Australian regulations - Statistics Australia

Statistics 2007 – Animal use in research & teaching, Australia

These statistics should be used for general purposes only. Qld, and NT figures have not yet been received, but going by an average of figures available from previous years (740,299 for QLD, N/A for NT), this would bring the total number of animals used to more than 12 million animals. The NSW Animal Research Review Panel has however informed us that the majority of the fish used were fish larvae used in a breeding program in low impact studies. If we exclude these, the total figure would therefore be more like 5.6 million.

Figures will be updated as they become available.

Type of animals Vic NSW SA Tas Qld ACT WA NT Total
Mouse 361,113 210,698 65,019 2,794 n/a 110,507 77,085 n/a 827,216
Rat 37,088 30,007 15,470 1,058 n/a 4,171 n/a 87,794
Guinea Pig 5,983 3,021 652 n/a 70 n/a 9,726
Rabbit 2,889 3,997 522 13 n/a 104 n/a 7,525
Other Lab Animals 2,724 46 92 n/a n/a 2,862
Cat 362 447 75 n/a 21 n/a 905
Dog 1,409 9,898 206 n/a 4 n/a 11,517
Other Domestic 56 263 n/a n/a 319
Sheep 39,650 126,297 130,953 12,442 n/a 94 227,095 n/a 536,531
Cattle 9,915 19,037 6,004 505 n/a n/a 35,461
Pig 12,695 10,501 47,301 n/a 12 n/a 70,509
Horse/Donkey 1,078 3,399 67 n/a 10 n/a 4,554
Other Stock Animals 274 1,024 257 n/a n/a 1,555
Native Mammals 7,630 156,504 9,117 4,101 n/a 703 406 n/a 178,461
Exotic ‘feral’ Animals 274 9,620 658 n/a 10 n/a 10,562
Primates 65 147 n/a 5 n/a 217
Domestic Fowl 308,111 1,130,198 9,669 n/a 1,390 744,793 n/a 2,194,161
Other Birds 102,928 274,265 27,842 7,316 n/a 1,519 n/a 413,870
Reptiles 8,292 57,944 9,922 1,121 n/a 938 n/a 78,217
Fish 292,423 6,561,048 41,908 57,849 n/a 1,224 n/a 6,954,452
Amphibians 6,751 37,582 908 145 n/a 1,201 n/a 46,587
Other Aquatic Animals 5,645 3,717 n/a n/a 9,362
Other 5 69 n/a 4 n/a 78
TOTALS 1,207,360 8,646,012 370,359 87,344 n/a 121,987 1,049,379 n/a 11,482,441

n/a – Yet to be received

NSW: Includes all aquatic animals

WA: Does not include all animals used.

ACT figures are from ANU and CSIRO only.

Purpose of project Vic NSW SA Tas Qld ACT WA NT Total
Understanding human or animal biology 339,485 157,784 33,649 n/a n/a n/a n/a 530,918
Maintenance and improvement of human or animal health and welfare 413,544 219,262 22,049 n/a n/a n/a n/a 654,855
Improvement of animal management or production 97,664 6,180,357 17,111 n/a n/a n/a n/a 6,295,132
Production of biological products 98,857 n/a n/a n/a n/a 98,857
Diagnostic procedures 11,816 n/a n/a n/a n/a 11,816
Achievement of educational objectives 80,784 1,151,967 1,853 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,234,604
Environmental study 275,883 713,924 12,682 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,002,489
Regulatory product testing 51,723 n/a n/a n/a n/a 51,723
Stock breeding and maintenance 60,322 n/a n/a n/a n/a 60,322
Unspecified 370,359 n/a 121,987 1,049,379 n/a 1,541,725
TOTALS 1,207,360 8,646,012 370,359 87,344 n/a 121,987 1,049,379 n/a 11,482,441

n/a – Yet to be received

SA did not provide a numeric break-down of purpose of project

ACT did not provide a breakdown of purpose of project

WA: Unspecified.

Severity of procedure Vic NSW SA Tas Qld ACT WA NT Total
Observational studies involving minor interference 424,489 7,876,117 7,072 n/a n/a n/a n/a 8,307,678
Animal unconscious without recovery 166,413 126,353 16,298 n/a n/a n/a n/a 309,064
Minor conscious intervention 392,965 458,249 45,441 n/a n/a n/a n/a 896,655
Minor operative procedures with recovery 51,110 24,239 13,290 n/a n/a n/a n/a 88,639
Surgery with recovery 37,495 12,482 2 n/a n/a n/a n/a 49,979
Minor physiological challenge 47,090 101,864 255 n/a n/a n/a n/a 149,209
Major physiological challenge 87,547 16,017 4,986 n/a n/a n/a n/a 108,550
Death as an end point 251 26,317 n/a n/a n/a n/a 26,568
Production of genetically modified animals 4,374 n/a n/a n/a n/a 4,374
Unspecified 370,359 n/a 121,987 1,049,379 n/a 1,541,725
TOTALS 1,207,360 8,646,012 370,359 87,344 n/a 121,987 1,049,379 n/a 11,482,441

n/a – Yet to be received

SA did not provide a break-down of severity of procedure.

ACT did not provide a break-down of severity of procedure

WA: Unspecified.

ANU – Many of the native species were used in field studies

Sources:

VIC

Summary of Statistics of Animal Experimentation, Victoria. Report Number 25. 1 January, 2007 to 31 December, 2007.

NSW

Animal Research Review Panel NSW Annual Report 2007/08. (Statistics for calendar year 2007)

SA

Department for Environment & Heritage, Teaching and Research using animals in South Australia, 2007.

TAS

Department of Primary Industries and Water, Animal Research statistics Tasmania Annual Report, 1 January to 31 December 2007.

QLD

Statistics for 2005-2008 are not publicly available. Personal correspondence from Senior Project Officer (Animal Ethics), Animal Biosecurity and Welfare, Biosecurity Queensland, 2 September 2010.

ACT

On an annual basis, no ACT-wide statistics are compiled. Correspondence from Animal Welfare Policy, AWAC Secretariet, 6 February 2014.

Personal correspondence from Executive Officer – Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee, Australian National University, 7 October 2010.

Personal correspondence from Manager, Public Affairs and Communication – CSIRO Livestock Industries, 28 October 2010.

WA

Fox, T., ‘One million animals a year in tests‘, The West Australian, 5 March 2009, p.13.

NT

Statistics are not yet available.  No indication given of when (or if) they will be available. Phone conversation with NT Government 26 June 2014.

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