Survey
Scepticism toward primate experiments, demand for species-appropriate housing conditions
A survey concerning animal experimentation shows differentiated attitudes and answers.
A slight majority considers animal experiments necessary. Still, a significant majority is sceptical if not outright disapproving. 75% of those surveyed call for species-appropriate housing-even if this should cause higher costs. Alternative methods to animal experiments are too little-known, a slight majority wants to strengthen their research. Animalfree Research claims that these attitudes enter into the current revision of the animal welfare legislation.
Tie between sceptics and supporters
Question 1: Do you consider the conduct of animal experiments to be absolutely essential, a necessary evil, not necessary, absolutely not essential?
48 % of those questioned considered animal experiments as essential or necessary while 46 % thought animal experiments to be not really necessary or absolutely unnecessary. With this, advocates of animal experiments lead the sceptics by a small margin.
A significant difference is to be observerd in the german and western switzerland. In the german part of Switzerland 14 % think such experiments essential and a further 26 % necessary. The approving position encompasses 40% as opposed to 54 % of those surveyed who regard animal experiments as rather unnecessary. The side that categorizes animal experiments as rather unnecessary is much smaller with a total of 28 %.
The living environment of those questioned (city, small town, country) had little influence on the attitude towards animal experiments. There were gender differences though: considerably more males than females thinks animal experiments to be essential (21 vs 11 %) and more females consider animal experiments to be unnecessary (27 % vs 21 %). Pensioners, persons with high income and persons with high education are more likely to approve of animal experiments than young people,or people on low income and with less education.
Supporters of the 4 biggest parties(SVP, SP, FDP, CVP) show a comparable attitude, with the FDP support being above and that of the SP being below average. The SVP has the biggest percentage which considers animal experiments unnecessary (22 %) Only the voters of the green party have a higher proportion of sceptics (63%) against backers (35%). The salternative methodse tendency is apparent, though in diminished formin those questioned persons without political affiliance.
72 percent object, disapprove of or object to primate experimentation
Question 2: should severely stressful experiments on primates be continued or forbidden?
Almost 50 % of those surveyed strictly object to primate experiments. A further 23% would rather forbid them. Taken together, 72 % adopt a critical to disapproving attitude towards primate experiments. Only 5 % want them to be autorized further and 14% would rather autorize them furteher. Therefore, the moderate to strongly approving side comprises only
19 % of those surveyed. 9 % didn’t respond.
While 55% of the german swiss want to prohibit primate experimentation, only 36% in the western part want that., a difference of 19%. Counting those questioned who would rather prohibit primate experiments, the disapproving side comprises 78% in german and 47% in west Switzerland. Opposed to this is the moderate to strong support of primate experiments of 31% in west Switzerland (german part 14%)
Women disaprove more strongly than men (54 vs. 44 %). 26% of males approve of primate experiments more or less strongly, while only 13 % females approve. A stronger disapproval is noticeable with persons of 18-39 years of age (54 %) and with those questioned with low income and middle education (52 % each).
The disapproval is not only strong in the group of the Greens (54 %) but also in those belonging to the CVP and SVP (48 % each). Lower values are found within the FDP (44 %) and the SP (39 %) with the SVP having the highest proportion of people who do sooner disapprove (33 %).
Existence of Alternative methods is still little-known
Question 3: Do you think that enough research is conducted for the promotion of alternative methods to animal experiments, e.g. cell culture or computer simulation models?
Since the meaningfulness of alternative methods is largely undisputed, it was asked whether today’s efforts for the development and implementation are sufficient. 41 % of those interviewed are (rather) of the opinion that alternative methods are too little researched. 37 % are (rather) of the opinion that sufficient research is being done.
45 % of german swiss are expecting (rather) more research for alternative methods whereas 37% consider the efforts sufficient. In western Switzerland, both parties are equal (33% each).
Noticeable the 23 % of those questioned who don’t respond. This indicates a huge insecurity and lack of information. No response was given by persons from western Switzerland (34%), pensioners (33%), and people low income and education (30% and 34% respectively)
Demand for species-adequate housing is broadly supported
Question 4: Do you think that the adequate housing of exp. Animals should be respected even if there are additional costs?
Experimental animals must be kept adequately even at higher costs. Three quarters of those queried strongly agree to this, a further 16 % agree in general. Only 3 % don’t agree or don’t agree in general. Nonresponders were comparatively rare in this case (6 %).
The general opinion is so unambiguous that the further distinction for socio-economic characteristics hardly reveals any differences. Gender, living conditions or political affiliances only play an inferior role. The demand for adequate housing in any case is shared by almost 70% of respondents.
Deviations exist between the age groups: while of younger persons (18-39 years) 78 % agree, only 68% of pensioners do. Even more significant is the difference when persons are distinguished by their education: only 59 % of those with low education agree as compared to 78 % with medium and 77 % with high education. A similar distribution can be noticed in different income levels.
Conclusions by Animalfree Research
Animal experiments are hardly considered positive, but a slender majority thinks them necessary. The voters as well, when weighing animal welfare against traditional research, have spoken against the ban on animal experiments. Nevertheless, this is no free ticket for just any kind of animal experiments, as the survey of the foundation reveals.
The survey indicates differentiated views. Almost half of the interviewees want a ban on primate experiments, and a further 23 % would sooner prefer it. A vast majority therefore calls for a reconsideration with regard to primate experiments. The call for adequate housing of experimental animals cannot be disputed.
Animalfree Research demans to include the following main requests into the animal welfare legislation:
1. Prohibiton of all experiments on apes and ban on severely stressful experiments on other primates.
In several european countries a rethinking concerning primate experiments is taking place. In the European Parliament the majority of delegates has called for the end of experimentation on apes and on primates originating from the wilderness. In Germany, several federal states have prohibited or strongly questioned primate experiments. In Switzerland, the final decision about the lawfulness of a particular primate experiment is still pending.
Since experiments on apes are not being performed in Switzerland anyway, they could be prohibited without problems. Stressful experiments on primates are to be banned as well.
2. Species-appropriate housing conditions
The keeping of experimental animals in crowded conditions without other members of their fellow species, stimulation or occupation flies in the face of the requirements of the animal welfare legislation. Sufficient space, behavioural enrichment as well as the company of conspecifics should be understood. Progressive practical solutions should become a binding minimum standard.
3. More support for alternative methods
The foundation 3R, financially supported by the federal government and the pharmaceutical industry, advances the research on alternative methods. Further institutions, amongst them Animalfree Research, support projects as well. The financial means for the research of alternative methods have to be increased and the use of alternative methods in research projects has to be consistently asserted.
The survey was done by gfs-zürich (www.gfs-zh) November – December 2007 for Animalfree Research. The sample of 1016 people is representative of the population of german and western Switzerland.
