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The welfare of non-human primates in research
On 17 December, the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Welfare published an extensive report on the welfare of non-human primates used in research. EBRA invited David Morton, Professor of Biomedical Science & Ethics, University of Birmingham, and chair of the Commission working party, to summarise the report for the Bulletin. The full report can be found here
The mandate for SCAHAW from the EU Commission was "to prepare a report on the welfare of non-human primates used for experiments taking into account the most recent scientific information. The Committee should propose how the welfare of these animals can be improved, and identify the most important issues within the EU". The background to the report is that the Directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes is to be updated and that primates are of particular concern. It was not within the Committee's mandate to review the ethical issues of whether or not primates should be used in research, rather to make recommendations on how the welfare of non-human primates could be improved whenever they are used in research.
The membership of the Working Party, from six EU states, comprised those with considerable practical experience in primate biology and behaviour, husbandry, veterinary medicine, research (pure and applied) and animal facility administration. In addition, the opinion of other primate experts outside the EU was taken into account.
The report focuses primarily on the welfare of primates, but since poor health will result in poor welfare, brief consideration was also given to some important general animal health issues. It was noted that many laboratories are doing more than is the legal minimum at the present time. A theme running throughout the report was that, as poor welfare may affect the quality of the data collected, welfare was of scientific importance as well as promoting humane science by not causing avoidable animal suffering.
The Report is divided into 12 main chapters that cover the scale of experimental use of non-human primates in the EU, their general biology, general welfare assessment, current husbandry practices, breeding and supply, specific welfare problems, health issues, transport, and specific issues relating to their use in science. These are followed by conclusions, recommendations, priorities for future research, an executive summary and references.
There are 48 recommendations in all, covering husbandry, breeding and supply, human-animal interactions, transport, animal health and various scientific aspects. The emphasis was to try to encourage good practices, as often there was no scientific basis for establishing what might be considered as 'best practice'. This should help make harmonisation, under the very different circumstances in which primates are used and kept, more realistic.
Specific recommendations of the Report include the collection of more detailed data on the use of primates in research within the EU, including a retrospective reporting system on the severity of procedures carried out, coordination between research centres and the exchange of information to identify good practices regarding safeguarding the welfare of primates in research. The management and housing of primates in captivity should be modified to ensure good welfare by providing for their physiological, physical and behavioural needs, through the provision of a stimulus-rich environment and appropriate care.
We concluded that single housing was always detrimental to the animal's welfare since non-human primates are social animals. Their housing should be designed to allow the expression of species-typical behaviours and postures, and minimise social competition and provide escape and privacy. When deciding how to house primates, including their need to show certain behaviours, a variety of criteria including the biology of the species, age, sex, and an individual's history based on its previous experience should be considered, as opposed to simply applying a mathematical standard based on body weight. Thus an appropriate welfare and health programme involving veterinarians and ethologists should be established at each institution using primates in research eg for enrichment and socialisation. A combination of indoor-outdoor housing was recommended where it had no adverse welfare or health consequences and was compatible with the scientific use of the animals.
In contrast with other species used in research, early weaning of primates could often be detrimental, not because of nutritional needs, but because it could bring about inadequate learning of maternal behaviours from parents and behavioural dependency. Staff should be adequately trained and be competent in the care and handling of primates. Within the constraint of human safety, experimenters should aim to build up a positive relationship with primates being used in their research, and when performing experimental procedures they should use rewards and positive reinforcements rather than coercion.
Only purpose-bred animals should be used in research, and breeding systems should be designed to ensure good welfare. Moreover, primates should not be imported from outside the EU until a specific scientific or essential breeding use for them has been approved, to avoid prolonged journeys or their being kept for prolonged periods in holding stations before being sent to their final destination. It was recommended that each primate should have a detailed individual file ('passport') with records relevant to its life history (including health records) and use. A number of recommendations were made regarding minimising the adverse effects of prolonged transport on the welfare of non-human primates.
A network between facilities using non-human primates in research should also be set up to coordinate discussion on matters relating to the use of non-human primates, and identify good practices that safeguard their welfare. Alternatives should be promoted in a practical manner by facilitating the exchange of technical information to avoid any duplication of their use, to share resources (eg technical expertise, tissues, humane endpoints), and to facilitate in a practical manner the development, validation and implementation of the Three Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement). A number of areas where further research is required were also highlighted in order that a sound scientific basis could be built up to promote good welfare.
The recommendations in this report are far reaching and we hope that they will promote the welfare of primates in research laboratories. If primates are essential to medical research, they will continue to be used, and we need to ensure both that their use is well justified and tightly controlled, and that they spend their lives in the best possible conditions. This is advantageous not only to the animals, but also to the scientists who work with them, ensuring as it does that the data arising from primate experiments are both reproducible and reliable.
It remains to be seen whether the Commission through its resources and public accountability, together with the scientific and welfare communities, can work to promote and achieve good welfare and good science until we no longer need to use these species in research. That must be the ultimate aim of all of us.