We are continuing our work to end animal testing in Canada by providing feedback on the Canadian government’s proposed plan to reshape the testing of substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).
Following our successful campaign to end animal testing for cosmetics in Canada, through the passage of the Cruelty Free Cosmetics Act in 2023, we are again advising the Canadian government, which is now in the process of reshaping testing methods for many types of substances.
The ‘Draft Strategy to Replace, Refine or Reduce Vertebrate Animal Testing under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999’ (often referred to as the ‘3Rs Strategy’) is an initiative aimed at reducing, refining, and replacing the use of animal tests for assessing the potential harms of substances to human health and the environment.
Cruelty Free International welcomed key elements of the proposed strategy which support a shift away from animal testing towards greater use of non-animal methods. However, we recommended that the strategy places stronger emphasis on the complete replacement of animal tests, alongside its commendable goals of reducing both the number of animals used in each test and the pain they endure. We also called on the government to provide adequate funding for the development of non-animal alternatives.
Laura Alvarez, our Deputy Director of Science and Regulatory Affairs said, “We now await the final plan and hope that our recommendations have been taken on board. Funding for non-animal methods is far lower than for animal-based research, hindering progress towards more effective and humane testing. To advance non-animal approaches, it's crucial to increase investment in their development and regulatory acceptance while reducing funds for animal testing. This shift would boost research and innovation.
“Without government support, Canada risks falling behind other nations. Allocating necessary funding to the Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods (CCAAM), which was closed earlier this year due to lack of funding, would enable Canada to take a leading role in advancing non-animal approaches.”
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