figures comes shortly before the eagerly anticipated government decision on plans for a new primate centre in Cambridge. In November 2002, the NAVS presented a dossier of evidence to the Cambridge Primate Centre Planning Inquiry, refuting claims that the centre would be in the national interest.
