Australian regulations - Statistics Australia

Statistics 2008 – Animal use in research and teaching, Australia

These statistics should be used for general purposes only. Qld, Western Australia and NT figures have not yet been received, but going by an average of figures available from previous years (740,299 for QLD, 980,429 for WA, N/A for the NT), this would bring the total number of animals used to more thanĀ 6.8 million.

Figures will be updated as they become available.

Type of animals Vic NSW SA Tas Qld ACT WA NT Total
Mouse 383,040 244,911 41,082 4,867 n/a 90,941 n/a n/a 764,841
Rat 32,279 29,801 7,622 1,364 n/a 7,406 n/a n/a 78,472
Guinea Pig 5,151 3,611 609 n/a n/a n/a 9,371
Rabbit 2,819 2,409 527 18 n/a 111 n/a n/a 5,884
Other Lab Animals 2,756 38 103 n/a n/a n/a 2,897
Cat 418 153 149 n/a 8 n/a n/a 728
Dog 1,695 3,090 340 107 n/a 440 n/a n/a 5,672
Other Domestic 142 30 222 n/a n/a n/a 394
Sheep 48,317 192,737 9,614 16,577 n/a 99 n/a n/a 267,344
Cattle 7,669 13,042 3,768 116 n/a n/a n/a 24,595
Pig 7,041 33,042 4,754 n/a 76 n/a n/a 44,913
Horse/Donkey 808 2,706 66 n/a n/a n/a 3,580
Other Stock Animals 32 159 n/a n/a n/a 191
Native Mammals 9,195 130,163 7,066 8,649 n/a 845 n/a n/a 155,918
Exotic ‘feral’ Animals 2,045 30,515 1,188 32 n/a n/a n/a 33,780
Primates 90 323 32 n/a n/a n/a 445
Domestic Fowl 130,425 1,081,557 15,664 n/a 270 n/a n/a 1,227,916
Other Birds 21,050 110,227 10,195 66,586 n/a 1,970 n/a n/a 210,028
Reptiles 6,203 68,757 7,116 1,694 n/a 3,198 n/a n/a 86,968
Fish 530,159 266,409 39,316 n/a 14,096 n/a n/a 849,980
Amphibians 10,038 31,309 1,115 n/a 1,490 n/a n/a 43,952
Other Aquatic Animals 15,021 1,282,792 326 761 n/a n/a n/a 1,298,900
Other 14 n/a 4 n/a n/a 18
TOTALS 1,216,393 3,261,386 377,967 140,087 n/a 120,954 n/a n/a 5,116,787

VIC Includes cephalopods, crustaceans, seals, sealions, whales and dolphins

NSW (Other Aquatic Animals): Unspecified

NSW (Other): Exotic zoo animals

ACT figures are from ANU and CSIRO only.

n/a – Yet to be received

Purpose of project Vic NSW SA Tas Qld ACT WA NT Total
Understanding human or animal biology 353,578 152,779 59,439 14,598 n/a n/a n/a n/a 580,394
Maintenance and improvement of human or animal health and welfare 235,275 327,183 25,945 23,489 n/a n/a n/a n/a 611,892
Improvement of animal management or production 223,841 456,708 203,582 3,828 n/a n/a n/a n/a 887,959
Production of biological products 88,906 n/a n/a n/a n/a 88,906
Diagnostic procedures 1,474 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,474
Achievement of educational objectives 60,008 881,672 21,010 11,173 n/a n/a n/a n/a 973,863
Environmental study 343,691 933,906 67,991 86,999 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,432,587
Regulatory product testing 96,171 n/a n/a n/a n/a 96,171
Stock breeding 53,265 n/a n/a n/a n/a 53,265
Stock maintenance 269,322 n/a n/a n/a n/a 269,322
Unspecified n/a 120,954 n/a n/a 120,954
TOTALS 1,216,393 3,261,386 377,967 140,087 n/a 120,954 n/a n/a 5,116,787

n/a – Yet to be received

ACT did not provide a breakdown of purpose of project

Severity of procedure Vic NSW SA Tas Qld ACT WA NT Total
Observational studies involving minor interference 316,660 1,612,461 284,048 75,189 n/a n/a n/a n/a 2,288,358
Animal unconscious without recovery 184,435 339,488 16,255 5,285 n/a n/a n/a n/a 545,463
Minor conscious intervention 242,585 1,052,011 58,704 35,757 n/a n/a n/a n/a 1,389,057
Minor operative procedures with recovery 50,909 26,895 2,914 2,186 n/a n/a n/a n/a 82,904
Surgery with recovery 22,156 9,921 4,014 448 n/a n/a n/a n/a 36,539
Minor physiological challenge 101,724 144,954 3,417 15,043 n/a n/a n/a n/a 265,138
Major physiological challenge 297,453 12,698 5,403 5,308 n/a n/a n/a n/a 320,862
Death as an end point 471 21,644 3,212 871 n/a n/a n/a n/a 26,198
Production of genetically modified animals 41,314 n/a n/a n/a n/a 41314
Unspecified n/a 120,954 n/a n/a 120,954
TOTALS 1,216,393 3,261,386 377,967 140,087 n/a 120,954 n/a n/a 5,116,787

n/a – Yet to be received

ACT did not provide a breakdown of severity of procedure

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

Sources:

VIC

Department of Primary Industries,Ā Statistics of Animal Use in Research and Teaching Victoria, Report Number 26, 1st January 2008 – 31st December 2008.

NSW

Animal Research Review Panel NSW,Ā Annual Report 2008-2009, May 2010.

SA

Department for Environment and Heritage,Ā Animals Used for Research and Teaching in South Australia 2008, 2008.

TAS

Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment,Ā Animal Research Statistics Tasmania, Annual Report Number 13 (2008), September 2009.

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

No WA-wide statistics are available. Phone conversation with Department of Agriculture and Food, WA, 23 March 2014.

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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