Animal Research
What is Animal Research?
What is a licensed institution?
Exemptions to licensing
Animal ethics committee
Supply of animals
Applying for an Animal Research Licence
Interstate Institutions’ AEC Details
Interstate and Overseas Institutions project monitoring
Research Licence conditions
Annual reporting of animal use statistics
Additional Requirements for Wildlife and Inland Fisheries Research
Section 3 of the Animal Welfare Act 1993 (the Act) defines animal research as a procedure, test, experiment, inquiry or study on an animal which:- is undertaken to develop, demonstrate or acquire knowledge, or techniques, in an area of science or teaching; and
- is likely to have a significant adverse effect on the welfare of the animal.
The definition of ‘animal’ is all live, non-human vertebrates and cephalopods. ‘Animal’ includes juvenile forms.
Animals that are killed expressly for the purpose of research are also included.
As a rule of thumb, a significant adverse impact would be anything that renders an animal either dead or less able to cope with its situation as evidenced by abnormal physiological or behavioural responses. The significance of the impact must be assessed in context taking the following into consideration:- the environment in which the animal is being held, used and released into,
- the nature of the animal, and
- the physical and psychological state of the animal.
Observational studies where the animals are not handled, tagged or otherwise interfered with or the animal’s immediate environment is not entered or disturbed by that activity would not generally be considered to have a significant adverse impact on the animals.
A determination of whether an activity is Animal Research can be made by an inspector.
The provisions of Part 4 of the Act govern the conduct of animal research in Tasmania.
The Act provides that animal research (as defined above) can only be conducted by institutions licensed by the Minister for Primary Industries and Water. Research by unlicensed institutions (or researchers) is an offence for which substantial pecuniary and/or custodial penalties exist.
It is important to note that animal research performed by a licensed institution is exempted from the Cruelty and Aggravated cruelty provisions of the Act, provided it has Animal Ethics Committee approval and is conducted in accordance with the Code of Practice. An institution can be any entity that wishes to conduct research or teaching, for example a school, university, pharmaceutical company, ecological surveyor or private individual with a particular animal research interest. The person who is ultimately responsible for the activities of the institution is the person who must sign the application eg Vice Chancellor/Managing Director/CEO. Another person should be nominated for routine contact between the Department and the institution.
To be licensed, the institution must agree to comply with the approved Code of Practice – currently the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (the Code). To view a copy of the Code, see the National Health and Medical Research Council web site
There are three circumstances in which an activity that may be considered to be research can be conducted outside a licensed institution (section 27 (2)). These are the observational study of one’s own animal, administering veterinary treatment to an animal for the welfare of the animal, or a person conducting normal animal management operations. Please note that there would be no protection from prosecution under the cruelty provisions applying in these circumstances.
‘Normal animal management operations’ is considered to mean the use of established techniques, procedures and substances for the management of a known population of animals by competent persons as part of and directed by a management program of an appropriate authority.
Examples of situations where normal animal management operations may apply would be: - the monitoring of the duck population by authorities for the hunting season, or
- the diagnosis and surveillance of known diseases in livestock where those procedures as well as treatment and control options are well established, and
- the operation of school farms.
There are situations in which it would be prudent to seek protection from the cruelty provisions by working within a licensed institution. For example, population monitoring activities where the habitat of the animals may be, or is of necessity, damaged by that monitoring activity.
The Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) of or acting for an institution performs the assessment and monitoring service for individual projects. A properly constituted and functional AEC ensures that the use of animals for research and teaching purposes is justified and conducted in a way that minimises welfare compromise according to the principles of the ‘3R’s’:- Replacement (use alternatives to animals whenever possible),
- Reduction (use the minimum number of animals required to achieve scientific and statistical validity without increasing pain and distress on individual animals), and
- Refinement (avoid or minimise welfare compromise to those animals you must use).
The formation and operation of the AEC must be in accordance with the Code no matter where the institution is resident.
