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Proposal puts primate research at risk
Incorrect information has resulted in a proposal that could force most primate research out of Europe
The most worrying proposal included in the expert consultation is that only second generation (ie F2) captive-bred primates could be used, although they suggest that there should be a phase-in period for this change.
The 2002 figures show that 9,267 non-human primates were used in scientific procedures in the EU. Of these, 1095 were new-world primates, the vast majority of which would have been marmosets, which are routinely bred in long-term colonies and this would be at least second generation captive bred. The remaining 8075 are old world primates, nearly all of which would be macaques. The vast majority of these are imported into the EU.
This proposal to only permit the use of F2 purpose-bred primates is based upon a serious factual error in the background information, which states, “In 2002, about 60% of the NHPs used for scientific purposes were imported from outside the EU, more than 90% of them being macaques. All these macaques are F2 purpose-bred.” In fact, these animals were, and continue to be, first generation, or F1, purpose-bred. There are no significant numbers of F2 purpose bred macaques imported into the EU.
The main macaque breeders are in Mauritius, Philippines. China and Israel. These breeders take animals captured from the wild and breed them, selling the offspring (the F1 captive bred generation). To create a supply of F2 animals the breeders would either have to substantially reduce their sales of F1 animals so they can breed them or substantially increase the number of animals taken from the wild, neither of which they want to do. There is a high world demand for purpose-bred macaques, particularly from the USA. Since these breeders can sell all the F1 animals they breed to buyers in the USA, they have not shown any particular interest in breeding F2 animals. The size of the EU market for purpose-bred macaques is not large enough to make it likely that the breeders could be persuaded to create an F2 supply.
It is estimated that between 90% and 95% of all macaques used in the EU are imported from outside the EU. This is a higher figure than recorded in the EU statistics on animal experimentation, but that is because some animals are imported by a supplier and then sold on to the final user. In the EU statistics these primates are counted as coming from within the EU, simply because the laboratory buys them from the local supplier, not direct from the overseas breeder.
The vast majority of macaques are used in the EU for the development and testing of pharmaceuticals and vaccines, although a significant minority is used in academic research in the neurosciences. Since there is little prospect of a supply of F2 animals becoming available, this proposal would cause all pharmaceutical and vaccine industry primate work and much academic primate neuroscience research to be moved out of the EU. The immediate effects on these fields of EU research and development would be serious indeed.