Image by Katharina N. from Pixabay

The letter below was written by ADAV’s Research Director, Nicole Corrado on the topic of continued testing on fish and other animals in Canada. As usual, Nicole’s letter includes a number of links with valuable information. Should you wish to take action and send a similar letter, we’ve included the address to write to at the end. Thank you!

Please stop the “acute lethality tests” on rainbow trout, three lined stickleback, and other fish species.  These tests involve pumping effluents into fish tanks once a month, and if more than half the fish die, the experiments are repeated twice a month.  Sub lethal effect tests are also conducted.  Wild fish are killed and their livers analyzed.  Canada does not allow Non Animal Alternatives for testing effluent at mines or sewage treatment plants.  https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2002-222/FullText.html

There are animal free ways to test for pollution.  The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine suggests using rainbow trout cell lines instead (obtained without harming fish).  

https://www.pcrm.org/news/good-science-digest/world-aquatic-animal-day

Any guardians of companion fish will test their tank using paper strips and test tubes.  They do not deliberately expose the fish to effluents to see what happens. Bacteria and pollutants in swimming pools are also tested without animals.

Please also end the practice of sublethal toxicity testing of effluent on baby fathead minnows, rainbow trout, and other animals.  These animals are killed, dried, weighed, and preserved.

Aquatic Life Referencing Values are created by testing pesticides on laboratory fish.  These lethal dose tests/acute lethality tests and chronic toxicity tests are cruel and should be replaced with Non Animal Methods.  No new ALRV fish tests should be conducted, and only existing data and new Non Animal Method data be used. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/consumer-product-safety/pesticides-pest-management/public/protecting-your-health-environment/programs-initiatives/water-monitoring-pesticides/aquatic-life-reference-values.html

Fish diseases are studied by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans by infecting live fish in a laboratory to see what happens.  This is incredibly cruel.  https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/aah-saa/naahls-slnsas-eng.html

Please stop putting up tree swallow nest boxes in order to kill and dissect the babies to test for toxins in and near the mines, tailing sites, and oil sands.  And please stop catching, killing, and dissecting fish and frogs for the same reasons.  Please switch to the humane non lethal bio monitoring methods used in humans.

Cruelty free alternatives to toxicity testing involve using plants, phytobacteria, or cell cultures.

And stop working with scientists, trappers, hunters, and anglers to catch, kill, and cut up fish, frogs, mammals, birds, etc to weigh and test their organs for selenium, mercury, other pollutants, and reproductive issues.  There are humane non lethal tests to examine if any wild animal is healthy and have not been exposed to toxins.  Please also stop the mandate to kill some of the live fish being brought into Canada for disease lethal sampling.  https://inspection.canada.ca/animal-health/aquatic-animals/imports/test-selection-and-sampling-requirements/eng/1548710570282/1548710570578

A city that wants to go cruelty free can not if they are mandated to test their sewer water on animals.  Sugar refineries must test their wastewater on fish, even if they are a vegan company that only uses non animal methods of sugar refining.  Those food producers don’t want to test on animals.  Water used to cool nuclear power plants is also tested in fish for any radioactive effects.  Pulp and paper mills that want to use only recycled paper and be ethical are forced to test on and kill animals.  Mining companies and factories that want to be more ethical are also still forced to conduct harmful animal effluent testing.  Environmentalists at Orphaned and Abandoned Mines don’t want to do these tests while restoring the land.  Canada is legally mandated to phase out animal toxicity testing, yet many agencies are legally mandated to conduct these cruel tests.  Please put an end to all animal toxicity testing and go cruelty free.

Want to take action too? Please send a letter on the same topic to: erhsdgeneral-dssergenerale@hc-sc.gc.ca with subject heading: Consultation – Draft strategy to replace, reduce or refine vertebrate animal testing under CEPA.

Thank you!