You need animal ethics committee (AEC) approval to use the remains of an animal that was killed for a scientific purpose. Remains include cadavers, tissue samples, genetic material, body fluids, excreta, bones etc.

This means that if an animal is killed specifically so that parts of the animal can be used for scientific purposes, then the use of that animal, including killing it, requires AEC approval. This applies if any aspect of the animal's life or death is altered due to the subsequent scientific use of its remains (i.e. if which animal is killed, when and how it is killed or who kills it is different because of the scientific purpose).

Examples of when AEC approval is required

• Excess mice from the breeding house that are normally killed by CO2 asphyxiation are transported to another facility or killed by another method or by a different person so that samples can be taken (how they are killed or by whom is different).
• Dogs, rats or toads killed specifically for teaching or demonstration purposes, which would not otherwise have been killed at that time.
• Collection of samples from animals killed during a pest animal control program that was modified to ensure certain types of animals would be sampled or that samples were taken at a particular time of year (i.e. a change in which animal was killed or when it was killed).

AEC approval is not required to use the remains of an animal if no aspect of the animal's life and death were altered for the scientific purpose. AEC approval is not required if the animal's life and death would have been exactly the same whether or not the scientific purpose occurred.

The Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes (known as the scientific use code) encourages the sharing of tissues or the remains of animals in additional activities, provided the initial use and death of the animal was approved by an AEC as required. Additional use of tissues without AEC approval maximises the potential benefit from the original use of the animal with no additional welfare impact.

Examples of when AEC approval is not required

• Use of organs or other material from animals killed as part of routine commercial food and fibre production (e.g. sourced from butchers, fish shops or abattoirs).
• Use of cadavers or samples from animals killed at veterinary clinics or shelters for other (veterinary or management) reasons.
• Use of samples from animal killed as part of a routine, unmodified pest animal control program.
• Use of cadavers or samples from animals found dead (e.g. road kill).
• Use of tissue samples stored in laboratories from animals whose care and euthanasia has already been approved and monitored as part of an earlier AEC-approved activity.

Note: Some institutions may impose their own requirements for AEC approval that are in addition to those required under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001. The use of dead animals may need to meet other requirements. For example, use of wildlife must comply with the Nature Conservation Act 1992.

The term 'observational' means different things to different people. Some activities that people call observational require registration with Biosecurity Queensland, Department of Primary Industries and approval from an animal ethics committee (AEC), while others do not.

All activities that use animals for scientific purposes in Queensland must be approved by an AEC. In particular, any activity that involves trapping or handling wildlife or abnormal disruption of habitat requires AEC approval.

Any activity that, in itself, does not use animals in a scientific discipline does not require AEC approval to comply with the law in Queensland.

Activities for which registration and approval are not required in Queensland

Registration as a user of animals for scientific purposes with Biosecurity Queensland and approval from an AEC are not required for the following activities, but only if these activities do not involve abnormal disruption of habitat:

• observing visually, not including spotlighting (e.g. bird watching and whale watching from a public beach using the naked eye or binoculars)
• recording observations, note taking
• making photographic, sound or digital recordings
• collecting faeces (scats) and shed feathers. Note: Although the collection of animal scats and feathers from beside a track in a national park may not require AEC approval by law in Queensland, such an activity may be a breach of the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
• searching for and recording animal tracks
• recording animal tracks through the use of shallow sand pans
• causing no abnormal disruption of habitat (e.g. walking, remaining or driving in places to which people typically have those types of access such as public or national parks, tracks, roadsides and farmland).

If any abnormal disruption of habitat is caused through these or any other activities, registration and approval are required.

