Animal extremist message spreading East

Peta most recently has asked its members and the public to urge Air China to stop shipping monkeys to laboratories. There is a build in email campaign containing a pre-written text that one can use to send straight from the page. To whom I don't know since I did not try.
The above is part of a greater campaign that targets any airline involved in primate transport (see link below).
https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3888

With this PETA joins the likes of the BUAV whom have launched similar campaigns to stop primate transport. The idea behind it is simple: stop transportation of laboratory animals, or make it as difficult as possible and animal based research will come to a grinding halt. BUAV actually goes a step further in that they associate the use of young primates with a baby trade. http://www.buav.org/our-campaigns/primate-campaign/

Animal breeding countries are approached at the highest level (see letter email campaign to the Prime minister of Mauritius). The BUAV is the trading name to end all animal experiments.
The people that work at breeding centers whether they are animal care takers or doctors in veterinary medicine should just give it all up and work elsewhere I guess? That part of the equation is never mentioned by animal extremists. The use of their resources is primarily a domestic issue and is certainly not an illegal activity, transporting laboratory animals even less so! Even though primates are listed on CITES appendices, the convention does not prohibit trade but provides for a mechanism and the conditions under which trade can take place. Granted that bans can (and are) be imposed.
The increasing campaigns and lobbying affects also zoo's that are involved in conservation and re-introduction efforts, for carriers opt out from transporting animals altogether.

The animal extremist message is spreading its wings eastward in Europe as one can see from this international animal rights gathering web site:
http://www.argathering.net/workshops.html

Here's how they define themselves:

The International Animal Rights Gathering is an annual event which brings together activists from all over the world for a weekend of workshops, talks, discussions, films, information stalls, entertainment and networking. The aim of the gathering is to promote and improve co-operation and co-ordination between activists from many different countries, with the aim of building a strong coherent global movement to fight animal exploitation and spread compassion. This is particularly important bearing in mind that most animal exploitation and abuse is an international business which operates across international borders, so it's vital that we as a movement also learn to think and work globally too.

When confronted with animal extremists, Airlines simply opt out from animal transportation and that is good for no one, except animal use abolitionists. Sad but true.

Animal Alternatives and drug pipeline

Most recently I stumbled upon an older article in Spiked called: ''In defence of animal experimentation'' by Patrick Hayes. If you wish to read it you can find it here.
The journalist does make some valid points, especially when it comes to alternatives and concessions made. There is just no way you can make an omelet without braking the eggs. Far too often are we caught in ethical debates when in fact animal use is just inevitable. His concluding paragraph says it all.

Is that to say that there should be no alternatives to animal use? No, quite the opposite. Finding alternatives is another tool in the life saving toolbox. Stem cell research and computer modeling are tools that contribute. From what I have read however, when it comes to more complex living systems, animal models can't be beaten. One can not afford either, to give up the animal research step in order to go straight into human trails. It is a safety mechanism, a precautionary step rightfully imposed, using two animal species.  Nothing to be apologetic about but to be rather proud of. After all, these are life saving contributions to mankind.  If you do enjoy rants about opinionated activism and its consequences read this article.

It does become more painful when researchers themselves have to publicly say that enough animal rights activism is enough as was the case in 2009 at UCLA. Letter to the editor Journal of Neurophysiology

Similar debates have taken place in the UK and now three years later the general public has a better understanding of why animal research is needed. That is not to say that animal activism has stopped. No it has spilled over into continental Europe and Asia and it has tumored into other areas of human activity where animals are used. Such as for example the fur industry, the agricultural industry ( did you know that US horses now have to be slaughtered in Mexico or Canada?) , the companionship industry and the display industry.

All of this because of increased animal welfare concerns? No, because of 'No Animal Use' activism. Even Zoo's and Aquaria do not find grace in the eyes of animal rights groups, claiming that animals were meant to be born free. Never mind their efforts in wildlife conservation towards re-introduction into the wild. Just think where the debating and activism will lead us if animal sentiency and manlike status are adopted or enshrined into laws?

The pharmaceutical industry is spending millions of dollars to establish close ties with academic researchers in an effort to get to cutting edge drug discovery and research. We all know about the drug pipeline problems and the coming off patent situation, but if the academic world is prevented from live animal supply and from valid animal models , where does that lead to? BUAV primate cargo cruelty campaign

and lobbying airlines

Airlines say no to primate transport
Certainly not more animal use alternatives. Rather the loss of potential cures or the delay in life saving research and potentially a few million victims because of animal rights. Avian influenza anyone?