When France Culture distributes propaganda on animal testing

Photo: Macaques saved from a laboratory by One Voice in 1996

You might have hoped that the media in this area would contact One Voice or other specialist associations in order to allow a debate to be held properly. The live presence of an opposing party knowing the subject sufficiently had the advantage of discouraging lies and misleading messages.

An appalling programme

Unfortunately, not content with its success last winter on France Inter, Radio France recreated the experience a few days later on France Culture. The ‘La Science – CQFD’ programme welcomed Ivan Balansard (Gircor President) and Francelyne Marano (former Francopa President and distinguished scholar).

And there is plenty to fuel our disappointment: the episode does not mention either the problems relating to the current function of ethical committees, or the illegal laboratory practices approved in recent years by the Ministry of Research, or even the recent classification of crab-eating macaques (the primates most used by French laboratories) on the list of species threatened with extinction.

Instead, we hear things that are supposed to be reassuring such as a statement that cats and dogs are used mostly for veterinary research (as if that justifies the treatment in store for them) or that the regulations and checks are very rigorous (forgetting to mention that sanctions are almost non-existent).

Do public officials have the right to lie on air?

And, more bothersome, the lies. Francelyne Marano presents staff training as very comprehensive, even though the lack of training is the most frequent non-conformity noted during inspections (for 50% of laboratories among the 450 inspection reports seen by One Voice).

Ivan Balansard maintains that the inspections are almost never announced even though the surprise inspection rate has never passed 30% in France, far behind other countries in the European Union, according to the latest report from the European Commission.

Both are public agents, however. So you would think that them lying on air of a national public media would not be allowed.

We are requesting a real debate be held

In view of this information, we have written a letter to France Culture, to ask for a new episode to be prepared on animal testing which will include specialists opposing these practices – a group which we belong to.

Translated from the French by Joely Justice