APVMA position statement on Animal Welfare

December 2005


Background

As part of its policy to inform and engage stakeholders, the APVMA Board believes it is appropriate to clarify the APVMA’s role in relation to animal welfare. The intent of this is to inform the community, and increase understanding of ongoing APVMA activities which address animal welfare issues.

The legislation which underpins the APVMA’s activities is the Agvet Code, which is a schedule to the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994. The Agvet Code requires that when deciding whether or not to grant registration for an agricultural or veterinary chemical product, the APVMA must be satisfied that:

  • the product does not have an unintended effect that is harmful to humans, animals, plants or things or to the environment; and
  • the product is efficacious.


The Agvet Code does not specifically mention animal welfare, but the requirement of the Agvet Code that a product be safe and effective when used according to label instructions, does mean that animal welfare outcomes are considered. When the APVMA evaluates an application for registration, or reviews the registration of an existing agricultural or veterinary chemical product, it takes into account the impact on target and non-target species of animals and plants. These criteria for registration ensure that when used according to label directions, a product will be safe and effective for its purpose.

Unsafe and/or ineffective products cannot be registered, therefore negative animal welfare impacts from the use of such products are avoided.

Animal experimentation

In Australia it is a legal requirement that all research trials on animals must first be approved by an animal ethics committee (AEC) established and operating in accordance with the Australian code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes 7th Edition 2004. This includes animal trials designed to generate and collect data for applications to the APVMA for product registration. The role of the AEC is to ensure that:

  • the use of animals is justified;
  • the welfare of those animals is provided for during the experiment; and
  • the principles of Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (‘the 3 Rs’) have been considered in the experimental design.

In specifying data requirements for regulatory purposes which impact on the use of experimental animals (for example, efficacy tests for vaccines), the APVMA will take account of the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement in accordance with its duty of care for the welfare of experimental animals.

Vertebrate pest poisons

Some agricultural chemical products are designed to kill vertebrate pests such as rabbits, foxes, wild dogs, feral pigs and also native marsupials when they are considered to be pests. Examples of these products are 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate), phosphorus pig poison, and rabbit calicivirus. It has been argued that the APVMA should not register vertebrate pest poisons unless it can be shown that their lethal action is humane.
The purpose of vertebrate pest poisons is to destroy pests which are a threat to animal or human health, or which reduce agricultural production, or which cause environmental degradation. Each evaluation of these products and each registration decision is made individually. This is a complex process taking into account the criteria provided by the Agvet Code, unintended effects on animals, and the possible impact of the product on other species. The APVMA registers vertebrate pest poisons if they fulfil the criteria for registration provided by the Agvet Code.

Further development of animal welfare policy

The APVMA continually reviews and develops its policies, including those relevant to animal welfare. The APVMA has established an animal welfare liaison team with the Animal Welfare Unit in the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. This team provides policy advice to the APVMA on animal welfare aspects of registration or review.

The APVMA is a stakeholder in the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS) and has contributed to the development of an AAWS Implementation Plan. It will continue to be a partner in the effective delivery of the AAWS, in particular where it relates to the registration and use of agricultural and veterinary chemicals.