Animal Research

• 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 environment in which the animal is being held, used and/or released into,
• the nature of the animal, and
• the physical and psychological state of the animal.

Animal Research Decision Guide (PDF: 126 KB / 1 page)

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Determinations by an inspector

• Camera trapping with and without the use of lures in the terrestrial environment - use of camera traps fitted with infra-red flashes outside rookeries and nesting areas without lures or attractants of any kind does not constitute animal research in Tasmania.
  
  The use of scent trails (where there is no visible accumulation of material or carcase remnants) for camera trapping purposes placed such that the target and non-target species are not attracted to areas where they are placed at high risk of injury or death does not constitute animal research.
  
  The use of lures in association with camera traps has been determined to constitute animal research. For this purpose, a lure is an attractant in volume sufficient to retain one or more animals at the site for sufficient time to engage in feeding type behaviour. Includes as examples, whole or part of a carcase or inaccessible bait.
  
• Training in condition scoring of sheep – is not animal research in Tasmania if conducted by competent instructors and such that sheep undergo no more than 5 assessments per session and the sessions are scheduled not to interfere with normal management regimes for the flock involved.
  
• Use of juvenile animals – eggs and larvae – is not animal research in Tasmania where research is being applied to juveniles less than halfway through their gestation, incubation or prior to feeding independently, and there is no potential for a deleterious effect on the sentient animal resulting from procedures applied prior to the onset of sentience.

What is a licensed institution?

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.

To be granted a licence, the institution must have its own or approved access to an Animal Ethics Committee properly constituted according to the approved research Code. (See Animal Ethics Committee below).

Animal research performed by a licensed institution is protected from the Cruelty (Section 8) and Aggravated cruelty (Section 9) provisions of the Act, provided it has Animal Ethics Committee approval and is conducted in accordance with the approved research 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. An additional person can be nominated for routine contact between the Department and the institution.

To be licensed, the institution must agree to comply with the approved research 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. The Code is currently in the final stages of review and the next edition is expected in early 2013.

Exemptions to licensing

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 as they have not been approved or monitored by an Animal Ethics Committee (AEC).

Administering veterinary treatment for the welfare of the animal implies there is a welfare issue such as a disease event to treat. In order to treat appropriately diagnostic testing may be required and is considered to be included in this exemption. Where surveillance for a disease is necessary subsequent to a disease event or conditions indicate an imminent disease event, and the surveillance involves procedures causing significant impact on animals, AEC approval should be considered.

There are situations where disease surveillance or diagnostic test development involving significant impact procedures is required urgently. Specific arrangements need to be put in place by institutions with their AEC to ensure such projects are assessed as quickly as possible while maintaining compliance with the Code.

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 be that the owner or manager of the animals.

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
• routine health surveillance in livestock where those procedures are well established, industry-wide practices, or
• comparisons of different but well established and currently industry accepted management operations where nationally agreed codes of practice guide or regulations prescribe the application of the procedures and competency requirements of the practitioner, and
• the operation of school farms.

• 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).

Animal Research Licence Application Form (PDF: 98 KB / 5 pages)

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Interstate Institutions’ AEC Details

If an 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 in its jurisdiction may be adequate. The institution should contact the Inspector of Animal Research about this issue prior to submitting an application.

Notification to the inspector of changes in membership is required within 28 days of the change. Where an exemption to listing individual members has been given, confirmation from the interstate Regulator that the AEC remains constituted according to the Code is required with the notification.

Interstate and Overseas Institutions Project Monitoring

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 provide evidence that there are monitoring contingencies in place (such as a monitoring plan) from the nominated AEC for that institution’s projects or parts of projects that are conducted in Tasmania. Institutions 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.

Research Licence conditions

Core conditions of the licence involve compliance with the approved Code and the Animal Welfare Act 1993 at institutional, AEC and individual researcher levels. Reporting requirements and provision for inspection of the institution’s research activities and the AEC are also included as a minimum.

Annual reporting of animal use statistics

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 in Tasmania. The report should be submitted in the attached format (Part 1 Animal Use Activities). This document represents the minimum information required for Part 1.

Part 2 must be submitted in an Animal Use 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.

Annual Reporting Instructions - Animal Use for Scientific Purposes (PDF: 104 KB / 6 pages)

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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.

Animal Research Statistics Annual Report 16 (PDF: 660 KB / 29 pages)

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Animal Research Statistics Annual Report 15 (PDF: 343 KB / 26 pages)

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Animal Research Statistics Annual Report 14 (PDF: 343 KB / 28 pages)

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Additional Requirements for Wildlife and Fisheries Research

The DPIPWE's Biodiversity Conservation Branch (BCB), Wild Fisheries Management Branch and the Inland Fisheries Service have requirements 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 or contact the Wild Fisheries Management Branch.

Contact the Inland Fisheries Service for all permits to take freshwater fish.

Further Information

Contact: Inspector, 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)
DPIPWE Animal Ethics Committee

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