It is an offence to supply animals, to be used for animal research, to an unlicensed institution or in a manner that contravenes the Code.
Institutions should apply for the Animal Research Licence using the form below:
This is a Portable Document Format (PDF) file and requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader is easy to download and is free of charge.
Institutions must have their own AEC or approval from another institution to access their AEC – this approval must be in writing and a copy submitted with the licence application.
The application form includes a fee list. The appropriate licence application fee must accompany the completed form. A licence may be issued for up to three years. Renewal is subject to satisfactory compliance with the Code and all reporting requirements having been met during the previous licensed period.
Note that there are specific additional requirements for those wishing to conduct wildlife or fisheries research – see the section on ‘Additional Requirements for Wildlife and Inland Fisheries Research’ below.
If the interstate institution’s AEC has been constituted under the Code, an exemption to the requirement to submit individual details of AEC members may be made. Confirmation from the interstate Regulator that the institution’s AEC is licensed under its jurisdiction may be adequate. Again the institution should contact the Inspector of Animal Research about this issue prior to submitting an application.
The Code requires institutions’ AECs to monitor approved research projects. As there are practical issues involved in complying with this aspect for AECs not resident in Tasmania, institutions must include a monitoring plan from the nominated AEC for that institution’s projects or parts of projects that are conducted in Tasmania. AECs are encouraged to contact the Inspector of Animal Research prior to submitting the application to discuss various options that may be available to ensure adequate project monitoring.
Core conditions of the licence involve compliance with the approved Code and the Animal Welfare Act 1993 at institutional, Animal Ethics Committee (AEC) and individual researcher levels. Reporting requirements and provision for inspection of the institution’s research activities and AEC are also included as a minimum.
The institution must report on animal research conducted in Tasmania by 31 May for each calendar year during which the institution was licensed. The report is in two parts:
Part 1 is a textual report on general research activities and provides an opportunity for institutions to notify changes in their areas of interest, operational procedures or facilities as they apply to animal use. A list of subject areas is attached (Part 1 Animal Use activities.doc). This list represents the minimum information required for Part 1.
Part 2 must be submitted in an Animal Research Data Entry Excel file. It includes animal use data for individual approved projects as extracted by the licensed institution from annual project progress or final reports. Electronic submission of this data is mandatory. The file follows nationally agreed reporting areas. Some animal types have been split to better describe the Tasmanian context.
| The reports are collated and presented as a State report to Parliament as required by Section 35 (4) of the Animal Welfare Act 1993. The most recent reports are attached. |
This is a Portable Document Format (PDF) file and requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader is easy to download and is free of charge.
This is a Portable Document Format (PDF) file and requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader is easy to download and is free of charge.
This is a Portable Document Format (PDF) file and requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Reader is easy to download and is free of charge.
The Biodiversity Conservation Branch (BCB) of the Department, and the Inland Fisheries Service have special guidelines for the use of Tasmanian wildlife including fish in research.
Investigators of licensed institutions are required to obtain a "Scientific Permit" before any wildlife is used for research. An Animal Ethics Committee approval of a project does not guarantee the receipt of the Scientific Permit. Permits are only issued after the BCB's special policy and procedural arrangements are met. The BCB's requirements are included in the Guidelines for Scientific Research Scientific Permits (Wildlife).
For information about taking marine fish under the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 go to About Permit Activities
Contact the Inland Fisheries Service for all permits to take freshwater fish.
Contact: Inspector of Animal Research Dr Mary Lou Conway
Animal Health and Welfare Branch
13 St Johns Avenue
NEW TOWN TAS 7008
Phone: 03 6233 6330
Fax: 03 6278 1875
Email: Marylou.Conway@dpipwe.tas.gov.au
Department switchboard: 1300 368 550 (local call cost within Australia)
See also:
Scientific Research Permits (Fauna)
DPIW Animal Ethics Committee
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