Animal Care Guidelines
BMSC Animal Use Principles:
BMSC is committed to the humane and ethical care and use of animals.
BMSC adheres to the principle that all research involving animals must be justifiable and have good scientific or pedagogical merit.
BMSC adheres to the principle that justifiable animal use in scientific research and teaching is only acceptable if it has the potential to contribute to the understanding of fundamental biological principles or to the development of knowledge that can reasonably be expected to benefit humans or other animals.
BMSC complies with Canadian Council on Animal Care Guidelines and policies with the Russell-Burch tenet of, “Replacement, Reduction, Refinement”.
The BMSC Animal Care Committee (BACC) ensures that all animal users are informed of, and comply with, institutional and CCAC animal care and use policies.
Please read the BMSC Animal Care Committee Terms of Reference.
Animal Use Protocol (AUP) Application Process
1. Apply For Your Respective Permit(s):
2. Submit Your Animal Use Protocol (AUP)
Please allow for 60 days for a full AUP review. As a small institution, the BMSC Animal Care Committee meets quarterly to review AUPs. As such, the time from AUP submission to review and approval may take longer than your Home Institution. Please take this into consideration when planning your AUP submission and proposed start date.
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AUP submission deadlines:
- February 1 for proposed research start dates between April 1 – May 31
- April 1 for proposed research start dates between June 1 – July 31
- June 1 for proposed research start dates between August 1 and October 31
- September 1 for proposed research start dates between November 1 and March 31 of the next calendar year
- For research involving vertebrates & cephalopods, submit an AUP Form – Vertebrates & Cephalopods
- For collection of any animals at BMSC which are destined for transport and use at a different institution, submit an AUP Form – Collections for External Use
- At any point, you may apply for an amendment to your AUP via the AUP Form – Amendment. Note, the magnitude of the amendment will effect processing time
- Multi-year AUPs must be renewed every year with an AUP Renewal Form for a maximum of three years
For more information on the AUP approval process, please see The BMSC Animal Care Committee Terms of Reference at the top of the page.
Please send all AUP forms to the Animal Care Coordinator
Tips for Completing Your AUP:
- Researchers are welcome and encouraged to seek advice from the Head of Animal Care and the Head of Research Services concerning their AUPs prior to submission.
- Researchers are also encouraged to use the various CCAC Guidelines as a reference
- SOPs for the care and use of animals should be referred to within your AUP wherever appropriate. Species specific animal care SOPs can be found below.
INSTRUCTORS- Before You Arrive:
Please allow for 60 days for a full AUP review. If you have trouble downloading the files below, check your ad blocker or try a different browser.
Submission deadlines for all AUPs:
- February 1 for proposed course start dates between April 1 – May 31
- April 1 for proposed course start dates between June 1 – July 31
- June 1 for proposed course start dates between August 1 and October 31
- September 1 for proposed course start dates beginning after November 1 and before March 31 of the next calendar year
- If you are using vertebrates or cephalopods, you must complete and submit the Animal Use Protocol (AUP) Teaching Form prior to the start of your course. No collection or animal use may occur prior to the approval of this AUP. In addition to the AUP form, the Pedagogical Merit Form also needs to be filled out (once every four years per course unless there is a new instructor or greater than a minor revision to the AUP). A reminder all individuals handling animals must need Animal User Training from their Home Institution.
- If you are using only invertebrates (excluding cephalopods), there is no need to submit an AUP. Please email the Head of Animal Care with a list of proposed organisms, as well as the dates of course and collection
Note: All education activities are covered under the BMSC Education Permits including: DFO Scientific Licence and ITC Permits, and Huu-ay-aht First Nations Heritage Investigation Permit. For access to these permits, please email the Animal Care Coordinator to see if your planned activities fall with in the scope, or if you need to apply for additional permits.
For more information on the AUP approval process, please see The BMSC Animal Care Committee Terms of Reference at the top of the page.
Please email all AUP and Pedagogical forms to the Animal Care Coordinator
Tips for Completing Your AUP:
- Instructors are welcome and encouraged to seek advice from the Head of Animal Care and University Programs concerning their AUPs prior to submission.
- Instructors are also encouraged to use the various CCAC Guidelines as a reference
- SOPs for the care and use of animals should be referred to within your AUP wherever appropriate. Species specific animal care SOPs can be found below.
All students will fill out a Project Proposal Form that is approved during a Round Table presentation as part of your course. The University Program Coordinator(s), Safety Officer, and the Head of Animal Care will review and approve your proposal before the organism collection and your research project can commence. You will receive more information about this process during your course.
Animal User Training:
All personnel working with non-human vertebrates or cephalopods must complete the required animal user training (part 1 and 2) from their home institution that complies with or exceeds the CCAC approved Animal User Training and submit it along with their AUP. To access your home institution’s animal user training:
- University of Victoria – https://www.uvic.ca/research/conduct/home/animalcare/index.php (Access and Training tab)
- University of British Columbia – https://animalcare.ubc.ca/training
- Simon Fraser University – https://www.sfu.ca/research/resources/animal-care/animal-care-training-and-orientation
- University of Calgary – https://research.ucalgary.ca/animalhealth/animalhealth
- University of Alberta – https://www.ualberta.ca/research/research-support/research-ethics-office/support/training/animal-research-ethics-training/index.html
If you are not affiliated with one of these home institutions, you can still access animal user training through: The Experimental Fish – Canadian Aquaculture Institution.
Animal Collection Reporting:
BMSC is required by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to submit reports of all animals used and collected in research and teaching. All researchers, students and other animal users must report their collections to BMSC.
Report Your Animal Collections Here:
Please download the blank excel template below, fill it in and email it to The Animal Care Coordinator
Caring For Your Animals:
All BMSC SOPs are currently undergoing a review and revision process, and have been removed from the website. If you are looking for a specific SOP please email the Head of Animal Care
Find The Distribution of Animals and More!
Check out these other biodiversity initiatives to find the distribution of animals in Barkley Sound (and beyond!)