Late News - US Primate Policy
On 15 July 1999, the US Federal Register published a "Draft Policy in
Environment Enhancement for Nonhuman Primates" along with a lengthy background document.
The US Animal Welfare Act requires that dealers, exhibitors and research
facilities holding nonhuman primates takes steps "to promote the psychological well-being" of the animals in their care.
Readers with Internet access may find the draft policy at:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/ee.html
and the full background report at:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/eejuly15.html
The regulations on psychological well-being have been in effect since
1991. Due to pressure from primate users, the initial regulations set what
was called "performance standards," under which an outcome - psychological
well-being - was identified.
Each facility was allowed to write its own plan which it was to maintain
at its own site, making it impossible for people concerned about the suffering of captive primates to review a facility's plan.
During the 1991 comment period, IPPL expressed its opposition to the
concept of "performance standards," preferring instead standards that were
specific and enforceable.
Now, eight years later, the USDA review panel that was established in
1996 has concluded that "performance standards" vary from location to location and that "dealers, exhibitors and research facilities did not necessarily understand how to prepare an environment enhancement plan that would adequately promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates." USDA inspectors reported that they had trouble judging facilities' compliance.
However, rather than replacing the "performance standards" with objective
standards, USDA is trying to clarify the regulations.
The new policy addresses five areas:
* Social grouping: the policy states that primates are "clearly social
beings" and should preferably be housed in social groups. The policy states
that this is especially important for chimpanzees, gorillas, gibbons and
siamangs.
* Social needs of infants: the policy states the importance of infant
primates being raised by their mothers until weaning age. Other methods
of raising may lead to poor social and parenting skills when the infants
grow up. The policy states:
Infants should not be permanently removed from the care-giving
parent(s) before an age that approximates the age of infant independence
in nature, except where necessary for the health and well-being of the
infant or mother.
* Structure and substrate: the policy emphasizes the need for elevated
resting structure for primates. Primates with long tails (these include
crab-eating, vervet and squirrel monkeys) should have sufficient vertical
space to permit tails to hang freely. This would require a major increase
of the height specified in the minimum cage sizes, which the policy did
not seek.
* Foraging opportunities: because wild primates spend so much time foraging for food, primate facilities should provide a variety of food presented in interesting ways.
* Manipulanda: facilities should provide toys so that primates can use
their manual skills.
The public is invited to submit comments. The deadline is 13 September.
We suggest you request that specific, enforceable standards applicable
to all facilities should be prepared to replace the "performance standards."
Please express the importance of baby monkeys remaining with their mothers, at least until weaning. Request larger cage sizes and express opposition to solitary housing of primates.
Please send your comments (USDA prefers an original and 3 copies) to:
Docket No. 98-121-1
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3CO3
4700 River Road, Unit 118
Riverdale MD 20737-1238, USA
