[Xenopus] Potential ban on X. laevis in EU

[Matt Guille]

Dear Colleagues,

This is extremely important for groups using Xenopus laevis in the EU and
requires a response, please circulate it to anyone who you think may have
missed it. A risk assessment of X. laevis as an invasive organism has been
undertaken by the EU and is open for comment, at the moment it strongly
recommends the inclusion of X. laevis on the register. According to the
EU's publication (
https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6f9e5ecf-c81f-11e6-a6db-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF,
Page 19), the consequence of X. laevis being added to the register would be
that it would become illegal to import them, reproduce them, transport
them, sell them, use them, possess them or release them into the
environment, although exceptions would be allowed for justified reasons
such as research. These exceptions would have a layer of bureaucracy
surrounding them so, whist it is unlikely that we would be completely
banned from research, it could become yet more difficult. Shockingly, the
socio-economic benefits of research using Xenopus laevis are effectively
dismissed in one section the 87page document - something we will refute
very strongly. In my role as EXRC co-ordinator I'm putting together a
detailed response and a draft is out for comment to a small group of
Xenopus researchers at the moment, once it is more final it will be
circulated to everyone and you can choose whether to add your signature to
that, write independently, do both or not respond. I am also contacting
DEFRA to talk directly with them about the UK response.

In the mean time please could you send the following information to
*magdalena.moszynska at port.ac.uk
<magdalena.moszynska at port.ac.uk> by April 1 *for inclusion in the response:

Current grant income and funding sources
Number of early career researchers currently employed on X.laevis projects
Total number of students (UG and PG) educated in academic year 2018-19
using X. laevis

We also felt that responses by individual post-docs explaining how an X.
laevis ban would affect them personally could be effective. Please could
you encourage your staff, they should aim to send responses to:
*ENV-IAS at ec.europa.eu* <ENV-IAS at ec.europa.eu> by mid-April. The closing
date is the end of May but we have been told that the earlier they arrive
the more effective they are.

Many thanks for your support in this critically important matter, please do
not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions,

Matt

-- 

Matt Guille
Professor of Developmental Genetics
University of Portsmouth

T: 02392 842047 E: matthew.guille at port.ac.uk
W: port.ac.uk/school-of-biological-sciences/staff/prof-matt-guille.html

University of Portsmouth, King Henry building, King Henry I Street,
Portsmouth, PO1 2DY
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