<
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jan/07/australia-animal-research-code-review>
"Animal sentience, categorising crustaceans as animals and rehoming lab animals
are all on the table as the Australian code for animal research is scrutinised
for the first time in a decade.
More than 845,000 animals – including mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and
primates – are used in laboratories in Australia each year, based on data from
Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. An estimated 192 million animals are
used globally.
In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council code sets the
rules for their use, requiring researchers to minimise animal suffering and
ethics committees to weigh harms against benefits before approving research.
Bella Lear, chief executive at Understanding Animal Research Oceania, said
there had been major shifts in policy and science since the last major update
in 2013 – including breakthroughs due to Covid-19.
Robust policy and clear guidance, including on issues like animal sentience,
was needed to “protect animals, and also the people working with those
animals”, she said.
She said enshrining the collection of animal numbers and data under the code
would also be “very, very valuable”, as Australia had no nationwide statistics.
The RSPCA said recognition of animal sentience, the inclusion of crustaceans –
not currently defined as an animal – and greater support for non-animal
alternatives were priorities.
Cephalopods were added to the definition of “animal” in the seventh edition of
the code, published in 2004, which also includes fish, amphibians, reptiles,
birds and mammals.
The RSPCA was also seeking a greater focus on monitoring and enforcement of
laboratory animals – including inspections."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
