Animals in Research

In New Zealand, as in many countries, laboratory animals (mainly rodents) and farm animals (mainly cattle and sheep) are used in research, testing and teaching.

Research contributes to new insights into all areas of life, including human and animal health, animal welfare and animal production.

Animal Welfare Research

Research into animal behaviour, physiology and pathology provides new insights into levels of pain and distress experienced by animals.

New Zealand scientists have refined slaughter methods and technology following animal studies on how pain can be eliminated. In New Zealand, animals are stunned before all commercial slaughter.

Scientific advances also have an important bearing on the use of animals in research. Recent developments have enabled researchers, in certain situations, to reduce the number of animals used and to refine methods to minimise or eliminate pain and distress.

The replacement of animals with other methods – such as tissue culture or computer simulation – has selective application. This is being pursued on both animal welfare and cost efficiency grounds.

MAF is responsible for providing the Minister of Agriculture, Minister for Rural Affairs, Minister of Forestry and Minister for Biosecurity with policy advice on a wide range of issues.

Sound policy advice requires robust data. Where there is a lack of suitable information MAF may seek to contract a research group to provide it. This type of research – to develop and implement policy – is known as “operational research”.

A function of the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWAC) is to recommend areas where research into the welfare of animals is required.

Research, testing or teaching using animals

Animal use in research, testing and teaching is strictly controlled under the Animal Welfare Act 1999.

Organisations using animals in research, testing or teaching must follow an approved code of ethical conduct. This sets out the policies to be adopted and the procedures to be followed by the organisation and its animal ethics committee. An example of an approved code can be found here. (offsite link to research.massey.ac.nz)

Every project must be approved and monitored by an animal ethics committee. These committees must have three external members :

  • a nominee of an approved animal welfare organisation,
  • a nominee of the New Zealand Veterinary Association and,
  • a lay person to represent the public interest (and nominated by a local government body).

Code holders and their animal ethics committees are independently reviewed at least once every five years.These reviews are undertaken by reviewers accredited by MAF for the purpose.

All code holders have to submit annual animal use statistics on the number of animals used in research, testing or teaching, and the degree of suffering that the animals have experienced, from little or none to severe.

These statistics are published annually.

The Three Rs

The government and NAEAC are committed to promoting the “Three Rs” to scientists involved in research testing and teaching. The Three Rs are replacement, reduction and refinement:

  • Replacement
    Replacing animals with non-animal alternatives. Computer models can sometimes be used for teaching instead of live animals.
  • Reduction
    Using as few animals as necessary.
  • Refinement
    Pain or suffering must be reduced as much as possible, for example, by using painkillers.

Animal ethics committees must take the Three Rs into account when they are considering proposals for testing. This means that animals should only be used when there are no alternatives, and that any suffering to animals must be weighed up against the benefit to humans or other animals, and must be minimised.

The attached paper provides an overview of the website 'Go3R (offsite link to go3r.org)' which attempts to provide the most comprehensive access to 3Rs methods in all areas of animal research (excluding teaching).

Three Rs Award

NAEAC also makes an annual "Three Rs Award", recognising an individual's or institution's achievements in implementing the principles of "replacement, reduction and refinement" – the cornerstone of the ethical use of animals in research, testing and teaching.

Details about the Award and application process are available from:
NAEAC Secretary,
P O Box 2526,
Wellington 6140
Email: NAEAC@maf.govt.nz

Information for students

If you want to use animals for a school or research project, you need to check with your teacher or supervisor whether animal ethics committee approval is required.

The New Zealand Association of Science Educators runs an animal ethics committee to consider and approve projects involving the manipulation of live animals for all teachers and school students (including home-schooled students). See www.nzase.org/ethics/html (offsite link to www.nzase.org)

Tertiary students (university or polytechnic) should contact their university for information on animal ethics approval.

Using animals at school or university gives you a responsibility to care for the animals. See the ANZCCART ethical guidelines for students in laboratory classes involving the use of animals (offsite link to www.royalsociety.org.nz).

For more information see:

Page last updated: 26 June 2009