Genetic manipulation of animals

National Consultative Committee on Animal Welfare (NCCAW) Position Statement - July 1991

NCCAW acknowledges that currently only a small number of genetic manipulation projects involve vertebrate animals but is concerned about the potential animal welfare implications of such research.

NCCAW considers controls are essential.

All stages of producing genetically modified animals, including developmental stages such as breeding-up prior to release, should be:

• Regarded as experimental under the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes, and
  
  
• Covered by Animal Experimentation Ethics Committees (AEECs).
  

The Code of Practice should be clarified so that it applies until the release of the genetically modified animals.

• The Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC) guidelines should be reviewed so that all stages in producing genetically modified animals comply with the Code of Practice. GMAC should make this requirement clear to researchers.
  
  
• AEECs should remain responsible for approving and monitoring animal welfare aspects of genetic manipulation research on vertebrates as specified by the Code of Practice.
  
  
• Research involving the production of genetically modified animals is subject to AEEC requirements until all clearances have been obtained for the animals’ release.
  
  
• GMAC should ensure that AECCs have adequately covered research proposals research proposals coming before it involving vertebrate animals.
  
  
• AEECs should also be made familiar with GMAC guidelines and be provided with guides to alert them to welfare considerations relating to genetic manipulation of research and development of breeding colonies.

AEEC Guidelines

Issues that should be covered include:

• The investigator's assessment of intended and unintended animal welfare risks - whether, in making this assessment, the investigators have searched the literature and/or sought relevant information from GMAC
  
  
• What specific monitoring of ill-effects should be carried out, and by whom
  
  
• If the research is to proceed to a breed-up phase, the specific procedures that will be used to assess and document adverse effects, and
  
  
• The level of adverse effects which would stop the development of the genetically modified strain.

There is currently no mechanism for monitoring welfare problems in genetically modified animals following their release into the environment. This must be addressed in the current review of genetic manipulation technology.

It is important that proper records be kept (eg. stud books) as is routine in many areas of agriculture, so that problems that emerge can be traced to prevent further animal suffering.

The pre-release observations need to include enough animals to maximise the probability that any animal welfare effects will become evident during that period rather than after it.

It is important that information on welfare problems arising in breeding stocks of genetically modified vertebrates is gathered in a central location. GMAC is presently best placed to receive, collate and disseminate this information, which should be reported by investigators to AEECs.

Whatever the outcome of the Australian Government’s review of genetic manipulation, the regulatory system must include the following elements:

• Animal welfare must be an integral part of the assessment process
  
  
• Animal welfare experts should be appointed to appropriate committees, and
  
  
• The regulatory body should keep a register of adverse animal welfare effects.