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AIR MAURITIUS STOPS TAKING PRIMATES

Scientists dismayed by BA animal ban
Airline stops all live trade for use in experiments
Mark Honigsbaum and Alok Jha
Saturday May 28, 2005
The Guardian

British Airways has been accused of setting back medical research in the UK by enforcing a blanket ban on the transport of live animals for use in experiments. Government officials and leading scientists have expressed their dismay to the airline about the toughening of its stance which they fear will send the wrong message to scientists and pharmaceutical companies involved in animal testing, and could encourage s extremists who have been running a high-profile campaign to shut down the live animal trade.

Department of Trade and Industry officials are understood to have raised their concerns with senior BA management after the airline's decision not to accept the carriage of primates, wild birds or other live caught animals "for use in any laboratory or for experimen tation or exploitation". Colin Blakemore, chief executive of the Medical Research Council, has also questioned the message it sends to people suffering from conditions that could be treated through advances in medical research.

BA's policy coincides with a campaign by extremists targeting executives from the airports company BAA and airlines such as Air France and Air Mauritius. In February the cars of five BAA executives were vandalised and the message "You are now a target for us" was sprayed on one executive's Surrey home.
This was followed by demonstrations at airline offices and travel agents across the UK by a group called Gateway to Hell demanding a boycott of all travel to Mauritius. Yesterday, Air Mauritius announced it was no longer willing to transport macaques - monkeys vital to the development of new vaccines and experiments for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

An Air Mauritius spokesman said that Mauritius was not prepared to risk its tourism industry while BA appeared to be at odds with official British government policy.

"Your national carrier appears to have given up on this. We feel that until the British parties decide what to do we we have no choice but to suspend our flights," said a spokesman.

In February Prof Blakemore wrote to BA's chairman, Rod Eddington, asking whether BA would have a similar policy on the carriage of live animals for food. "If BA is prepared to do this, then I can see no argument for not carrying animals that might instead be used in research for the benefit of human kind. How could you explain your decision to members of your own staff who suffer, or have relatives who suffer, from diseases and disorders for which research on animals offers the only hope of a cure?"

Mr Eddington replied that BA's announcement merely reiterated the company's previ ous position. "Whilst our policy does narrow the opportunities for transportation by air we believe there are a number of alternative options for the carriage of this cargo," he replied to Prof Blakemore.

According to BA, its policy on live transports dates back several years and mirrors that of other British airlines, such as Virgin and BMi. However, in December it discovered regulations were not being properly implemented and sought to correct procedures.

"This is a specialist cargo that is difficult to handle," said a BA spokeswoman. "It is well documented that we have been working hard to simplify our business. Carrying these animals is not part of our core business." The DTI said it did not comment on discussions with individual airlines. However, a spokesman acknowledged: "We are aware of the difficulties that have surrounded the transport of laboratory animals for many years."

Scientists and ministers are concerned that Britain's position as a centre of world medical research is being eroded as more companies pull out of dealing with animal research labs. Last year several pharmaceutical companies reassessed their position in Britain, threatening to take billions of pounds of research money with them if they leave. Britain is second only to the United States in medical research. In 2003 British scientists conducted nearly 3m experiments on animals, the majority of them mice and rats. Nearly 4,800 procedures were performed on primates,.

Animal welfarists argue that the decisions by BA and other airlines not to carry lab animals may worsen conditions for macaques. "Researchers will become increasingly dependent on smaller carriers, with less choice and fewer direct routes," wrote Prof Blakemore in his letter to Mr Eddington.