-
Source: ONE News -
Related
Green Party MP Sue Kedgley wants an urgent parliamentary inquiry into the ethics and animal welfare issues of AgResearch's genetic engineering of livestock.
Papers released under the Official Information Act have shown that three GE calves born last year grew ovaries so large they caused ruptures that killed the six-month-old animals.
Researchers were seeking to produce human fertility treatments in GE cows' milk.
AgResearch's applied technologies group manager Dr Jimmy Suttie told the New Zealand Herald newspaper the deaths were part of the learning process for scientists.
The calves were engineered with a human genetic code for a follicle stimulating hormone in the hope that human protein expressed in their milk could eventually be used as a infertility therapy.
A Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) investigation said deformities and respiratory problems among animals at the Ruakura research centre in Hamilton was a foreseeable by-product of the project, and that the calves were better cared for by vets than they would be on a dairy farm.
Agriculture Minister David Carter, who sought more information about animal welfare when he learned of the calves' deaths last year, told the newspaper he was satisfied with AgResearch's response.
But Kedgley said the government should re-instate the Bioethics Council, which had called for ethics reviews of all GE animal experiments.
"In the absence of a Bioethics Council we need a full select committee inquiry," she said.
"It's time to lift the lid on the research and consider the animal welfare and ethical implications of the research AgResearch is conducting. This discussion should not be left to scientists alone."
Soil and Health spokesman Steffan Browning said the calf deaths were "likely to be just the tip of the iceberg".
"AgResearch already has a bad track record with its annual reports to the Environmental Risk Management Authority for GE cattle showing a less than 9 percent live birthrate, deformed foetuses and calves, gangrenous udders and animals suffering from respiratory conditions," he said.
Good animal welfare records and a GE-free reputation were important for New Zealand's trading image and increasingly demanded by consumers, he said.
"Cruel experiments for a GE farming future are not what either New Zealanders or valuable overseas consumers want."
The organic-based lobby also wanted reinstatement of the Bioethics Council and said AgResearch animal experiments involving cruelty should be immediately stopped.
What do you think of the testing? Share your thoughts on
the messageboard below.
Add a Comment:
Post new commentAaronC said on 2010-05-03 @ 22:25 NZDT: Report abusive post
These are absolutely botched experiments. You can not honestly claim that there is any integrity within the scientific community if they think this is acceptable. This is extreme animal cruelty and needs stopped immediately. Our taxes are far better spent elsewhere rather than doing Big Pharma's dirty work, at the risk of seriously undermining our agricultural reputation. Its outrageous that ERMA let this go ahead, I think its time we put the spotlight on ERMA and saw whos pockets they are in.
DoublyBubbly said on 2010-05-03 @ 16:50 NZDT: Report abusive post
I agree Verbs. While it is a huge shame that these animals have a high mortality rate, the experiments need to be done. I am sure that the people at Ruakura look after all animals as well as they can, and are as humane as possible when dealing with dying animals. I can't imagine their Vet letting them do otherwise.
joeyblogs said on 2010-05-03 @ 16:42 NZDT: Report abusive post
Man im sick of the greens. Good for nothing communist wanna-bes. They need to get over themselves, if we did everything they wanted we would be a cripple thrid world country
Pacifier said on 2010-05-01 @ 21:03 NZDT: Report abusive post
Wow another example of trying to make something from nothing. The death of these 3 cows is not important. For instance, what about the millions which are slaughtered each month to feed people.
Verbs said on 2010-05-01 @ 19:20 NZDT: Report abusive post
I object to your on-air description of this as a "botched experiment". Before reporting science stories, learn how science works. Scientists put forward a hypothesis and test it. An experiment that refutes a hypothesis is as valuable as one that confirms it. The death of these calves will produce valuable information of how the inserted genes work, which may lead to valuable application of the science.