127Animal care and welfare

127 Animal care and welfare

(1) The holder of a scientific procedures field work licence must ensure that the husbandry practices and care of animals—

(a) undergoing scientific procedures under the licence; or

(b) kept in breeding colonies for the purposes of the licence; or

(c) kept as stock animals for the purposes of the licence—

are carried out in accordance with the Australian Code and the Laboratory Animals Code of Practice.

(2) All animal housing, facilities and equipment used for the purposes of a scientific procedures field work licence must comply with the Australian Code and the Laboratory Animals Code of Practice.

(3) A person must not carry out a scientific procedure under a scientific procedures field work licence involving the eye of any animal to determine irritancy of a chemical or biological agent unless the procedure is carried out under terminal anaesthesia.

(4) A person must not carry out a scientific procedure or program of scientific procedures under a scientific procedures field work licence involving the death of an animal as an endpoint, where the death is a deliberate measure in the procedure and where there will be no intervention to kill the animal humanely before death occurs in the course of the procedure or procedures, unless—

(a) the objective of the procedure or program of procedures cannot be achieved by any other scientific means; and

(b) the procedure or program of procedures is approved by the Minister and is carried out in accordance with any conditions determined by the Minister; and

(c) the procedure or program of procedures is related to—

(i) potentially lifesaving treatment for animals or human beings; or

(ii) research in connection with cancer in animals or human beings; or

(iii) development and assessment of the humaneness of lethal vertebrate pest control agents; or

(iv) investigation of environmental contaminants.