Vrees voor gebruik dolfijnen in biomedisch onderzoek Amerikaanse marine

WDCS expresses grave concern that dolphins

might be used in biomedical research

19-02-2010 Earth Times By : Mark Simmonds


WDCS (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society) would like to issue the following statement.

The notion that dolphins can be used as a model (i.e. to investigate) human diabetes comes from the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program Foundation. (The US Navy still uses dolphins in its military activities - we believe it is the last nation to do this after the USSR closed its facilities some years ago). It is a new idea to us - although there is an earlier paper (2007) that has subsequently come to light. It does not seem to be mainstream thinking.

The primates (which of course include ourselves) and the cetaceans (the order of mammals that includes the whales and dolphins) are only very distantly related and have followed separate evolutions for at least 90 million years. The anatomies and physiologies of these two groups of mammals are very different.

For example, intelligence evolved in the cetaceans and the primates independently (neither the early cetaceans nor the early primates were large brained) and hence some brain structures are quite different. The same is true of other organs (the gross anatomy of their kidneys for example looks like a bunch of grapes compared to our single bean-shaped kidney) - hence the idea that dolphins would generally be a good model for the study of human disease seems unlikely and needs to be subject to independent scientific evaluation.

It is a grave concern that dolphins might be used in biomedical research. Dolphins are intelligent and sophisticated animals which are vulnerable to stress and suffering when confined and removed from their natural environment and societies. The fact that dolphins in captivity experience ongoing stress adds to questions about the validity of studies of physiological processes that are intimately connected with the animals' well-being.

WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, opposes the keeping of these animals in captivity for any reasons.

At the AAAS meeting on the same day (Sunday) that the paper on dolphins and diabetes will be presented, there are other papers being presented in a separate session which will consider the latest information about the intelligence of societies of dolphins and their expert authors call for us to urgently review and improve our treatment of dolphins. These presentations help to make a strong case against the keeping of dolphins in captivity, potentially including the use of dolphins in biomedical studies.

Mark Simmonds (international head of science, WDCS)

(Bron: http://www.earthtimes.org/)
(Bron foto: archief Kraaijer)