Annual statistics for regulated scientific procedures performed on protected animals 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 support of these aims, in 2022 Cefas used 2,093 individuals across six species in scientific procedures that had the potential to cause suffering to the fish (Table 1). The species used reflect their importance to aquaculture, fisheries, environmental quality and recreational fishing, as well as laboratory (model) species.

There is considerable variation between years in the species and numbers of fish used by Cefas (Table 2). The total number of animals used in 2022 decreased from 2021, continuing the trend from 2016 (Table 2). Annual fluctuations largely reflect changes in laboratory and field research programmes, with some programmes being limited by COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021.

The most commonly recorded severity in 2022 was mild. However, the pattern of severity was different to previous years, with an increased proportion of fish judged to have experienced severe suffering (Table 3). Previous severe figures mainly reflect pathogen challenge experiments aiming to understand and reduce disease, a major welfare issue for the millions of fish farmed in the UK. Each experiment exposing fish to pathogens requires internal statistical and ethical approval, and the fish are assessed several times a day, with individuals being euthanised when clinical signs match pre-specified humane end-points. In 2022, several young zebrafish batches (8-10 days post fertilisation) originating from an experimentally-treated parent population were unexpectedly found dead; these fish were judged to have experienced severe suffering, above that expected. The deaths were attributed to a system failure, as control and treatment fish were affected, and the event was reported to the Home Office. Although guidance indicates this may have been a non-procedural harm, numbers were included under severe for openness.

Cefas maintains a culture of care, supported by its Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies which ensure all animal use is justified. Researchers optimise numbers used via appropriate experimental designs and minimise suffering by implementing humane end-points and frequent monitoring. We incorporate environmental enrichment into laboratory tanks where appropriate. Cefas researchers are active in the implementation and promotion of the 3Rs (Replacement, Refinement & Reduction) of animal use in research. For example, Cefas has a long track record of developing and using electronic data storage tags that collect a wealth of data from individual wild fish. Within the last year we have also published a guide on the care of laboratory sticklebacks.  

Glossary (terms as defined in the Guidance on the Operation 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.”

Sub-threshold: “below the level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm equivalent to that caused by inserting a hypodermic needle according to good veterinary practice”.

Non-recovery: “Procedures which are performed entirely under general anaesthesia from which the animal shall not recover consciousness”.

Mild: “Procedures on animals as a result of which the animals are likely to experience short-term mild pain, suffering or distress, as well as procedures with no significant impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animals”.

Moderate: “Procedures on animals as a result of which the animals are likely to experience short-term moderate pain, suffering or distress, or long-lasting mild pain, suffering or distress as well as procedures that are likely to cause moderate impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animals”.

Severe: “Procedures on animals as a result of which the animals are likely to experience severe pain, suffering or distress, or long-lasting moderate pain, suffering or distress, as well as procedures that are likely to cause severe impairment of the well-being or general condition of the animals”.

 

Table 1: Cefas use of protected animals within regulated scientific procedures in 2022 by actual severity level. Number of individual procedures by species. Names are according to the FAO’s ASFIS List of Species for Fishery Statistics Purposes.

 

 

Common name	Scientific name	Sub-threshold	Non-recovery	Mild	Moderate	Severe	Total	%
Zebrafish(=Zebra danio)	Danio rerio	50	0	149	153	527	879	42%
Common carp	Cyprinus carpio	120	0	231	92	37	480	23%
Orfe(=Ide)	Leuciscus idus	60	0	170	0	10	240	11%
Rudd	Scardinius erythrophthalmus	60	0	180	0	0	240	11%
Tench	Tinca tinca	60	0	180	0	0	240	11%
Atlantic bluefin tuna	Thunnus thynnus	0	0	14	0	0	14	1%
Total for all species	Total for all species	350	0	924	245	574	2,093	100%
%	%	17%	0%	44%	12%	27%	100%

 

 

Table 2: Cefas use of protected animals within regulated scientific procedures 2016-2022 by species. Number of individual procedures by species and year. Names are according to the FAO’s ASFIS List of Species for Fishery Statistics Purposes.