Activities that 'use' animals for which registration and approval are required in Queensland

Registration as a user of animals for scientific purposes with Biosecurity Queensland and approval from an AEC are required for the following activities:

• conducting an activity for scientific purposes in which a person causes or permits an animal to be acquired, bred, cared for, disposed of or otherwise used
• spotlighting or using light sources more powerful than a domestic torch for the purposes of visual observation to collect scientific data (as opposed to hunting)
• trapping of animals (including fish) (Elliot, pitfall, cage traps, nets etc.)
• using call playback to stimulate responses by animals
• using hair tubes to detect the presence of animals
• identifying animals by means of marking or placing on or in the animal any form of identifying mark or object (e.g. includes paint or other external marker, microchipping, trimming hair, banding and tagging, toe clipping, ear punching)
• disrupting habitat abnormally (e.g. turning over logs, entering or remaining in places that people do not normally access such as virgin forest, protected ecosystems, bird rookeries, collecting animals signs such as scats, feathers)
• conducting reptile and amphibian surveys where lizards and frogs are caught by hand, examined and released.

AEC requirements for activities that 'involve' or 'interact' with animals

Although the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 limits the requirement of obtaining AEC approval to those activities that 'use' animals for a scientific purpose, some funding bodies and institutions require AEC approval for activities that 'involve' or 'interact' with animals without 'using' them in order to meet funding body requirements or to comply with institutional policy.

Anyone who is not sure if their activity requires AEC approval should check with their AEC. They can advise whether AEC approval is required either to comply with the law, funding body agreements or with the policies of the registered institution. An AEC may seek clarification about legal requirements from Biosecurity Queensland.

For anyone who does not have access to an AEC, Biosecurity Queensland can provide advice on contacting an appropriate AEC. Contact the DAF Customer Service Centre and ask for the Biosecurity Queensland Animal Ethics Policy unit.

If every aspect of the way that an animal is used (what, when, how, where, for how long and by whom) is for the purpose of monitoring the animal's health as a bona fide extension of the animal's veterinary treatment and general care after release, then animal ethics committee (AEC) approval is not required.

AEC approval is required if any aspect of the way that the animal is used is added, changed or extended in order to meet the objectives of a scientific purpose. Incidental use of data collected through use of an animal for another purpose (e.g. veterinary treatment or general management) does not require AEC approval providing that there was no change in or addition to the way that the animal was used (i.e. no use of the animal specific to meeting the scientific objectives).

Using microchips and collars on animals may have other implications under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 (ACPA) and other acts such as the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Under the ACPA, any person who uses microchips and collars on animals has the responsibility to ensure that:

• activities are performed in an appropriate manner
• the microchip and/or collar is appropriate for the animal
• the process does not cause the animal unjustifiable, unnecessary or unreasonable pain.

Failure to meet your responsibilities may constitute offences under the duty of care or cruelty provisions of the ACPA.

The scientific use code defines routine husbandry as practices or procedures performed in relation to the care and management of animals with the primary purpose of maintaining their health and wellbeing and include, but limited to, the following:

• vaccinations
• mulesing and tail docking lambs
• branding cattle
• castrating lambs and calves
• beak trimming of poultry
• ear tattooing of pigs.

The animal ethics committee (AEC) must approve all 'routine husbandry practices/procedures' for animals being used for scientific purposes. AEC approval can be provided through either of 2 processes:

• Approval of a specific practice/procedure as part of an AEC proposal (application) for a particular activity. This is the recommended process when the procedure is performed for a scientific purpose (e.g. castrating sheep as part of a teaching activity).
• or
• Approval of written practices/procedures for the management of holding and breeding facilities. This is the recommended process for routine husbandry procedures that are for the maintenance of breeding stock and supply of animals, and not specific to a particular project.

Routine husbandry procedures may also be approved by the AEC as standard operating procedures (SOPs) that are later referred to in proposals or facility procedures. SOPs can be referred to providing that:

• new SOPs must be approved by the AEC before implementation
• SOPs must include in the title, the date on which they were last approved or reviewed and be reviewed regularly by the AEC at least every 3 years
• AEC members must have ready access to copies of all current SOPs
• investigators, teachers or animal care staff named in a proposal or facility procedures must be competent in the procedure, perform it competently and follow the SOP
• if variations to a SOP are required, it must be detailed in the proposal or facility procedures, and must be approved by the AEC before implementation.

