What do Herman, Morag, Megan, Polly and Dolly have in common? They are all genetically engineered animals and they are all named in a new educational video, produced by the Compassion In World Farming (CIWF) movement. The 20-minute video aims to spotlight this developing field of science.
"There are fears that this is a Frankenstein science," says a CIWF spokeswoman during the video. There have been reports of second-level students in Britain being upset by the video - it's harrowing in places, especially the tragic shot of a transgenic pig produced in the early Eighties with a litany of side effects including lameness.
The video which is about genetic engineering and farm animal welfare chronicles one side of the argument in a structured, reasoned manner. It's accompanied by a teaching pack that includes a glossary of terms, a series of classroom excercises, facts, figures and quotations and an address list of useful British organisations. CIWF stops people seeing animals as productive machines, and instead regard them as "sentient beings capable of suffering."
Genetic engineering is a very important issue, says Mary-Anne Bartlett, director of the CIWF in Ireland. "It's vital that students understand the full implications, including the potential for suffering. While a great deal is said about its benefits, animal suffering is rarely mentioned."
The video does not make for easy viewing. It shows an animal being operated upon - the camera closes in on the hobbled limbs and muzzled mouth of a sleeping sheep. There are some disturbing shots of "farm factories" where animals such as broiler chickens are fattened, reaching slaughter weight in just 42 days - "as a result, several million birds suffer heart failure and die each year."
The video also shows genetic scientists at work in the operating room extracting a fertilised egg from the oviduct of a female sheep. We see the egg being put into the womb of a foster mother who will give birth to a transgenic animal. For the squeamish, it's a bit gruesome and unsettling. The process is called micro-injection - the egg is very small and the whole process is done under a microscope. The mother is often killed after a few days so that the growth of the embryo can be checked, we are told.
"The animals pay the price," says the voice-over.
Another section tells of attempts by genetic scientists to produce human haemoglobin in pigs. According to CIWF, if they were successful this would be particularly lucrative.
"This video aims to provide another side of the story," says Bartlett. "It aims to give students a balanced range of information, stimulate debate and help them form their own opinions."
According to Dr Joyce D'Silva, director of CIWF, the cloning of sheep "can cause great suffering to the animals in terms of painful births and caesarean operations. It should be banned."
The video is aimed at students aged between 14 and 18. It deals with issues to do with science, biology, food production, religious education, civic, social and political education and general studies.
For information, call to CIWF's new offices between 9am and 5pm at Salmon Weir house on Hanover Street, Cork - opposite the Kino Cinema. The pack is available at £12.50 from CIWF, PO Box 206, Cork. Phone - (021) 272441.
