Ban the importation of primates for research

Australia is already home to three primate breeding facilities: the National Marmoset Facility at Churchill , Victoria ; the National Macaque Facility in Werribee, Victoria (soon to amalgamate with the Churchill facility); and the National Baboon Facility in Sydney , all of which breed animals specifically for the purpose of being used in research.

Despite this “ready supply” however, during the past five years, five permits have been granted to import primates into Australia for research. (1) This includes a shipment of 67 macaques imported from Indonesia in 2003 and provided to the CSIRO (Geelong campus) for research into AIDS. (2)

The NHMRC's Policy on the care and use of non-human primates for scientific purposes states “Non-human primates imported from overseas must not be taken from wild populations and must be accompanied by documentation to certify their status.” (3) AAHR questions how strictly this is regulated.

The UK is reputed to have one of the world's highest standards in animal welfare, and in 1995 the UK Government announced a ban on the use of wild-caught primates in research unless there was “exceptional and specific justification”. Since the ban, however, various loopholes in the legislation have meant that some wild-caught primates have been used in the UK . The British Union Against Vivisection (BUAV), and ‘Gateway to Hell' have undertaken investigations into the international trade.

As reported by BUAV, “The international trade in wild-caught and captive-bred primates for the research industry is big business. Every year, thousands of primates from around the world continue to be taken from the wild or bred in appalling captive conditions, to satisfy the research industry's demand for laboratory subjects. They are taken from countries such as Indonesia , the Philippines , Mauritius , Barbados , Guyana , Tanzania , China , Israel and Vietnam and then transported by airlines to laboratories around the world.

The chain of supply starts with the capture of primates in primitive traps before they are taken to ‘holding' compounds, where they are often held in cramped boxes or crates too small for them to stand up in.” (4)

Nevertheless, even if the animals imported are purpose-bred for research, they must endure long air journeys.

According to Gateway to Hell, “Undercover exposés show that the animals suffer horrifically whilst in transit. They are often deprived of the basic necessities of food, water and space. There is no care or sensitivity for the animals already terrified by their experiences. Many do not make it through alive.” (5)

Australian researchers should be looking toward non-animal methodologies that are far more relevant to studying human disease than replicating it in species that are genetically different to our own, yet instead of eliminating the use of primates, they are utilizing those already bred within our three established colonies, and still importing more!

What can you do?

Download our petition in PDF format (52kb)

Write to the following ministers and ask that the Australian Government impose an immediate ban on the importation of primates for research:

The Hon. Nicola Roxon MP
Minister for Health & Ageing
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Email:

The Hon. Tony Burke, MP
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Email:

The Hon. Simon Crean, MP
Minister for Trade
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Email:

Garuda Indonesia has confirmed that so long as permits are in place they will carry primates for research purposes. Please ask them to refuse to do so in future.
The Managing Director
Garuda Indonesia
Level 1, 30 Collins Street Melbourne Vic. 3000

For more information about the international trade in primates, visit the Gateway to Hell website and BUAV's campaign on the international trade in primates

(Footnotes)

1. Personal correspondence, AQIS, 2nd August 2005
2. Personal correspondence with CSIRO
3. Policy on the Use of Non-Human Primates for Scientific Purposes, NHMRC, page 5, item 7.
4. www.buav.org/campaigns/primates/trade
5. www.gatewaytohell.net