Performing 'routine husbandry practices/procedures' at schools or tertiary institutions

AEC approval is required when routine procedures are taught or performed at schools and tertiary institutions such as agricultural colleges.

While educational institutions may run properties on a commercial basis, the primary purpose of having and using the animals is to acquire, demonstrate or develop knowledge or techniques in scientific disciplines such as agricultural, veterinary or biological science.

Under clause 4.17 of the Australian code for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes (known as the scientific use code), animal ethics committee (AEC) approval is not required for the training and application of agricultural extension work practices or the training of students in veterinary science, veterinary nursing or animal technology to achieve competency based outcomes in routine procedures, provided all of the following apply:

• the animals are at their home property or a premises licensed by a state or territory Veterinary Surgeons Board
• the procedures would occur normally as part of routine management or veterinary clinical management of the animal
• the animals are not subjected to anything additional to routine management or veterinary clinical management of the animal
• the teacher is competent to carry out the procedure.

The aim of clause 4.17 of the scientific use code is to reduce the administrative burden to support the demonstration of routine procedures to students, or groups of producers, by registered veterinary surgeons and competent teachers or stockpersons.

If you believe that your activities fall within the scope of clause 4.17, then you should submit the proposal to your AEC to ensure that AEC approval is not required (the AEC should decide whether it requires approval or not). If any one of these criteria will not be met, then AEC approval is required.

Animal ethics committee (AEC) approval is required if a display or demonstration uses an animal for a scientific purpose. If displaying or demonstrating an animal does 'use' the animal, careful consideration must be given as to whether the display or demonstration meets the criteria for being for scientific purposes.

For example, AEC approval is required if the animals are going to be used to demonstrate knowledge or a technique in agricultural, medical or veterinary science, such as using animals to train surgeons in the use of a piece of medical equipment.

Many displays or demonstrations are for purposes that are not scientific purposes and so do not require AEC approval under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001. These include displays or demonstrations:

• for entertainment (e.g. animal display at a birthday party)
• to promote a product, service, hobby, sport or recreation (e.g. guide dogs being used to raise funds)
• to add interest to a display or area (e.g. corporate fish tank in a lobby)
• to convey a general awareness about animals rather than knowledge or competencies in a scientific discipline (e.g. wildlife displays at schools or livestock displays at agricultural shows)
• to provide interest or companionship (e.g. school class pets).

Although a display or demonstration may not require AEC approval, the duty of care and cruelty provisions of the ACPA that ensure the responsible care and use of animals still apply. Other requirements, such as those relating to wildlife under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 may also apply.

Disease surveillance activities where the procedures are being done for the health of the individual or specific herd do not require animal ethics committee (AEC) approval. Examples include routine commercial disease surveillance, such as monitoring dairy or cattle herd health, veterinary care for pets, and examining injured or orphaned wildlife.

However, structured disease surveillance activities where the procedures are designed to provide knowledge in a scientific discipline such as biosecurity science do require AEC approval. Examples include:

• use of sentinel animals in the National Arbovirus Monitoring Program (NAMP)
• capture and sampling wildlife (e.g. bats) to detect or characterise emerging infectious diseases
• modifying routine disease surveillance programs to enable research to clarify changes in the nature of a disease
• use of unrelated animals to provide further knowledge or research support for a disease or animal welfare investigation (e.g. use of mice in in-vitro tests to determine if cattle feed contains toxins like botulinum toxin).

You need registration and animal ethics committee (AEC) approval if the banding of birds or bats is being carried out for a scientific purpose. This includes catching and banding birds or bats as part of ecological research programs or surveys, or as part of the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme.

Catching and banding wildlife must also meet other requirements, including those of the Nature Conservation Act 1992.

The banding of birds kept for recreational and hobby purposes (e.g. homing pigeons) does not require registration or AEC approval.

Flies and other insects are not animals under the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001, so no AEC approval is required. Also, flies are not listed under the Stock Route Management Act 2002 so there is no requirement for a permit to buy, keep, transport and/or supply drosophila.