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ATLA 24 238-240 1996 Book Reviews---- ANIMAL WELFARE: A COOL EYE STUDIES IN RESEARCH ETHICS, TOWARDS EDEN Volume 5, Ethical Aspects of Modern John Webster Biotechnology Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford, UK, 199/j Edited by Matthias Kaiser & Stellan Welin 27.'] pp., £17.99 Centre f~r Research Ethics, Goteborg, Sweden, 199/j ISBN 0-6.'J2-0.'J928-0 141 pp., US$12 ISBN 91-.971672-4-X In the Preface to his book, John Webster, Profes sor of Animal Husbandry at the University of Bris STUDIES IN RE.SEARCH ETHICS, tol School of Veterinary Science, promises "to offer Volume 6, The Treatment of Ethics constructive solutions to the problem of man's Edited by Birgitta Forsman & Stellan Welin dominion over the animals". The book is divided Centre for Research Ethics, Goteborg, Sweden, 1.99/j into three sections with 13 chapters. Their titles 42pp. indicate the ambition of the author to cover as ISBN 91-.971672-/j-8 many aspects of animal welfare as possible. In Part I, Introduction: Man's Dominion Over There seem to be no signs of abatement in the eth the Animals, Professor Webster introduces the ical concerns raised by modern biotechnology. Five Freedoms which were first proposed by the Whether the motive is primarily that of identifying Brambell Committee (1965). They were recently public concerns or, less worthily, of forming part of revised by the UK Farm Animal Welfare Council, a promotional exercise on the part of the biotech and now read: ll freedom from thirst, hunger and nology industry, the publication of books, special malnutrition: 2) freedom from discomfort; 3) free issues of journals and conference proceedings on dom from pain, injury and disease; 4) freedom to the subject has become something of a growth express normal behaviour; and 5> freedom from industry. Unfortunately, all too often, such publica fear and distress. These five freedoms sound very tions have little to commend them. They rework old idealistic to me. However, I learned in Part II, arguments and shed little light on the real issues. Analy,qi.q: How is it For Them?, which addresses Thus, it was with mixed feelings that I set about the questions of hunger and thirst, housing and reviewing these two publications from the Centre habitat, pain, sickness and death, friends and foes, for Research Ethics in Goteborg. After all, the and fears and stress, and, in particular, in Part III, Scandinavians have been at the forefront of pro Advocacy: What We Can Do For Them, that their gressive humanitarian change for a long time. The interpretation is pragmatic rather than idealistic. two reports differ quite substantially in aim and Due to the author's background and my per format, yet each provides new and interesting per sonal interests, I focused on the first three chap spectives on ethical issues surrounding new ters of Part III, where Professor Webster applies biotechnologies. ATLA readers should perhaps be the Five Freedoms to husbandry systems of pigs, advised that animal issues do not feature promi poultry, cattle and sheep. Some of his conclusions nently, at least explicitly, but there is nevertheless are contradictory. For example, his evaluation much of general and fundamental interest. reveals that due to "bone weakness and fractures", Ethical Aspects of Modern Biotechnology con freedom from pain and injury (Freedom 3> is not tains the proceedings of an international confer met and the normal behaviour (Freedom 4) of lay ence held in Oslo in November 1993. The ing hens in battery cages is "severely restricted, contributors were drawn from a number of disci especially nesting and dust-bathing"; However, he plines (including molecular biology, genetics and says, there are "probably no major problems" with veterinary medicine, as well as ethics), but each respect to fear and stress (Freedom 5) In my opin has made a serious attempt to address ethical ion, pain, injury and restriction of normal behav issues, which is a welcome change from the rather iour cause, at the very least, stress. cursory treatment the latter frequently receive In straightforward terms, Professor Webster from scientists. Vivian Wei! strikes a common describes the serious health problems which are chord in suggesting that the new techniques of evident for farm animals, especially for dairy cows, biotechnology do not raise entirely new ethical and which result from their hard "work". Only issues in relation to animals, in saying that the with respect to these pages can I recommended "question is whether we should create new tragic this book, since the author's constructive solutions circumstances [by I bringing into existence animals are stated in a very generpl manner and are not new at all. I would have expected more from a Pro that are to suffer in particular ways". Countering the common assumption that most scientists are fessor of Animal Husbandry. reluctant to engage in discussion of animal ethics, Marlies Halder Wei! stresses the need for scientists to develop sys-
Alternatives to Laboratory Animals – SAGE
Published: Mar 1, 1996
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