News

The Demise of Ethics in Scientific Research

(Ethics a set of moral principles)

A small company (PAXARMS in reality, Penny and Trevor Austin of Timaru, New Zealand.) in 1990 developed a system to remotely remove very small amounts of tissue samples from whales and dolphins and many other species. Further development has continued as each client has come up with specific needs. All the research and development to create working systems was done with no budget, in house, with many hours of work and no outside funding. The business was set up to provide the research community with the best systems that could be made economically. The small income derived from the tissue cutting darts has been put to good use to find more solutions to researchers’ problems.

In 2007 PAXARMS was contracted by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute to invent a remote injection system for whales in the wild. This was developed at short notice and successfully used just a few weeks after delivery (first in the world). Other developments include deep tissue darts, for whales, heavier tissue darts for seals, darts for fish, tissue darts for bears. All R and D to date has been borne solely by PAXARMS and there were many more projects planned.

PAXARMS invented the first remote delivery system in the 1950’s and formed PAXARMS in 1962.

Recently, a large research organization called the Australian Antarctic Division received funding of millions of dollars. The Australian Antarctic Division has made copies of PAXARMS tissue cutting darts after purchasing a PAXARMS System. The darts are the same weight, same length, and use the same cutter as Paxarm darts. The Australian Antarctic Division now uses the PAXARMS rifle to fire their copied dart.

 The copied dart does not perform in the same manner as the PAXARMS, the group that copied it would need to understand the relationship between the projectile, the flight and propulsion. It is dangerous to assume that it is just a dart. 

The system to operate humanely requires the correct setting up of both the dart and the projector. Correct use of the equipment requires the user to be able to reset the system if they are in a remote location which is where most users are.

PAXARMS has strived to develop equipment that is the most humane and least invasive method to obtain samples that can be used for on going scientific research.

By brazenly copying the dart rather than purchasing the original darts from Paxarms, the Australian Antarctic Division has effectively undermined the financial viability of Paxarms. For a relatively minor financial saving the Australian Antarctic Division has given a strong message to Paxarms that they do not require their services. As a small business, Paxarms cannot compete with a government department worth millions of dollars. This has been a real slap in the face for Paxarms and we are tempted to simply close up shop.

We are appealing to the research community for support. Paxarms has provided biopsy systems to many research groups and tailored specifications to your needs. We have done so at the best price we could manage and never passed on development costs to the users even when needing to work late nights and long weekends to get systems to teams at short notice. It is simply not worth our while to manufacture systems that are then taken and copied leaving us out of pocket.

Please do not use copied darts with our systems nor encourage others to do so. Without the support of the research community we will simply have to close our doors in the near future. We believe that that is not in any one’s interests.