Laboratories with poor animal welfare ratings would be barred from conducting further animal experiments until they pass a reinspection, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday.
The policy is expected to take effect as early as July.
From next month, all animals used for experimental purposes must have fully traceable records, new ministry regulations state.
Photo: Taipei Times
More than 1 million animals are used for laboratory testing in Taiwan annually, with guinea pigs, zebrafish and livestock accounting for the majority.
The ministry inspects institutions annually via a panel of experts and animal rights organizations.
In the past, institutions that received poor ratings were allowed to continue experiments involving animal testing while making mandated improvements.
However, some institutions have repeatedly received poor ratings over the past few years, indicating that the current policy is not enough to improve animal welfare, Department of Animal Welfare Deputy Director Chen Chung-hsing (陳中興) said yesterday.
Institutions that use laboratory animals are required to establish a committee to approve and oversee their use and care.
Under the new rules — which are expected to be implemented between July and the fourth quarter of this year — such committees cannot approve new proposals from institutions with poor ratings until they pass a follow-up inspection, Chen said.
The change aims to provide institutions with a stronger incentive to improve the living conditions of their laboratory animals, he said.
Cheng cited as an example pharmaceutical companies, saying they frequently receive poor ratings due to high staff turnover, which often leads to unsanitary conditions and poor recordkeeping.
The ministry would hold discussions and reach a consensus with representatives from the industry and academia before implementing the new policy, Chen said.
Institutions that receive a poor rating could request another inspection to be conducted within two to three weeks, he added.
From June 1, the ministry would also require all laboratory animals to be sourced from entities recognized by the ministry or the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International, Chen said.
That aligns with international standards and aims to prevent the illegal capture of wild animals for experimental use, Chen added.
However, while the ministry hopes laboratories would exercise care when sourcing animals, it lacks the authority to issue fines to those who fail to provide source records for their animals, Chen said, adding that the ministry can only recommend improvements or deduct points during evaluations.
Animal rights groups welcomed the move to improve animal welfare, but said the policy should include penalties.
Academics affirmed that the new policy is in line with international standards, but expressed concern that barring approval of new projects could hinder research progress and urged the ministry to adopt a more flexible approach.
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