Animal testing dropped by around 5% in 2018, latest figures show. The news comes as a people’s initiative aims to stop animal experimentation altogether.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ilj
More than half a million animals were used for testing last year, according to the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office, with two thirds of them being mice. No animals were used for cosmetic testing, the office said in a statementExternal link.
There were fewer animals (almost 28,000) involved than in 2017, a drop of 4.6%. Overall there is a trend towards less animal testing in Switzerland: the number of tests has fallen by around 17% over the last decade, although there have been fluctuations over the years, the statement added.
In drop for 2018 was mostly due to fewer fish and poultry being used, the communique continued.
Around 16,000 animals were used for more severe forms of testing, a drop of 7.2% on 2017.
In Switzerland, animal testing needs permissionExternal link and may only be performed if there are alternatives available. Researchers have to show that the benefits to society are greater than the distress suffered by the animals involved.
The initiative has the support of 80 groups and businesses, as well as the leftwing Social Democratic and Green parties. Higher education body Swissuniversities and researchers have spoken out against the initiativeExternal link, arguing that the ban would hinder Swiss medical research.
The government rejected the initiative at the end of June, saying while it shared the view that suffering should be kept to a minimum, animals were protected enough in research under Switzerland’s strict standards.
A nationwide vote on the issue could take place in around 2022.
More
More
Swiss to vote on animal experiment ban
This content was published on
Campaigners have filed 124,000 signatures from Swiss citizens in favour of a ban on animal and human experimentation.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Alleged leader of Kosovar terrorist group indicted in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland has brought charges against a Kosovar on suspicion of being the leader of the Swiss branch of a Kosovar terrorist organisation. He is also suspected of having been active in the management of the organisation in Kosovo.
Swiss glacier lake drains without causing flooding damage
This content was published on
The Faverges glacial lake on the Plaine Morte above Lenk in the Bernese Oberland drained over the weekend. There was no flooding or damage, the authorities announced on Monday.
Chihuahua leads Swiss rescue team to owner stuck in a crevasse
This content was published on
A Chihuahua helped to rescue a man on the Fee Glacier above Saas-Fee VS on Friday. It alerted a rescue team to its owner who had fallen into a crevasse.
Swiss bosses distance themselves from the United States
This content was published on
According to a survey of managers, Swiss companies are increasingly turning away from the USA and orientating themselves more towards Southeast Asia and the EU. This is the result of a recent survey.
This content was published on
The Fête de l'Epouvantail (scarecrow festival) is celebrating its 30th anniversary and returns to Denens in canton Vaud for its seventh edition from July 10-20.
This content was published on
A 35-year-old man has died in a work accident at the valley station of the Heimwehfluh toboggan run in Matten near Interlaken, canton Bern.
This content was published on
The Swiss embassy in Tehran re-opened on Sunday after being closed on June 20 owing to the unstable situation in the country.
This content was published on
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her youngest daughter Princess Ariane attended the Netherlands' women's European Championship football match against Wales in Switzerland on Saturday.
Swiss want to better protect military airfields from spying
This content was published on
Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister says he wants to better protect Swiss military airfields against espionage activities.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Should journalists be more critical of research involving animals?
This content was published on
An anti-animal testing advocate and a science journalist address the Swiss media’s role in the debate over research involving animals.
Petition demands a halt to cocaine tests on monkeys
This content was published on
The online petition was launched by the Swiss League Against Animal Testing LSCVExternal link and gathered 19,000 signatures in two weeks from citizens demanding an end to tests that involve giving cocaine to primates. The initiative follows recent reports in Swiss media of experiments using live monkeys at two Swiss universities. According to the reports, primates at the University of…
Lab collaboration could boost reproducibility of animal experiments
This content was published on
Involving a diversity of labs and conditions in experiments using animals could improve study reproducibility and reduce the number of animals used.
This content was published on
As part of an overall animal protection reform, the Swiss government has banned the common practice of boiling lobsters without stunning them first.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.