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.

Different Perspectives, different goals!

Incidents do happen, no doubt about that. An Air China flight got delayed at JFK airport over the weekend because a non human primate escaped from its container. The news rapidly circulated over the internet and was reported by the New York post amongst others. Air China does not take these things lightly and I am sure a thorough audited investigation will follow this occasional and unfortunate incident. Be assured that No one was hurt as a result of the incident and all made it safely to their final destination.

The BUAV quickly put together a renewed campaign to target Air China, as a result of this incident and to call for an end to monkey shipments on this carrier.  Emails and letters to Air China are part of the campaign tactics.
I can't comment as to the causes of the escape but from experience it often comes down to container construction and by the interference of the animal itself.

In the meantime according to a Biospectrum article, Chinese scientists led by Dr Sidong Xiong of Fudang university, report having developed a novel TB- DNA vaccine in an HIV-1 p24 protein backbone that protects against mycobacterium tuberculosis and simultaneously elicists robust humoral and cellular responses to HIV.  The vaccine was tested in mice.
It remains to be seen how the vaccine behaves in clinical trials. The article goes on to point out that there are an estimated but nevertheless staggering 14 million people co-infected by both diseases (WHO data). Read the abstract here. Or download the ASM pdf article here.

Putting things in perspective my post should have started with the TB HIV vaccine story because it is of far more significance than the buav reaction to a monkey that escaped confinement. I just find it ironic that the latter makes headline news, creates a big stir and eventually may lead a carrier to stop transporting laboratory animals. Different perspectives and different goals? It sounds like a dialogue between deaf people. How could it be any different when stopping any and all animal use is the objective? These people sure know how to build a fire.

Despite the above noise produced by a single animal escape, I for one have great faith in alternatives for they too hold great promises. We can all learn from animals. Think of the tensile strength of spider produced wire, the adhesive power of the gecko or other insects that are able to walk upside down. A new era is upon us that will unleash the power of biotechnology not only in the medical field but in many different domains.  Before we start inoculating though let's ensure new and alternative means of saving or improving lives are appropriately tested, it just makes so much sense! Don't you think so? And do let carriers, such as Air China, know you support them for together our voices can make a difference since we share a common perspective and a common goal of advancing medical research and improving lives.