Science Media Centre

A new law change in New Zealand recognises animals as having emotions and requires scientists to consider non-animal techniques before using animals in research. The Animal Welfare Amendment Bill passed its final reading in parliament this week (full bill available here). The Bill amends the Animal Welfare Act (1999) in a number of ways, including […]

Prime Minister John Key has ruled out the use of animals in safety testing for new psychoactive substances. Speaking to Radio New Zealand and TVNZ Breakfast this morning, the Prime Minster stated that animal testing would not be part of a safety regime that requires manufactures of psychoactive substances to prove their products are low […]

New psychoactive substances laws require manufacturers to provide evidence that their product poses a ‘low risk’ to consumers before they can market it. Can they do it without animal testing? In the debate over the current legal status of novel psychoactive substances, questions have been raised over the ethics of using animal testing to prove […]

An opinion piece in the NZ Herald this week challenged New Zealand to lead the world by banning animal testing outright. This push follows on the heels of a political controversy over proposed  safety testing methods for new “legal highs” or unregulated emerging recreational drugs. On Monday, after a report on toxicity assessments for novel psychoactive substances was […]

Dr Mike King, an expert in animal science and ethical issues at the University of Otago, looks at the furore around the use of sow crates in intensive pig farming. An excerpt from his column in the Otago Daily Times: “If there’s one thing we can be sure about, it is that intensive pig farmers […]