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«NEWS FROM OUR COLLEAGUES»
UKRAINE WILL ETHICALLY EVALUATE SCIENTIFIC
RESEARCH DONE
IN PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS
In the last issue of our Bulletin we discussed the problem of ethically
evaluating scientific research done in protected natural areas (p.6—8).
And finally it has happened! Ukraine has adopted a state document identifying
key targets, principles and tools of conducting ethical evaluations as well
as ethical criteria to evaluate scientific research done or planned in PNAs.
We hope that this precedent will serve as a good example for other CIS member-states
and the Baltic States. The text of the document, which the Kiev Ecological
Cultural Center kindly forwarded to us, is reproduced in full below:
Recommendations for Conducting Experts Investigsations
(Ethical Evaluations)
of Topics and Methods of Scientific Research Conducted in State Nature and
Biosphere Reserves,
National Parks and Regional Landscape Parks
(Adopted by Order No. 16 of the State Reserve Agency of the Ukrainian Ministry
of Ecology
and Natural Resources, June 1, 2003)
In full accord with the Ukrainian Federal Acts “On Ukraine’s Natural Reserve
Fund”, “On Fauna”, “On Ukraine’s Red Book of Rare and Endangered Species”
and in order to improve protection and conservation of natural complexes
and coordination of scientific research and prevent damage to natural complexes
in the course of scientific research,
IT IS ENACTED:
1. To approve “Recommendations for conducting expert investigations (ethical
evaluations) of topics and methods of scientific research conducted in state
nature and biosphere reserves, national parks and regional landscape parks”
as specified in the attached supplement.
2. To recommend to Natural Reserve Fund establishments that they use the
Recommendations to plan their scientific research activities.
3. To ensure dissemination of the Recommendations to Reserve Fund establishments
(list attached).
4. To supervise the implementation of the present Decree myself.
N. Stetsenko,
First Deputy Head
of the State Reserve Agency
Recommendations for Conducting Experts Investigations (Ethical
Evaluations)
of Topics and Methods of Scientific Research Work Conducted in State Nature
and Biosphere Reserves,
National Parks and Regional Landscape Park
Experts investigations (ethical evaluations) of topics and methods of scientific
research are intended to check, analyze and evaluate the content, objectives,
scope and expected results of scientific research (SR) and methods of implementation,
as well as to assess the expediency of the topic (application of a method)
within the Nature Reserve Fund (NRF) area or sites.
The aim of conducting expert investigations is to prevent incidents of
unjustified human impact on reserve ecosystems, destruction of the environment,
and use of inhumane methods in researching flora or fauna.
Key Objectives of an Ethical Evaluation:
- To provide an objective and complex evaluation of the topic’s conformity
to the key directions of SR aimed at ensuring the development of reserves
and the formation of a national ecological network in Ukraine (“Ukrainian
Ecological Network Development National Program for 2000—2015”, Supplement
7, Clause 5);
- To make sure the proposed research tools are well grounded and expedient;
- To anticipate the consequences of topic elaboration (tool application)
for the environment;
- To assess the expediency of SR implementation in a nature reserve or
of a certain method application.
Basic Principles of Conducting Ethical Evaluations
To determine the suitability of a natural complex for SR.
Will the natural area be endangered as the result of SR or of the application
of a certain research tool?
To give priority to SR for Ukrainian reserves development.
Priority should be given to applied conservation and fundamental SR to
do with creating nature reserves and gaining permanent control over the
results of these activities (ecosystem conservation and restoration development
tools and mechanisms, management plans, regulating activities plans, monitoring,
etc.).
To estimate expediency and alternatives.
Proceeding from the estimated results of SR, one must determine the expediency
of conducting SR within a given reserve and of violating the reserve’s regime
and ask whether analogous scientific data could be obtained outside the
Natural Reserve Fund area.
To use only humane research methods and tools.
Given a choice of scientific research methods, priority should be given
to the most sparing and humane methods.
When making video-films, pictures and audio recordings, one must avoid
cruelty to animals (keeping animals in a trap, fastening their feet, pursuing
game with dogs or beasts of pray, causing pain in order to make animals
produce sounds, etc.).
When the subject of study is the animal’s nutrition through investigation
of its stomach content, one must make sure that there are no other methods
besides killing the animal to yield those results.
During fauna studies, one must consider alternatives to catching or killing
an animal to identify its species type (i.e. live species identification
methods.
When netting animals, one must estimate the professional level of the procedure
from the point of view of preventing deaths of other species. Animal catching
should be done by means of methods and tools ensuring minimal reserve regime
violation.
Ethical Criteria of Scientific Research Evaluation
Ethical evaluations must be done of SR topics that involve taking (temporarily)
plant and animal species out of their natural environment, or may cause
degradation of the habitat, migration paths, breeding conditions, integrity
of green and soil mantel, natural communities of wild animals, cause disturbances,
etc.
The basic criteria for assessing SR topics, methods and tools are as follows:
- Risk of wildlife and plant deaths and degradation of their habitats;
- Cruel or inhumane treatment of wild animals;
- Methods causing considerable disturbance to wildlife;
- Use of rare and endangered species of plants and animals listed in
the Red Book of the Ukraine, in worlds list of rare and endangered
species, or in regional lists of rare species; of plant communities listed
in the Green Book of the Ukraine and regional lists of rare communities;
- Danger of destroying landscapes, green and soil mantels;
- Violation of established reserve regime.
Mechanisms of Conducting Ethical Evaluations
Scientific research departments of nature reserves involved in long-term
topics and programs carry out ethical evaluations of SR to be developed
by their staffers. The conclusions of ethical evaluations should be considered
at the Scientific Technical Council of the NRF during consideration of annual
working plans and scientific and technical activities (Statement on scientific
and research activities of Ukrainian reserves and national parks. The Order
of the Ministry of Ecological Resources No. 103, p. 1.2.2, August 9, 2000).
As for SR to be developed within protected areas of the NRF by outside
organizations and specialists, the Scientific Technical Council should do
an ethical evaluation of their work during coordination of quarterly research
and research methods (Statement on scientific research activities in Ukrainian
reserves and national parks. The Order of the Ministry of Ecological Resources
No. 103, Clause 4.3, August 9, 2000).
Conclusions of ethical investigations are reflected in the decision of
the Scientific Technical Council of the NRF when submitting its request
to approve limits for using natural resources for purposes of scientific
research.
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