Animal ethics committees and RTT approvals

Animal Ethics Committees

AECs review and provide legal approval for RTT applications. They must consider the criteria set out in section 100 of the Act when reviewing RTT applications and must be satisfied that the benefits of using animals are not outweighed by any likely harm.

Read section 6 of the NAEAC Good Practice Guide for more information on the Act

They must also consider whether a suitable alternative exists as part of their role in promoting the 3 Rs:

• Replacing animals with non-living or non-sentient alternatives
• Reducing the number of animals used
• Refining techniques to minimise pain or distress.

Read more about the 3 Rs

NAEAC has developed an information pack for AECs when inducting new members. As this is regularly updated, please email naeac@mpi.govt.nz to request a copy.

Find other resources for AECs

Does my project require approval from an animal ethics committee?

As the regulators in this space, AECs review and provide approval decisions regarding RTT applications.

They also decide if proposed animal use constitutes ‘manipulation’ as defined in the Act. If it does, animal ethics approval is required, and the AEC can assist the project lead with the application process. If the AEC decides that the proposed work does not meet this bar, animal ethics approval is not required. If you are planning a project involving animals, you should contact a code holder and discuss the requirements around animal use with their AEC (see list of code holders below). This process is very important when preparing projects to ensure the legal requirements around animal use are understood.

Please note that both NAEAC and MPI provide advice regarding the use of animals in RTT, but AECs ultimately make the decision regarding the requirement for ethics approval and decisions regarding RTT applications.

List of New Zealand code holders

AEC Service Award

NAEAC regularly recognises outstanding contributions to the sector.

The animal ethics committee (AEC) service awards are presented for meritorious service (of at least five years) to the AEC on which the nominee has served.

AECs or their institutions can submit nominations to NAEAC at any time for AEC service awards for members.