Ethics Guidelines
Part A - Guidelines for Projects Involving Work on
Free-living Vertebrates
Section 6 - Definitions - What constitutes an 'invasive' and 'non-invasive' procedure.
An invasive technique can be defined as any procedure which removes samples of any body tissue including blood, skin, fat, and stomach contents from a vertebrate animal, or which requires the administration of an anaesthetic.
A non-invasive procedure is one that is restricted to the exterior of an animal, such as the attachment of leg rings to flighted birds, flipper bands on penguins, or the temporary attachment of location recording/time-depth recording devices to birds or mammals. It includes the attachment of cattle ear tags in the rear flipper membranes of seals.
6.1 - Information Required on Projects Involving Animal Experimentation
The Antarctic Animal Ethics Committee requires the information/documentation outlined below to be lodged with your original research application. Please note that the revised application form on the Worldwide Web allows for information to be provided/submitted separately for each species under study.
Species: Provide vernacular and Latin names of species of animals involved in study.
Location: Indicate station where work is being undertaken and/or precise location(s) of field work. You must also include detailed information on whether the area you propose to work in is a Specially Protected Area (SPA) or Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Population size: Provide the best estimate of population size of the species at the location at which the experimentation is proposed.
Experimental activity: Describe the experimental activity proposed (e.g. tagging, weighing, stomach contents sampling, height of helicopter overflights etc.).
Number of individuals: List the number of individuals of each species to be involved in each experimental activity. Group according to sex, age and location.
Anaesthetics: Give types and dosages required and means of administration.
In addition, the following information is required under the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (para 2.2.9). This information must be included in the relevant parts of Question 4.3 of your Antarctic Research Application. It need not be presented separately.
1. Details of the experimental techniques, including surgical or other procedures to be used, doses of anaesthetic, analgesic, or tranquillising agents, methods to be adopted to ensure that anaesthesia is adequate, and the method, if any, by which the animals will be killed humanely.
2. Number and species of animals required, and justification.
3. Duration of the proposed experiment.
4. Details of animal care and housing during the experiment, including location.
5. Arrangements proposed for the disposal of the animals at the completion of the experiment.
6. Justification of the project in terms of potential value of the experiments in obtaining or establishing significant information relevant to the understanding of humans or animals, to the maintenance and improvement of human or animal health and welfare, to the improvement of animal management or production, or to the achievement of educational objectives.
7. Reasons why animals are necessary for the project and why techniques which do not use animals have been rejected as unsuitable.
8. Justification for any repetition of previously performed experiments.
9. Identification of, and justification for, all procedures which have the potential to cause pain or distress, and details of the steps to be taken to avoid or minimise the pain or distress.
10. Details of how the animals will be monitored during the experiments.
11. Details of monitoring procedures used to ensure that when neuromuscular and similar blocking agents are used, the potentially painful nature of any procedure is blocked by appropriate anaesthesia and analgesia.
12. Justification for experiments which may cause pain or distress, but in which anaesthesia or analgesia cannot be used. Such experiments include certain toxicological, pathogenic and animal production studies. The planned end-point and the reason for its choice must be given and justified. Death as an end-point must be avoided wherever possible and if unavoidable must be fully justified by the investigator. Measures to be taken to minimise pain or distress must be detailed.
13. Identification and/or justification for the use of any animal that has been the subject of a previous experiment.
14. Any features of the proposal which raise special ethical considerations.
15. Any health risks to other animals or to staff.
16. Expected commencement and completion dates.
17. A declaration signed by the responsible investigator(s) stating that they are currently licensed or authorised to perform experiments using animals (if required by legislation), and is/are aware of responsibilities set out in the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes and in applicable legislation.
(ASP&C)
May 2002
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