Animal Welfare Science and Bioethical Analysis
Activities in 2009
Animal Welfare Science and Bioethical Analysis
Professor David J Mellor
Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, College of Sciences, Massey University,
Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Tel.: (646) 356 9099 Ext 81437, Fax: (646) 350 5657
(From 1 January 2010 – 30 June 2010
Dr A C David. Bayvel
Animal Welfare Directorate, MAF Biosecurity,
PO Box 2526, Wellington, New Zealand
Tel.: (644) 894 0368, Fax: (644) 894 0747
(From 1 July 2010 – 31 December 2010
Summary of activities specifically related to the mandate of
OIE Collaborating Centres
1. Activities as a centre of research, expertise, standardisation and dissemination of techniques within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE
The collaborating centre has progressed research activities in 2009 within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE. The expertise and knowledge in animal welfare that is possessed by the collaborating centre has been disseminated on a national and international scale during 2009.
Professors David Mellor and Kevin Stafford of the Massey AWSBC gave presentations on the inclusion of animal welfare and ethics in veterinary education to a number of institutions; the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists Animal Welfare Chapter (Gold Coast, Australia, July), the City University of Hong Kong (November), the OIE International Conference entitled Evolving Veterinary Education for a Safer World (Paris, October), and the American Veterinary Medical Association and Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges joint International Symposium on Animal Welfare. The presentation was entitled “Swimming with the Tide – Animal Welfare in Veterinary Medical Education and Research” (East Lansing, USA, November).
Dr David Bayvel of MAF NZ also presented invited papers at the latter two conferences.
A study led by Associate Professor Craig Johnson (of the AWSBC) detailing a reinvestigation, using novel techniques, of the impact of neck-cut slaughter without prior stunning was provided to the OIE Animal Welfare Working Group. In addition, the details were distributed to interested regulatory authorities in a number of countries and published as a series of four papers in the NZVJ.
CLI scientists Dr Drewe Ferguson and Dr Caroline Lee have played a prominent role in the development of new Australian Standards and Regulations for ‘Land Transport of Sheep and Cattle’ and the ‘Welfare of Cattle, Sheep and Horses’. The evidence-based approach underpinning these standards and regulations provides a firm basis for international comparability for the welfare of livestock.
Preliminary discussions have been held between the AWSC and the SE Asian representative of WSPA on the possibility of piloting ProHand Pigs in a SE Asian country. This program targets stockperson attitude and behaviour with regard to handling pigs.
The CAWE, as a relatively recently established research centre, has enrolled a number of new students (undergraduate and postgraduate) and staff during 2009. Dr Andrew Tribe is to act as the Deputy Director at CAWE. Dr Tribe has considerable management experience and is currently acting as the Chairman of the RSPCA Queensland and at the Lost Dogs Home in Melbourne.
Dr Gail Tulloch has been enrolled as Visiting Fellow at the CAWE. Dr Tulloch has considerable experience in ethics and will contribute to work progressing an ethical review of animal practices. Negotiations have also progressed regarding the relocation of two internationally prominent animal welfare researchers to the University of Queensland.
Two students were awarded their doctorates at CAWE this year and three new postgraduate students were enrolled; Glen McTaggart studying the welfare of horses, Ted Eadie studying animal welfare government in different political regimes around the world and Jess Walker studying grief in dogs. The CAWE also hosted 5 French and 1 Dutch veterinary student for internship periods during this year
The collaborating centres have been active in publishing books in the area of animal welfare:
Two books were published by CAWE in 2009, “The Welfare of Animals, the Silent Majority” (Springer), by Professor Clive Phillips, and “Principles of Cattle Production”, 2nd Edition (CABI), also by Professor Phillips. Dr Gail Tulloch is also co-authoring a chapter on the ethics of farming ratites with Clive Phillips for a book on the Welfare of Ratites in the Springer series.
A book, entitled Sciences of Animal Welfare and authored by Professor David Mellor, Dr Emily Patterson-Kane and Professor Kevin Stafford, was published by Wiley Blackwell (Oxford, UK). Commissioned by the Universities Federations for Animal Welfare (UK), its 11 chapters cover the focus of animal welfare, past and present contributions to animal welfare from agricultural, veterinary and genetic sciences, the assessment of animal welfare, human inputs into animal welfare, and the benefits of multidisciplinary thinking in promoting animal welfare. This book will be a valuable source for the OIE global animal welfare initiative.