 

Common name	Scientific name	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	Annual average
Atlantic salmon	Salmo salar	4,568	707	983	0	457	2,490	0	1,315
Sea (brown) trout	Salmo trutta	4,549	3,756	554	0	0	25	0	1,269
Ballan wrasse	Labrus bergylta	0	1,041	2,338	0	0	0	0	483
Rainbow trout	Oncorhynchus mykiss	36	882	0	47	1,293	845	0	443
Common carp	Cyprinus carpio	590	160	120	316	84	234	480	283
European eel	Anguilla anguilla	1,297	204	68	0	0	0	0	224
European seabass	Dicentrarchus labrax	309	573	68	476	51	34	0	216
Lumpfish	Cyclopterus lumpus	0	0	0	239	408	448	0	156
Eurasian minnow	Phoxinus phoxinus	0	0	1,006	0	0	0	0	144
Zebrafish(=Zebra danio)	Danio rerio	0	0	0	0	0	0	879	126
Bullhead	Cottus gobio	0	0	802	0	0	0	0	115
Three-spined stickleback	Gasterosteus aculeatus	0	0	142	285	0	0	0	61
Orfe(=Ide)	Leuciscus idus	0	0	0	0	0	0	240	34
Rudd	Scardinius erythrophthalmus	0	0	0	0	0	0	240	34
Tench	Tinca tinca	0	0	0	0	0	0	240	34
Chub	Leuciscus cephalus	0	160	2	0	0	0	0	23
Barbel	Barbus barbus	0	160	0	0	0	0	0	23
European smelt	Osmerus eperlanus	50	0	0	79	12	18	0	23
Turbot	Scophthalmus maximus	0	84	56	0	0	0	0	20
Starry smooth-hound	Mustelus asterias	0	14	99	12	0	0	0	18
Goldfish	Carassius auratus	0	0	120	0	0	0	0	17
Thornback ray	Raja clavata	0	51	0	51	0	0	0	15
Undulate ray	Raja undulata	0	0	65	5	0	0	0	10
Grayling	Thymallus thymallus	34	21	15	0	0	0	0	10
Small-eyed ray	Raja microocellata	0	0	0	65	3	0	0	10
Blonde ray	Raja brachyura	0	0	0	1	61	0	0	9
Atlantic bluefin tuna	Thunnus thynnus	0	0	0	3	18	13	14	7
Picked dogfish	Squalus acanthias	0	0	0	1	0	43	0	6
Stone loach	Barbatula barbatula	0	0	39	0	0	0	0	6
Roach	Rutilus rutilus	0	3	26	0	0	0	0	4
Sea lamprey	Petromyzon marinus	0	28	0	0	0	0	0	4
European brook lamprey	Lampetra planeri	0	0	18	0	0	0	0	3
Spotted ray	Raja montagui	0	0	0	0	17	0	0	2
European perch	Perca fluviatilis	0	0	8	0	0	0	0	1
Northern pike	Esox lucius	0	3	3	0	0	0	0	1
Gudgeon	Gobio gobio	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
Angelshark	Squatina squatina	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
Total for all species	Total for all species	11,433	7,847	6,533	1,580	2,404	4,151	2,093	5,149
Number of species used	Number of species used	8	16	21	13	10	10	6	12

 

Table 3: Cefas use of protected animals within regulated scientific procedures 2016-2022, percentage by severity (actual severity for 2018 onwards).

Year	Sub-threshold	Non-recovery	Mild	Moderate	Severe	Total
2016	1%	0%	93%	6%	0%	100%
2017	3%	0%	84%	11%	2%	100%
2018	4%	0%	83%	14%	0%	100%
2019	16%	0%	76%	8%	1%	100%
2020	10%	0%	36%	53%	1%	100%
2021	19%	0%	17%	61%	3%	100%
2022	17%	0%	44%	12%	27%	100%