International pressure on Puerto Rico to stop monkey breeding farm
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| Published on Monday, June 1, 2009 |
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Animal protection organizations across the world have launched a campaign calling on the government of Puerto Rico to stop the construction of a major monkey farm following reports that the monkeys will be supplied to the international research industry; in particular the USA. It is understood that the farm in Guayama City will be established using macaques (Macaca fascicularis) from the island of Mauritius.
The groups, including the BUAV (British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection) the IPPL (International Primate Protection League), and PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine), believe that such a proposal is highly controversial and a major step backwards at a time when the ethical and scientific use of nonhuman primates in research is being challenged internationally by scientists as well as others.
According to a press release, primates are highly intelligent, social animals with complex behavioral and psychological needs which cannot be met in captivity. They should, therefore, be left in the wild. The cruelty and suffering involved in the international trade in primates for research has been well documented; in particular, the injuries and mortalities involved in the capture of monkeys from the wild and the stress and suffering involved in their confinement in captivity.
The USA is reportedly the world's largest user of primates in research and there has been a significant increase in the imports of long-tailed macaques in recent years from around 17,000 in 2004 to over 26,000 in 2008. Over 4,500 of these were imported from Mauritius. The common fate of many primates in the research industry is to be used in toxicity testing which involves the forced ingestion, inhalation or injection of potentially lethal and poisonous chemicals. After sometimes years of this type of abuse, the animals are then killed.
There are also concerns that these monkeys may be destined for federal programs on chemical and biological warfare. In the past, the government of India banned the export of rhesus macaques after learning of the radiation experiments that they were being subjected to in the USA.
It is hoped that the government of Puerto Rico will stop the construction of the farm once they hear of the likely fate of the monkeys being bred on their land, the statement said.
In a joint comment, IPPL, PCRM and BUAV said, "At a time when the ethics regarding the use of primates in research is being raised internationally, it is disheartening to learn that Puerto Rico is planning to allow itself to become a major player in the supply of primates for research. Such a move will not only result in the suffering of thousands of monkeys, it will also have a negative and detrimental impact on Puerto Rico's image abroad. We shall be calling on people throughout the world to write letters of protest to the Puerto Rican authorities. We urge the people of Puerto Rico to reject these proposals and refuse to allow their land to become associated with the cruelty and suffering inherent in the trade in primates for research." | | | | Reads : 1500 | | | |
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