Initial discussions have been held with a number of countries regarding the possibility of establishing Collaborating Centre twinning arrangements.
2. Proposal or development of any procedure that will facilitate harmonisation of international regulations applicable to the surveillance and control of animal diseases, food safety or animal welfare
With strong support from Massey University in New Zealand, the 2009 OIE General Session approved the proposal by the CVOs of New Zealand and Australia to expand the Collaborating Centre for Animal Welfare Science and Bioethical Analysis (Asia/Pacific), (previously involving only the Massey University Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre - approved by the OIE General Assembly in 2007), to include an additional four other groups; 1. the Animal Behaviour and Welfare Research Centre (AgResearch, Hamilton, NZ), 2. the Animal Welfare Science Centre (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), the Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics (Gatton, Queensland, Australia) and the CSIRO Animal Welfare Research Group (Chiswick, New South Wales, Australia).
The five internationally recognised Australian and New Zealand animal welfare research groups significantly enhance the depth and breadth of the expertise base for the Collaborating Centre for Animal Welfare Science and Bioethical Analysis and the number of related personnel available to support the OIE’s Global Animal Welfare Initiative. The five centres will proactively collaborate to ensure delivery of OIE’s animal welfare objectives in the international arena, especially in the Asia, Oceania and Far East region.
In addition, the following activities have aimed to contribute towards facilitating harmonisation of international regulations in animal welfare:
Dr Andrew Fisher attended an OIE ad hoc Group on animal welfare in beef cattle production systems in Paris on 27-29th July.
Dr Andrew Tribe continues to act as a representative on the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee for the Department of Primary Industries in Queensland.
Professor Clive Phillips was an invited expert for the European Food Safety Authority, a Member of the National Animal Welfare R, D and E Steering Committee, a member of the Live Export Standards Advisory Group and a member of the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, Department of Primary Industries, Queensland. During 2009, he also acted on the NHMRC Animal Welfare and Code Liaison Committees and had a role in the FAO Cattle handling project.
As a member of the Science Board, Dr Lindsay Matthews of the ABWRC attended the Final Stakeholder (8-9 October 2009, Uppsala, Sweden) meeting of the Welfare Quality® project. This project has developed a set of protocols for assessing the welfare of cattle, pigs and poultry.
3. Placement of expert consultants at the disposal of the OIE
The Collaborating Centre collectively possesses a large number of internationally recognised experts with a wide range of knowledge in animal welfare. Personnel from the Collaborating Centre have a knowledge base ranging from animal welfare in the livestock industries (in both New Zealand and Australia) to welfare in zoological, laboratory, wild and companion animals.
Areas of interest include the examination of physiological and behavioural responses to stress in animals and improvement of animal husbandry techniques using the development of methodologies to assess temperament of animals, to humanely assess pain and to assess responses of animals to different management practices (Dr Lindsay Matthews, Dr Jim Webster, Dr Caroline Lee, Dr Drew Ferguson, Dr Andrew Fisher, Professor Craig Johnson). Personnel also perform work aiming to improve welfare for a range of native and exotic zoological animals and companion animals and are active in advancing the concept of the 3Rs and the development of the use of alternatives to improve welfare for animals in the laboratory (Professor Clive Phillips, Dr Andrew Tribe, Professor David Mellor and Professor Kevin Stafford). In addition, research is performed examining the effect of humans on animal welfare and the human/animal interaction (Professor Paul Hemsworth, Professor Grahame Coleman). Each centre also has associated staff members who have an extensive knowledge base and collectively possess expertise in a large number of other areas related to the animal sciences including animal reproduction, nutrition, anatomy, the neurological basis of behaviour, learning and memory, and the veterinary and wildlife sciences.
Other activities related to the mandate
of OIE Collaborating Centres
4. Provision of scientific and technical training, within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE, to personnel from OIE Members
Professor David Mellor of the AWSBC contributed to The European Commission Training Activity “Better Training for Safer Food” which was held in March in Budapest, Hungary. The topic “Animal welfare concerning stunning and killing of animals at slaughter-houses and in disease control situations” was raised and discussed by by presenting a paper entitled “Implementation of OIE animal welfare standards in New Zealand” and by chairing a session entitled “Main stunning and killing techniques in the context of killing for disease population control”. The principal organiser of this Activity was Ms Barbara Alessandrini, Head of International and Staff Training and eLearning, Teramo OIE Collaborating Centre, Italy. Dr Peter Thornber of DAFF Australia and Dr Roger Poland of MAF NZ were involved, as invited tutors, in further training courses held in August and October in Italy.
