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Prof David Fraser is this year's recipient of the prestigious BSAS/RSPCA Award, presented for outstanding contribution to animal welfare.
His wide ranging research has contributed to many animal welfare issues, from designing better pig pens to reducing road accidents involving moose. It has been reported in over 100 scientific papers and a similar number of book chapters and other articles.
The award was presented by Dr Tony Suckling, Deputy Director General of the RSPCA (formerly the RSPCA's Director of Science), who said, "For his outstanding contribution to the science, philosophy and practice of animal welfare".
Prof Fraser stressed the need for good science in the fast moving circumstances that we find ourselves in today, and cited examples of rapid changes both in European welfare legislation and standards required by commercial organisations in the States.
Prof Fraser is a graduate in psychology from the University of Toronto and obtained his doctorate in zoology at the University of Glasgow.
In 1997 he moved to the University of British Columbia to create a new Animal Welfare Program within the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics. The Program currently has about 20 graduate students and visiting scientists conducting research, education, and public outreach on animal welfare issues arising in farm, laboratory, companion, and wild animals.
He serves as an advisor on animal welfare issues to numerous foundations and organisations including the Animal Welfare Foundation of Canada, the World Organisation for Animal Health (Paris), the Food Marketing Institute and National Council of Chain Restaurants (Washington DC), and the Burger King Corporation (Miami).
Dr Suckling concluded by commenting that, "our relationship with BSAS (British Society of Animal Science) is very important to us and integrates the welfare and production aspects of animal science. He continued, "this is the 15th award, in recent times it has become more important as pressure increases on farmers to integrate welfare standards into their production systems, and wherever possible these should, of course be based on the best scientific evidence."
ENDS
Dr Janice Harland, BSAS Press Officer (Tel: 01285 810250)
Mike Steele, BSAS Office (Tel: 0131 445 4508)