Experiments on creatures

[Rosemary]

I'm afraid I couldn't find a link to this article I read in my local paper.

WA scientists are secretly performing experiments on whales, dolphins and porpoises with 225 of the marine mammals listed among the 1.8 million animals used in scientific research in the State over the past two years!

The experiments included surgical, toxicological, genetic, biological and medical studies.

Attempts to identify which organisation experimented on dolphins or whales have been unsuccessful.

I realise that scientific research needs to be done, especially for medical purposes but surely there must be other ways to do it.

 

[Ursa major]

While you ought to be concerned, Rosemary, without further information we don't know anything about the purpose of the studies. Some may be designed to improve the welfare of the species involved.

Also "genetic" studies, for instance, may require very little physical intervention. Have you any more details?

 

[Rosemary]

While you ought to be concerned, Rosemary, without further information we don't know anything about the purpose of the studies. Some may be designed to improve the welfare of the species involved.

Also "genetic" studies, for instance, may require very little physical intervention. Have you any more details?

Yes, I understand that Ursa...As I said I couldn't find a link. Still there is apparently some teaching, animal handling and observation study involved, and a university apparently said their studies included taking biopsy samples but all their work was 'hands-off and non-invasive'. Unfortunately the State Government is reluctant to reveal many details of research.

I thought the amount of animals used was just terrible.

 

[Ursa major]

I thought the amount of animals used was just terrible.

I wouldn't disagree with that.

I just find it hard to believe that anyone would choose marine mammals as subjects of general experimentation - the larger ones might vanish, only for portions of them to reappear on plates a few thousand kilometres to the north of you.

 

[Quokka]

I read an article on this and (imo) it does seem to be sloppy reporting, I disagree that they are secret experiments, in fact one of the reasons given (If we read the same article) for the rise in numbers is actually better reporting of what research is being done.

It's a worry and I'd really like to know what studies were done with what animals but for all we know from the article, the studies involving whales could have simply been data collected on sightings to estimate population/migration numbers and I'd be very suprised if it was anything more invasive than blood samples.

Ditto with the dolphins etc.... of course there's likely to be alot of smaller animals that didn't have it so easy. Although 1.8 million over 2 years, I'm hoping that's a lot of insects.

 

[The Ace]

As a biologist, I find this kind of thing morally unacceptable. Why don't we tie the scum responsible to a table and take them apart to see what makes them tick.

 

[Quokka]

I was able to have another look at the article that appeared in The West Australian newspaper (01.12.2007) and apparently of the 1.8 million: 43,000 were sheep, 90,852 mice, 549,230 fish and 802,000 were poultry .

With only 198,990 recorded in 2005 and 1.6 million recorded last year it really does look like there has been some large research projects done that has skewed the figures, I doubt it's anything particuarly invasive (or lab based) as they just wouldn't have time with these sorts of numbers.

I really think the whales and dolphins are probably safe enough, no ones going to risk the sort of backlash that publicity of bad research could cause there but what is a worry is who's looking after the couple of million animals not deemed intelligent enough to have rights?

It does say that the relevent government departments have the information as to what's happening where (which is where these statistics come from) so we're expected to just trust that they're competent .

I do agree that this is concerning but like I said earlier I also think it's a case of some less than stella reporting that was more focused on getting the right headline.