The use of animals in scientific research, a very sensitive issue indeed, will now be subject to greater transparency in Canada.
Many Canadian scientific research organizations, including several in Quebec, announce that they have signed an agreement on open and proactive communication regarding science using animals.
By signing the Transparency Agreement for Animal Science in Canada, 18 organizations commit, among other things, to disclosing how animals are used in their research and the reasons why they use them.
The signatories include universities, health research centres, scientific institutes, companies and associations. Among them are the Canadian Association of Laboratory Animal Medicine, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the research centres of the CHUM and the MUHC, the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS), and the universities of Montreal and Laval.
Four commitments
This agreement actually involves four basic commitments: to clearly state when, how and why they use animals; to improve their communications with the public and the media regarding their use of animals; to offer the public broader information on the use of animals in science, on the national oversight system (the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC)) and on Canadian standards; and finally, to report annually on their progress.
Outgoing president of the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine and Canadian delegate to the board of directors of the European Animal Research Association, Lucie Côté, stated in a press release that the agreement “represents a major step forward for transparency in science in Canada. (…) It reflects our shared responsibility to be transparent, to explain the role of animals in science, and to build public trust through openness and factual data. By clearly explaining why and how animals are used, as well as the care they receive, we can foster public understanding and trust. Science must guide this conversation, and we have a responsibility to conduct it openly.”
Kirk Leech, executive director of the European Animal Research Association, welcomed Canada’s joining the global movement for transparency, which he described as historic, following multiple European signatures: “Today’s signing represents the most significant expansion of this movement to date, fully integrating one of the world’s leading scientific nations.”
The European Animal Research Association recognizes that “animal research is a sensitive and complex subject that often arouses strong emotions and can give rise to lively debates within society, the media and the political sphere. This makes it all the more important for the scientific community to play an active role in these discussions by sharing clear and accurate information, as well as relevant context on the use of animals in research.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
