The use of aquatic animals in research and teaching

1
The use of aquatic animals in research and
teaching

• Dr. Mark Powell
• School of Aquaculture
• University of Tasmania

Animal Ethics Seminar School of Aquaculture,
Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute,
Launceston Tasmania 14 September, 2004
2
Overview

• Introduction
• Why animal ethics?
• The Australian code of practice and what it means
  to you
• Animal ethics at UTAS
• Aquatic animals special considerations
• Ethics approval process
• Monitoring and reporting

3
Introduction

• Uses of animals in research and teaching
• The Australian Code of Practice
• State Animal Welfare Acts
• The Animal Ethic Committees
• Industrial practices
• Voluntary compliance to ethical standards under
  the aquaculture code of practice

4
Whats the big deal about animal ethics?

• Responsibility
• Accountability
• Philosophical guardians of the earth
• Personal and emotive issues
• Protection
• You as a researcher
• UTAS as a place of learning and research

5
The Animal Welfare Act 1993

• Reflects expectations of contemporary society
• Can impose substantial penalties
• A living document
• COVERS ALL LIVE NON- HUMAN VERTEBRATES

6
The Act

• Prescribes a legal duty of care
• Prescribes certain cruelty offences
• Prescribes powers of officers
• Defines and regulates Animal Research
• Establishes an AWAC
• Establishes A/W standards

7
Duty of Care

• Core provision of Act
• A person who has the care or charge of an animal
  has a duty to take all reasonable measures to
  ensure the welfare of the animal
• Aim to prevent cruelty/neglect before it happens

8
Inspector of Animal Research

• Appointed by Minister, under the Act
• Has all the powers of an Officer plus more
• Advises the Minister on licensing
• Advises the Minister on operations of AECs
• Inspects and facilitates
• Provides detailed annual report to Minister -
  tabled in Parliament

9
Licensed Animal Research Institutions in Tasmania

• University of Tasmania UTAS
• DPIWE DPIWE
• Forestry Tasmania DPIWE
• Hydro Tasmania DPIWE
• CSIRO DPIWE
• Queen Victoria Museum Art Gallery DPIWE
• Tasmanian Museum Art gallery DPIWE
• Knocklofty Bushcare Group DPIWE
• Australian Maritime College UTAS
• Australian National University ANU
• Latrobe University LATROBE UNI
• Sinclair Knight Merz NSW Ag
• Tyenna Peak Nursery DPIWE

10
Positional relationships
Animal Welfare Act 1993
Minister
Inspector
AWAC
Licensed Institution
Code of Practice
Animal Ethics Committee
Investigators
11
Animal Research

• Any procedure, test, experiment , enquiry or
  study in the course of which an animal is
  subjected to
• surgical, medical, psychological, biological,
  chemical or physical treatment
• abnormal heat, cold, light, dark, confinement,
  noise, isolation or overcrowding
• abnormal dietary conditions
• electric shock or radiation treatment
• removal of any material or substance from the
  body

12
Animal Research

• Enforced self-regulation - Part 4 of the Act.
• Research Code adopted in legislation.
• Uniform, national framework allows mutual
  recognition
• May only be carried out in licensed institutions
• May only be carried out in accordance with the
  Code -
• a core condition of research
• licences

13
Australian code of practice for the care and use
of animals for scientific purposes

• Developed by National Health and Medical Research
  Council
• Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
  Organisation
• Australian Research Council
• Australian Vice Chancellors Committee
• For uniform adoption Australia wide
• Legislative underpinning
• Living document - Code Liaison Group
• Last review - new/expanded sections
• Wildlife, Livestock, Teaching

14
The Australian Code of Practice

• Purpose of the code
• ...to ensure humane care of animals used for
  scientific purposes, including teaching.
• Its aims are to
• emphasise the responsibilities of investigators
  teachers and institutions using animals
• ensure that the welfare of animals is always
  considered
• ensure that the the use of animals is justified
• avoid pain or distress for each animals used
• minimise the number of animals used
• promote the development and use of techniques
  which replace animal use.

15
The Australian Code of Practice

• Scope of the code
• Encompasses all aspects of the care and use of or
  interaction with animals for scientific purposes
• medicine, biology, agriculture, veterinary and
  other animal sciences, industry and teaching.
• General principles for care and use of animals
• responsibilities of investigators and
  institutions, terms of reference membership and
  operation of institutional Animal Ethics
  Committees
• Covers all live non-human vertebrates and higher
  order invertebrates

16
The Australian Code of Practice

• Animal Ethics Committees
• Category A Person(s) with qualification in
  veterinary science
• Category B Person(s) with substantial experience
  in the use of animals in scientific or teaching
  activities
• Category C Person(s) with demonstrable
  commitment to furthering the welfare of animals
• Category D Independent person(s) who does not
  currently nor has previously conducted scientific
  or teaching activities using animals.