Professor Kevin Stafford presented an invited paper and led discussion on the topic “Animal welfare from the farm gate to slaughter” at the Government of Hong Kong Food and Health Bureau in November 2009. In addition, he also presented an invited paper entitled “Animal welfare and the veterinary curriculum” to the City University of Hong Kong.
5. Organisation of scientific meetings on behalf of the OIE
Nil during the reporting period.
6. Coordination of scientific and technical studies in collaboration with other laboratories, organisations or collaborating centres
Dr Samia Toukhsati*, in collaboration with Professor Grahame Coleman, Mr John Dalley (SDF), Dr Colin Cargill (SARDI), Professor Clive Phillips (UQ) and Dr Anthony L. Podberscek (UC), is planning series of projects to examine the cultural antecedents to attitudes and behaviours towards companion, livestock and work animals in Asia. Each month, the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Singapore) receives 800 unwanted animals, including small domestic animals like terrapins and rabbits (SPCA published figures). This figure translates to almost 10,000 relinquishments per annum. Although much has been done in educating the public by both the SPCA and the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and the numbers of pets surrendered to the SPCA is decreasing, much still needs to be done so that society will be able to move towards placing a greater value on the life of companion animals. It is unclear what the reasons for pet relinquishment are, and this project aims to survey owners when they relinquish their pets to determine the reasons for doing so in order to inform the strategies used by the SPCA and AVA. The research proposal for this study is to be submitted to ACIAR.
*Toukhsati, S.R., Coleman, G.J., & Dalley, J. (2010) The influence of cultural factors on behaviours relating to stray animal management strategies in Asia. Proceedings for the Asia for Animals Conference, Singapore, January 15-18th 2010.
*Toukhsati, S.R., Coleman, G.J., Podberscek, A.L., Phillips, C., Cargill, C.F. (submitted). Attitudes and behaviours towards companion animals in Thailand: Results from interviews. The International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, June 30th 2010.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been established between the CAWE and the Allahabad Agricultural Institute, deemed University, in Northern India, to enable the establishment of animal welfare programmes to be at pursued the institute, to assist in establishing a new veterinary school and to facilitate the exchange of staff and students.
7. Publication and dissemination of any information within the remit of the mandate given by the OIE that may be useful to Members of the OIE
Publications from the AWSBC
Refereed Journal Publications
Mellor, D.J., Gibson, T.J. and Johnson, C.B. 2009. A re-evaluation of the need to stun calves prior to slaughter by ventral-neck incision: An introductory review. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 57, 74-76.
Gibson, T.J., Johnson, C.B., Hulls, C.M., Mitchinson, S.L., Johnstone, A.C., Stafford, K.J. and Mellor D.J. 2009a. Electroencephalographic responses of calves to slaughter by ventral-neck incision without prior stunning. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 57, 77-83.
Gibson, T.J., Johnson, C.B., Murrell, J.C., Chambers, P.J., Stafford, K.J. and Mellor D.J. 2009b. Components of EEG responses to slaughter: effects of cutting neck tissues compared to major blood vessels in calves. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 57, 84-89.
Gibson, T.J., Johnson, C.B., Murrell, J.C., Mitchinson, S.L., Stafford, K.J. and Mellor D.J. 2009c. Electroencephalographic response to concussive non-penetrative captive bolt stunning in calves. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 57, 90-95.
Gibson, T.J., Johnson, C.B., Murrell, J.C., Mitchinson, S.L., Stafford, K.J. and Mellor D.J. 2009d. Amelioration of electroencephalographic responses to slaughter by non-penetrative captive bolt stunning after ventral-neck incision in halothane anaesthetised calves. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 57, 96-101.
Littin, K.E., Gregory, N.G., Airey, A.T., Eason, C.T. and Mellor, D.J. 2009. Behaviour and time to unconsciousness of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) after a lethal or sublethal dose of 1080. Wildlife Research 36, 709-720.
Conference Publications
Mellor, D.J. 2009. Animal pain and OIE guidelines. Proceedings of the OIE Conference on Evolving Veterinary Education for a Safer World, Paris, France; 12-14 October 2009.
Mellor, D.J. and Bayvel, A.C.D. 2009. The scientific assessment of animal welfare. Proceedings of the OIE Conference on Evolving Veterinary Education for a Safer World, Paris, France, 12-14 October 2009.