Ethical issues of animal husbandry and experiments: An analysis of the views of Agriculture Undergraduates

Abstract

The opinion on a bioethical issue is unique to an individual and influenced by a range of factors. Objectives of this study were to evaluate the views of the undergraduates about some important bioethical issues related to animal husbandry and experiments. The B. Sc (Agriculture) undergraduates (n=59) were interviewed and their views were investigated using a structured type questionnaire. Majority of the respondents (81%) were non vegetarians. Seventy six percent of the respondents those who do not eat fish or meat had selected their respective food habit from early childhood. Only a minority (6.6%) opposed the use of animals by human. The most accepted uses of animals were as pets (94%), for milk (93%), for protection (81%) and for eggs (76%) and as zoo animals (54%). The last accepted purposes were for meat (13%), fur and sport (27%) and experiments (37%). The preferred animal species reared for meat were poultry, fish and swine while least preferred species were goat, sheep, rabbit and cattle. Many (93%) were in the opinion that welfare standards of the livestock farms in Sri Lanka are not satisfactory. An overwhelming majority (97%) of respondents believed that animals have rights. Many accepted the killing of layers at the end of the laying cycle. But significant number of respondents did not agree with the killing of unproductive cows and other weaker farm animals. No one believed that man has an absolute freedom to use animals for research purposes. Only a minority (8%) opposed the use of animals for experiments and majority (88%) was in the opinion that the choice depend on the type of experiment. The most accepted research purposes were animal productivity improvement and drug development. It was concluded that a vast majority of undergraduates hold moderate views regarding bioethical issues related to animal husbandry and experiments.