UTAS
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3
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Animal ethics at the University of Tasmania

• The 3 Rs
• Replacement alternatives to the use of animals
• cell culture, non-animal models in teaching
• Reduction study design to minimise use of
  animals
• appropriate statistical design, scientific
  validity
• Refinement continual reassessment of outcomes to
  ensure success while minimising impact
• conservation value, competence in techniques,
  pain management

18
Animal ethics at the University of Tasmania

• Powers of the AEC
• Approve projects
• Suspend projects
• Withdraw projects
• Revoke research
• Any where there may be a contentious or
  concerning issue with regard to animal care or
  contravention or infringement of the code of
  practice

19
Ethics approval process

• Initial application submission
• Review by the AEC
• Clarification (if required)
• Approval by AEC
• up to 2 years of renewal and annual reporting
• final report and resubmission of initial
  application
• monitoring and reporting incidents

20
Monitoring and reporting

• Monitoring
• Animal Welfare Officer
• New use of unfamiliar practices
• Routine practices and facilities
• Responsible investigator or delegate
• day-to-day activities
• Reporting
• Animal numbers used and purpose
• Unexplained deaths (post-mortem required)

21
Aquatic Animals special considerations

• Live in water
• Specialised housing and transport
• Unique physiology
• Highly fecund
• Large numbers of eggs, Low larval survival
• Low aesthetic value
• Wet and slimey
• Commercial value
• Capture fisheries, Aquaculture

22
Environment

• Water quality
• Oxygen, flow, NH3, CO2 pH etc
• Lighting
• Sound
• Behaviour
• Hides, social interactions
• Transport
• Crowding, temperature, oxygen

23
Handling

• Stress sensitive
• Species specific
• Catecholamines, Corticosteroids
• Mucous coat
• Protective
• Immunological
• Air exposure
• Anaerobic respiration
• Acid-base balance

24
Anaesthetics

• UTAS AEC recommends the use of Benzocaine,
  however, other anaesthetics may be used provided
  that sufficient justification is given
• Approved for use in food fish in Australia
• Benzocaine
• Aqui-S
• Others
• MS222, 2-phenoxyethanol, clove oil, etomidate,
  metomidate, MgCl2, ethanol

25
Handling blood sampling

• Rule of thumb
• blood volume 5 body weight in mL
• total fluid volume 7-10 body weight in mL
• Note fish have low blood pressure
• DAP 30 mmHg, VAP 70 mmHg
• Indwelling catheter/cannula
• Caudal puncture
• Cardiac puncture
• Dorsal aorta

26
Caudal blood sampling
27
Dorsal aortic and afferent branchial artery
cannulations
28
Handling surgical procedures

• Specialist training required
• Cannulation and catheterisation
• Implants
• Ablation/ectomization
• External attachment of equipment
• General anaesthetic or local anaesthetic
• Prophylactic antibiotics
• Post-operative care

29
Euthanasia

• Anaesthetic overdose
• Standard method but some physiological/metabolic
  processes my be disrupted
• Cranial blow
• effective and humane if performed correctly
• can cause damage to gills
• becoming standard method for stunning for salmon
  harvest
• Ike jime
• effective if performed correctly
• standard harvest method for tuna

30
Euthansia

• CO2 narcosis and severing ventral aorta
  (exsanguination)
• CO2 narcosis stressful
• common method for salmon harvest
• Spinal transection
• Fish immobilised
• Exsanguination if the dorsal aorta is cut
• Brain will continue to be functional
• Cold immobilisation
• ectothermic animals, slows metabolic rate

31
Record keeping and animal management

• Day-to-day record keeping good practice
• Annual report prepared by the state government
• UTAS AEC account for ALL animal use
• Must report
• Number of animals used
• Fate of animals
• Unexplained/unaccounted for deaths

32
Monitoring working with fish farms or other
commercial ventures

• Ethical practice/monitoring may be sensitive
  issues on farms
• Handling
• Harvesting
• As a student/employee of UTAS you are bound by
  the Code of Practice
• How many fish?
• Cage or sample animals
• Commercial practice becomes governed by the Code
  of Practice if it becomes part of a scientific
  experiment or study

33
Where are we on the web?

• Research office Main Page
• www.research.utas.edu.au/rdo/index.htm
• Ethics page
• www.research.utas.edu.au/rdo/ethics/index.htm
• Animal ethics
• www.research.utas.edu.au/rdo/ethics/animal.htm

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Key areas of the initial application

• Lay summary
• Animal welfare implications
• Scientific description
• Justification
• Description and numbers
• The 3 Rs
• Procedures
• Endpoints and timetable
• Housing and husbandry

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The key points to a good application

• Lay summary
• Aims, Animals used, Procedures, Justification
• Mostly the key part read (especially by lay
  members)
• Justification
• Clear and concise, Honest
• Of interest to lay members
• Scientific description and procedures
• Detail and specifics (can be scientific)
• 3 Rs
• Reduction - number, reuse, previous studies
• Refinement - on going experimental design, pilot
  studies
• Replacement - use of non-animal models

36
Acknowledgments

• Anon (1997). Australian code of practice for the
  care and use of animals for scientific purposes
  (6th edition).
• Mick Middleton (2004). Animal Research The Act
  and the Code and YOU the Investigator.
• Moyle, P.B and Schreck, C.B. (1991). Methods for
  fish biology, American Fishereis Society.