FOI_25-007 Decapod crustaceans used in research 2022 and 2023
Date of response: 28 January 2025
We have now considered your request of 10 January 2025 for the following information:
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the Act’) to request information from your institution regarding the use of decapod crustaceans in scientific experiments.
Please respond to the following questions (tables have been provided for your convenience but any answer format is accepted):
Question 1: How many decapod crustaceans have been used by your institution in scientific, experimental or educational purposes, at any life stage in a) 2023 and b) 2024?
Question 2: What proportion (approximately) of the decapod crustaceans used in each of the past two years were a) wild caught, b) purchased and c) bred in institution’s lab?
Question 3: What proportion (approximately) of the decapod crustaceans used in each of the past two years a) died during the experiment or were b) killed at the end of the experiments, and c) how did they die / were they killed?
Question 4: What proportion (approximately) of the experiments undertaken using decapods would have been classed as a) mild, b) moderate, c) severe under the provisions of Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 definitions?
d) if known, please also list how many animals were used in each experiment?
Our response:
On this occasion it is not possible to provide any of the requested information for questions 1-4. In line with your rights under section 1(1)(a) of the Act to be informed whether information is held, we confirm that the University does not hold any of the requested information. The University has not used any decapod crustaceans in the last two years.
Question5: Are scientific procedures involving decapod crustaceans subject to scrutiny by the Animals Welfare Ethical Review Body (AWERB)? Please specify:
• All scientific procedures involving decapod crustaceans subject to scrutiny by the AWERB
• Some scientific procedures involving decapod crustaceans subject to scrutiny by AWERB
• None of the scientific procedures involving decapod crustaceans subject to scrutiny by AWERB
Our response:
Not applicable.
Question 6: What additional training, if any, has been provided to those engaged with the use of decapod crustaceans in scientific research since the commencement of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022?
Our response:
Not applicable.
Question 7: Did your institution respond to the Home Office’s Call for evidence on the use of decapods (including crabs, crayfish, lobsters, prawns, shrimps) for scientific, experimental or educational purposes in 2023?
Our response:
No, we did not respond.