Regulations concerning the care and use of animals in laboratory research in Taiwan are becoming stricter as the enforcement of measures establishing institutional animal care and use committees take effect today.
Officials at the National Science Council (NSC) said yesterday that institutions falling under the authority of the Animal Protection Law (
Officials of the National Laboratory Animal Breeding and Research Center under the science council said yesterday that a committee installed at every research institution would supervise animal-research-related affairs.
One of the requirements for establishing a committee includes the hiring of a veterinarian or an equivalent expert with a certificate issued by training centers recognized by the central government.
"Key committee personnel will be in charge of supervising procedures for self monitoring in obtaining, breeding, managing and using animals in laboratory research," said Liang San-chi (
Other important duties of committee members, Liang added, include ensuring appropriate maintenance of facilities where animals are used in laboratory research and adequate veterinary care.
"We believe that proper management of animals in laboratory research will minimize the negative consequences of animal testing," Liang said.
A workshop to train such professionals will be held by the center for the very first time today. Some 150 experts from different research institutions are expectedly to receive the certification. The center will hold another workshop in November this year. Liang said that more than 300 experts will be qualified to serve as committee members within a year.
According to the Council of Agriculture, however, there are more than 500 institutions in need of such experts, such as research centers, hospitals, universities, biotech firms, pharmaceutical companies.
After next July, any institution lacking a committee will be fined between NT$20,000 and NT$100,000.
Animal welfare activists told the Taipei Times yesterday that they welcomed new measures which ensure the rights of animals.
"But we have reservations about the integrity of appointed committee members because they will be on the payroll of the institutions they supervise," said Chen Yu-min (陳玉敏) of the Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan.
"Waiving unnecessary animal experiments should have become the researchers' main concern," Chen said. She added that animal welfare activists can look forward to seeing committee members with diverse backgrounds, such as animal behavior, animal protection and psychology.
The budget for biotech research in Taiwan next fiscal year has been increased to NT$17 billion from NT$11.7 billion. Biotech is a priority of the government's business promotion activities.
"It [the increased budget] doesn't necessarily mean that Taiwan will need more animals for scientific research," NSC Chairman Wei Che-ho (魏哲和) said yesterday.
Wei said that the measures taking effect today would improve the image of Taiwan in the international community.
According to the NSC, Taiwan will do its best to become a leader in biotech research next year by spending NT$4 billion on planned national projects.
Science council chairman Wei and Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) will head for Japan today to visit several biotech research centers including Tokyo University and the Tsukuba Science Park.
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
BAIL APPEALS: The former vice premier was ordered to be held incommunicado despite twice being granted bail and paying a total of NT$12 million in bond The Taoyuan District Court yesterday ordered the detention of former vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), who is being investigated for alleged corruption while serving as Taoyuan mayor from December 2014 to December 2022, and that he be held incommunicado. The court made the ruling during a bail hearing after prosecutors appealed its bail ruling twice. Cheng on Saturday was released after posting bail of NT$5 million (US$153,818). However, after prosecutors lodged an appeal, the High Court on Monday revoked the original ruling and ordered the Taoyuan District Court to hold another bail hearing. On Tuesday, the district court granted bail to Cheng a second
PEACE AND SECURITY: China’s military ambitions present ‘the greatest strategic challenge to Japan and the world, Japan’s annual defense white paper said yesterday Japan yesterday warned that China risked escalating tensions with Taiwan with an increase in military exercises that appeared aimed in part at readying Beijing’s forces for a possible invasion. Japan’s annual assessment of security threats, including those posed by China, North Korea and Russia, comes as Taiwan closely monitors Chinese People’s Liberation Army air and sea exercises, including one with the Shandong aircraft carrier in the Pacific Ocean. The drills are the latest in a series including maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait last year that a senior US general said would be key to any invasion. “Because of that increase in military activity,
SECURITY CONCERNS: An FBI agent said it was surprising that the shooter, whose motive remains unknown, was able to open fire before the Secret Service killed him On the heels of an apparent attempt to kill him, former US president Donald Trump yesterday called for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him injured, but “fine,” and the shooter and a rally-goer dead. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting His aides said he was in “great spirits” and doing well. “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place,” he