The Ministry of Agriculture yesterday awarded experts and institutions for commitment to laboratory animal welfare, as animal experimentations decreased by 9 percent nationwide over the past decade.
The Animal Protection Act (動物保護法) was promulgated in 1998 with lab animals included under its protections, while the ‘3R’ principles — refine, reduce and replace — has been adopted to promote animal welfare for more than 20 years, the ministry said.
Recently developed artificial intelligence-driven predictive toxicology platforms and replacement techniques can reduce research animal use 50 to 100 percent, it said.
Photo: Yang Yuan-ting, Taipei Times
Non-animal acute toxicity testing helped to reduce the demand for lab animals by 72 percent and test duration by 83 percent, the ministry said.
Such efforts effectively reduced the total number of animals used in research by 9 percent nationwide from 2014 to last year, of which experimental rabbits decreased by 59 percent, experimental fish by 28 percent and experimental rodents by 4.2 percent, it said.
Special contribution awards were given to Level Biotechnology Inc consultant Hung Chao-chu (洪昭竹), China Medical University Dean of the College of Pharmacy Chen Chiung-tong (陳炯東), and Environment and Animal Society of Taiwan executive director Chu Tseng-hung (朱增宏), recognizing their efforts in standardizing humane management of lab animals and implementing the 3R principles.
The ministry also recognized 22 institutions for their outstanding performance in conducting humane care of research animals and providing training for personnel.
Hung in his remarks said animal testing was improved through “refinement” and “reduction” of animal use in 3Rs.
While fruitful outcomes have been achieved in refinement and reduction, replacement remains challenging, as few alternative techniques can meet the international certification body’s strict standards and regulations, he said.
Department of Animal Welfare Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said the idea of respecting life in research animal use has become well-established in Taiwan over the past 30 years, as a mechanism has been developed to design, review and conduct animal experiments with a focus on animal welfare.
Animal experimentation was involved in more than 7,800 projects per year in Taiwan, with 1.1 million to 1.2 million lab animals used per year, of which rodents made up the largest part at about 60 percent, he said.
Each animal is a life, Chiang said, adding that the ministry would continue to implement the 3Rs through cross-agency cooperation.
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