The Increase in Laboratory Animals Has Stopped After 10 Years... 3.71 Million Used Last Year

Animal Experiment Photo

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] The increasing trend in the number of laboratory animals used in South Korea has stopped for the first time in 10 years, according to a recent investigation. Among the types of animals, rodents were the most commonly used, and a significant portion of the experiments involved severe pain and stress.

On the 15th, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency announced the results of the "2019 Laboratory Animal Protection and Welfare Survey." According to the survey, there are 410 institutions with Institutional Animal Care and Use Committees (IACUCs) in South Korea, and among them, 386 (94.1%) reviewed a total of 39,244 animal experiment plans. The total number of laboratory animals used by institutions conducting animal experiments was 3,712,380 (an average of 9,769 animals per institution). This marks a halt in the previously increasing trend of 4% to 22.6% annually since 2010, as the number decreased compared to the previous year (3,727,000 animals) for the first time in 10 years. By species, rodents (mice, rats, etc.) were the most used (86.9%), followed by fish (6.3%) and birds (5.1%).

Regarding the review outcomes, 29,935 cases (76.3%) were approved as originally submitted, 7,944 cases (20.2%) were approved after modification, 1,127 cases (2.9%) were re-reviewed after modification, and 238 cases (0.6%) were not approved. The main reasons for disapproval included ▲inappropriateness of the purpose and necessity of the animal experiment plan ▲insufficient justification for the number of animals specified ▲failure to verify the existence of alternatives to animal experiments ▲inappropriate experimental methods ▲reconsideration of types and dosages of anesthetics used ▲lack of detailed post-experiment management plans.

Beagles sacrificed for animal testing (Photo by Humane Society International (HSI) website)

Based on the pain severity classification system established for ethical animal experiments, the B group, which causes almost no stress, accounted for 3.6%, and the C group, which causes only short-term mild pain or stress, accounted for 22.5%. The D group, involving moderate or higher pain or restraint, accounted for 33.8%, and the E group, involving severe pain, restraint, or unavoidable stress, was the largest at 40.1%. Mice were predominantly used in the D to E groups, accounting for about 82%.

The purposes of animal experiments were categorized as ▲legally required regulatory testing (39.6%) ▲basic research (30.5%) ▲translational and applied research (20.1%) ▲production of genetically modified animals (3.9%) ▲others (3.2%) ▲species conservation research (1.6%) ▲education or training (0.9%) ▲natural environment protection research for human or animal health and welfare ▲forensic research, among others.

Kim Gi-yeon, head of the Animal Protection Division at the Quarantine Agency, stated, "The results of this survey will be used to foster an environment where ethical animal experiments can be conducted in the future and to establish policies related to animal experiments."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.