GM Animals
There are serious concerns about animal welfare in both the production of GM animals and the effects of the modification, particularly because of the unpredictability inherent in the technology. There is also an ethical question about changing the genetic makeup of species and particularly mixing genes from different species.
GeneWatch UK takes the position that fundamental alteration of the genetic code of other species should not be undertaken lightly and that there should be a presumption against such modification unless there are compelling arguments to do it. These should include both the necessity of the application and a lack of acceptable alternative methods to achieve the same end.
It is important that society as a whole is engaged in the debate about what is acceptable and desirable before the technology progresses to a point where transgenic animals become a normal part of production processes and the relationship between humans and animals is changed irrevocably.
Recent Articles
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GeneWatch UK response to studies safety of meat and milk from cloned cows
12th April 2005 -
Techniques for the Genetic Modification of Animals
5th April 2005
Resources
- Press Releases
- GeneWatch PR: GM animals high in omega-3 fatty acids: scientist ready to cash in via patent. GeneWatch UK response to paper published in Nature today 5th February 2004
- GeneWatch PR: GeneWatch UK condemns production of cloned GM cattle with altered milk composition 27th January 2003
- GeneWatch PR: Lords seek to fiddle figures on GM animals in UK labs 24th July 2002
- GeneWatch PR: GeneWatch UK welcomes the Royal Society's call for all facts on GM and cloned animals to be made available to the public 10th June 2002
- GeneWatch PR: Inadequate controls causing untold suffering of GM and cloned animals 15th May 2002
- Report
- Briefings
- GM Debate Briefing - GM Animals: Do The Ends Justify The Means? 1st July 2003
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Briefing 20: Animal Cloning: Industrialising Animals?
1st August 2002
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Briefing 19: Animal Organs for Humans: The Science and Ethics of Xenotransplantation.
1st June 2002
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Briefing 5: Genetic Engineering: A Review of Developments in 1998
5th January 1999
- Consultation Responses
- Comments on EFSA draft opinion on meat and milk from cloned animals 28th February 2008
- Animal Procedures Committee - Consultation paper on the statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain 1st December 2003
- The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council Consultation Paper 1st December 2003
- Links
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Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC)
An advisory body to the UK Government, which has produced a report on GM animals.
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British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection
BUAV have a series of fact sheets on genetics and animal experimentation
- Compassion in World Farming
- Council for Responsible Genetics (USA)
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Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC)