29 January 2008

Nearly 400,000 animals used in Scottish labs

Statistics revealed by the Home Office show that 391,000 animals were used in experiments in Scotland in 2006, representing 13.3 per cent of Britain’s total laboratory animal use. That’s a staggering statistic considering that Scotland makes up just eight per cent of the population. The number of actual experiments is likely to be far higher as a significant proportion of the animals were used in more than one procedure.

Overall there was a 1.5 per cent drop in Scotland’s animal use, but an analysis of previous years indicates that, in line with the whole of Britain, there is no overall trend of decline. Indeed in 2005 there was a 4.5% increase in Scotland’s animal experiments compared with 2004.

Despite the slight drop in animal numbers this year, Scotland’s statistics reveal some very concerning increases such as a 675% increase in the number of cats, a 100% increase in sheep and a 206% increase in horses. Additionally, there was a 191% increase in the number of new world primates used (species such as marmosets) and in all Scotland used 28% of Britain’s total primates.

“The Scottish public will be shocked to learn that hundreds of thousands of animals are suffering and dying in their laboratories every year.” says the Dr Hadwen Trust’s Wendy Higgins, “The government claims to be committed to promoting non-animal research and ultimately replacing animals, but its utter failure to implement meaningful action is clearly exposed by these figures which despite a drop from the previous year, are still unacceptably high. Excellence in research can and should be pursued without animal suffering not just because of a moral imperative but also because more modern techniques can be far more reliable and relevant to humans.”

The Dr Hadwen Trust believes that if the government committed to a targeted and time-tabled strategy to replace animal experiments, Scotland and the rest of the UK would start to see a genuine long-term decline in laboratory animal use and an increase in better quality research which is ultimately what every citizen deserves and wants.

How many animals used in Scottish labs in 2006?

Total animals 2006: 391,500

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