From GE-Free New Zealand

The GE Animal experimental field trials have ended in failure.  The disastrous trials have come at the cost of years of cruelty to the animals.

The trials involving hundreds of animals over two decades have been largely kept under the radar from public scrutiny, but as of June 2025, the AgResearch Annual Report to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) show there are no GE animals surviving in the New Zealand Ruakura field trials. [1]

The data sourced from AgResearch’s Ruakura facility annual reports have been compiled in ‘The GE Animals Report 2014-2025‘ [2] which summarises the genetic engineering trials on a range of farm animals in New Zealand. The earlier report GE Animals the First Fifteen years 2000-2015 showed the same inhumane issues arising. [3]

The report documents years of adverse outcomes like spontaneous abortions, cancers, deformities and sterility that the GE animals suffered and raises serious ethical concerns about why the GE animal experimentation was ever allowed. 

 “This is an unacceptable level of inhumanity to sentient animals,” said Claire Bleakley, president of GE Free NZ, who compiled the report findings. “Sadly, the cruelty has been allowed to continue for 25 years. There has been little ethical constraint on the objectives of profit and patents allowing the scientific realities to be ignored.”

 Although the GE animals have now all been terminated, there is concern that a new wave of cruel experiments will commence under The Gene Technology Bill with no regulatory oversight of ethics or animal welfare.

 All the scientific information on the failed outcomes of the 20 field trials was excluded from consideration by MPs on the Health Select Committee and was never considered by MBIE or the Technology Advisory Group when The Gene Technology Bill was drafted. [4]  

 “The authors of the Bill were told such evidence did not exist on any of the 20 field trials.  This means that the Select Committee and government members were not briefed on the failures, misery and distress to animals or the deleterious effect on New Zealand’s reputation and trade relationships,” said Jon Carapiet, spokesman for GE-Free NZ. 

This dark history of cruel animal experiments reinforces the need for a ban on GE animals and the need for the highest ethical global practices to be part of New Zealand legislation. 

 Keeping New Zealand GE-Free aligns with the values of people who prioritise ethical standards and want to see New Zealand lead by example in both innovation and compassion towards animals. 

Read further articles on topic at https://www.gefree.org.nz/

 References:

[1] https://www.epa.govt.nz/database-search/hsno-application-register/view/erma200223/

[2]GE Animals in New Zealand 2010 – 2025: Part 2 – The second fifteen years. https://www.gefree.org.nz/assets/Uploads/GE-Animals-in-NZ-Part-2-FIN-WEB.pdf

[3] GE Animals The first Fifteen Years https://www.gefree.org.nz/assets/pdf/GE-Animals-in-New-Zealand.pdf

[4] Ref: DOIA-REQ-0008002- https://www.gefree.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Response-letter.pdf

 ENDS:

Claire Bleakley 027 348 6732

Jon Carapiet 021 0507681

Photo credit: envirowatchnz.com