Additional data on protected animals not reported as used within experimental procedures 2020

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 all 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 data on our use of animals in regulated procedures.

Once every five years, the Home Office also collects “additional data” on the numbers of protected animals bred at Establishments that were humanely killed or died outside regulated procedures so are not reported as used. To date, the Home Office has only collected these data for 2017. To be open about our animal research, Cefas publishes its “additional data” annually. The figures for 2017-2020 are tabulated below. Supplementary data on the numbers of fish of farmed and wild origins (i.e., not laboratory-bred) are also included for completeness.

In 2020, all of our 1,887 “additional” fish were reared in the laboratory specifically for use in research. None were brought in from fish farms or of wild origin. The species reflect their relevance to the applied research and/or use as laboratory animals. The additional numbers represent:  

• surplus fish associated with rearing batches for experimental use;
• contingency animals reared to ensure suitable numbers for experiments;
• fish that were used to provide samples outside of regulated procedures, i.e. research that did not cause suffering;
• fish sampled to confirm the health status of stocks prior to experimental use;
• occasional fish that died during rearing after the first-feeding stage.

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 appropriate. 

Although no farmed origin fish are reported, a batch of lumpfish eggs was brought in from a fish farm; none of these animals are classed as “additional” because those not used within a regulated procedure were killed or died before developing sentience (at first-feeding). The absence of wild origin fish in 2019 and 2020 reflects a temporary change in research projects undertaken.

Cefas additional numbers decreased markedly by 80% from 2019 to 2020, mainly due to a temporary (COVID-related) cessation of in-house production of specific pathogen free common carp. Our additional numbers have decreased by 88% since 2017, largely due to reduced laboratory production of salmonid and marine species.

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. Production of Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout was halved in 2018-2019, and from 2020 these species are only being reared when a specific research requirement has been identified. Rearing and use of marine fish species was suspended following closure of the Lowestoft aquarium, and is yet to be reinstated at Weymouth. Production of common carp has resumed in 2021. The routine production of zebrafish and 3-spined stickleback ceased in 2018 and 2019 respectively, but zebrafish are being re-established in 2021 to support new research. Zebrafish are an ASPA Schedule 2 species and will be sourced from a Licensed breeding Establishment.

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 2017-2020 but were not reported as regulated procedures.

	Common name	Scientific name	Number 2017	Number 2018	Number 2019	Number 2020	Average p.a. 2017-20
Bred for scientific use	Atlantic salmon	Salmo salar	4,778	2,643	2,235	733	2,597
	Rainbow trout	Oncorhynchus mykiss	4,482	2,184	2,253	477	2,349
	Common carp	Cyprinus carpio	-	1,097	3,970	533	1,400
	Atlantic cod	Gadus morhua	2,505	-	-	-	626
	Zebrafish	Danio rerio	826	929	-	-	439
	3-spined stickleback	Gasterosteus aculeatus	680	640	534	144	500
	European plaice	Pleuronectes platessa	970	-	-	-	243
	Sub-total		14,241	7,493	8,992	1,887	8,153
	% Total		88%	83%	95%	100%	89%
Farmed	Ballan wrasse	Labrus bergylta	939	812	-	-	438
	European bass	Dicentrarchus labrax	627	167	439	-	308
	Turbot	Scophthalmus maximus	81	339	-	-	105
	Common carp	Cyprinus carpio	103	29	35	-	42
	Barbel	Barbus barbus	92	-	-	-	23
	Chub	Leuciscus cephalus	92	-	-	-	23
	Goldfish	Carassius auratus	-	62	-	-	16
	Lumpfish	Cyclopterus lumpus	-	-	30	-	8
	Atlantic salmon	Salmo salar	-	20	-	-	5
	Sub-total		1,934	1,429	504	0	967
	% Total		12%	16%	5%	0%	11%
Wild-caught	European plaice	Pleuronectes platessa	35	5	-	-	10
	Sandy goby	Pomatoschistus minutus	-	30	-	-	8
	Dab	Limanda limanda	-	27	-	-	7
	Atlantic cod	Gadus morhua	6	11	-	-	4
	Common sole	Solea solea	7	7	-	-	4
	Dragonet	Callionymus lyra	-	7	-	-	2
	Thornback ray	Raja clavata	3	-	-	-	1
	Bull rout	Myoxocephalus scorpius	2	1	-	-	1
	European eel	Anguilla anguilla	1	-	-	-	0
	Greater pipefish	Syngnathus acus	1	-	-	-	0
	Pogge	Agonus cataphractus	-	1	-	-	0
	Three-bearded rockling	Gaidropsarus vulgaris	-	1	-	-	0
	Subtotal		55	90	0	0	36
	% Total		0.3%	1.0%	0%	0%	0.4%
All	Total		16,230	9,012	9,496	1,887	9,156