Additional data on protected animals not reported as used within experimental procedures 2022
Cefas conducts applied research using fish which aims to: protect wild populations, biodiversity and the environment; and reduce disease and improve welfare in cultured stocks.
In the UK, scientific work with live protected (sentient) animals which has the potential to cause suffering is regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (Amended Regulations 2012). This regulation, referred to as ASPA, is administered by the Home Office. ASPA requires researchers to minimise animal use and harm, and Establishments to record the “source, use and final disposal of all protected animals bred, kept or used at the establishment for any regulated activities”.
The Home Office requires annual reporting of the numbers of individual animals used in regulated procedures and the severity of the harm they experienced; national Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals are then published. As a signatory of the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research Cefas is committed to openness and transparency and we publish annual data on our use of animals in regulated procedures.
In 2017, the Home Office also collected “additional data” on the numbers of protected animals bred at Establishments that were humanely killed or died outside regulated procedures so were not reported as used. To be open about our animal research, Cefas has published its “additional data” annually. The figures for 2017-2022 are tabulated below. Further data on the numbers of fish of farmed and wild origins (i.e., not Establishment-bred) are also included for completeness.
These additional numbers represent fish after the first-feeding stage that were:
- humanely killed for welfare reasons, or died at our Establishments;
- surplus, associated with batches of fish brought in or reared for experimental use;
- sampled to confirm the health status of stocks prior to experimental use;
- contingency animals to ensure suitable numbers for experiments;
- used to provide samples outside of regulated procedures, i.e. for research that did not cause suffering.
All fish killed were euthanised in accordance with the ASPA Schedule 1 Appropriate Methods of Humane Killing and were used during mandatory staff training where suitable.
In 2022, there were 2,622 “additional” fish. The species and their origin reflect their relevance to our ongoing applied research. In contrast to previous years, the majority (67%) were brought in from fish farms: Atlantic salmon and coarse fish to support pathogen susceptibility experiments. Of fish reared within scientific Establishments (the other 33%), our in-house production of common carp accounted for the majority.
Cefas’ additional numbers decreased from 7,721 in 2021 to 2,622 in 2022, and have decreased by 84% since 2017. The long-term decrease is largely due to reduced laboratory production of salmonid and marine species. Since 2020, Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout are only reared to meet specific research requirements, rather than stocks being maintained. In-house rearing and use of marine fish species ceased following closure of the Lowestoft aquarium. The routine production of zebrafish and three-spined stickleback ceased in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Zebrafish were re-established in 2022 to support new research, and as an ASPA Schedule 2 species, were sourced from a Licensed breeding Establishment. Since 2018, common carp have been reared in-house to provide specific pathogen stock for disease studies.
Cefas regularly reviews the use and production of animals in relation to anticipated research requirements, at both management and Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB) levels.
Glossary
Protected animal: “All living vertebrates, other than a human, including certain immature forms, and any living cephalopod.” “Larval forms of fish and amphibians are protected animals once they are capable of feeding independently.”
Establishment: “A place holding a licence which has been granted under section 2C of ASPA”
Regulated procedure: “A procedure is regulated if it is carried out on a protected animal for a scientific or educational purpose and may cause that animal a level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm equivalent to, or higher than, that caused by inserting a hypodermic needle according to good veterinary practice.”
AWERB: Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body
Additional data: the numbers of animals that were killed or died in 2017-2022 but were not reported as regulated procedures. Names according to FAO’s ASFIS List of Species for Fishery Statistics Purposes.
|
Origin |
Common name |
Scientific name |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
Annual average |
|
Bred for scientific use |
Common carp |
Cyprinus carpio |
0 |
1,097 |
3,970 |
533 |
6,052 |
777 |
2,072 |
|
Atlantic salmon |
Salmo salar |
4,778 |
2,643 |
2,235 |
733 |
1,498 |
1 |
1,981 |
|
|
Rainbow trout |
Oncorhynchus mykiss |
4,482 |
2,184 |
2,253 |
477 |
59 |
0 |
1,576 |
|
|
Atlantic cod |
Gadus morhua |
2,505 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
418 |
|
|
|
Three-spined stickleback |
Gasterosteus aculeatus |
680 |
640 |
534 |
144 |
0 |
0 |
333 |
|
Zebrafish(=Zebra danio) |
Danio rerio |
826 |
929 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
80 |
306 |
|
|
European plaice |
Pleuronectes platessa |
970 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
162 |
|
|
Subtotal: Bred for scientific use |
|
14,241 |
7,493 |
8,992 |
1,887 |
7,609 |
858 |
6,847 |
|
|
% Bred for scientific use out of total for all origins |
|
88% |
83% |
95% |
100% |
99% |
33% |
87% |
|
|
Farmed |
Ballan wrasse |
Labrus bergylta |
939 |
812 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
292 |
|
|
Atlantic salmon |
Salmo salar |
0 |
20 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1,220 |
207 |
|
European seabass |
Dicentrarchus labrax |
627 |
167 |
439 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
206 |
|
|
Turbot |
Scophthalmus maximus |
81 |
339 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
70 |
|
|
|
Tench |
Tinca tinca |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
262 |
44 |
|
|
Orfe(=Ide) |
Leuciscus idus |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
219 |
37 |
|
Common carp |
Cyprinus carpio |
103 |
29 |
35 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
28 |
|
|
|
Lumpfish |
Cyclopterus lumpus |
0 |
0 |
30 |
0 |
112 |
0 |
24 |
|
Barbel |
Barbus barbus |
92 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
|
|
Chub |
Leuciscus cephalus |
92 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
15 |
|
|
Goldfish |
Carassius auratus |
0 |
62 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
|
|
Subtotal: Farmed |
|
1,934 |
1,429 |
504 |
0 |
112 |
1,764 |
957 |
|
|
% Farmed out of total for all origins |
|
12% |
16% |
5% |
0% |
1% |
67% |
12% |
|
|
Wild-caught |
European plaice |
Pleuronectes platessa |
35 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
|
Sandy goby |
Pomatoschistus minutus |
0 |
30 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
|
Common dab |
Limanda limanda |
0 |
27 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
|
Atlantic cod |
Gadus morhua |
6 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
|
Common sole |
Solea solea |
7 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
|
Dragonet |
Callionymus lyra |
0 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
Thornback ray |
Raja clavata |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
Shorthorn sculpin |
Myoxocephalus scorpius |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
European eel |
Anguilla anguilla |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Greater pipefish |
Syngnathus acus |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Hooknose |
Agonus cataphractus |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Three-bearded rockling |
Gaidropsarus vulgaris |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Subtotal: Wild caught |
|
55 |
90 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
|
|
% Wild caught out of total for all origins |
|
0.3% |
1.0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
0% |
|
|
All |
Total: all origins |
|
16,230 |
9,012 |
9,496 |
1,887 |
7,721 |
2,622 |
7,828 |
Notes
The annual average column is the mean of the values from 2017 to 2022 for each row, except for the percentages.
The annual average for the percentages by origin is 100% * annual average by origin / annual average total all origins.
For example, the annual average % bred for scientific use is 100% * 6,847 / 7,828 = 87%.
