Canadian guidelines on the care and use of fish in research, teaching and testing

Gilly Griffin PhD, Guidelines Program Director, Canadian Council on Animal Care

The Canadian Council on Animal Care is the national organization responsible for setting and maintaining standards for the care and use of animals in research, teaching and testing, throughout Canada. CCAC guidelines are developed in response to: current and emerging issues for Canada’s scientific community, advances in laboratory animal care; and to meet the needs of CCAC in regard to assessment of institutional animal care and use programs.

The development of CCAC guidelines on: the care and use of fish in research, teaching and testing was initiated primarily in response to an increase in the use of fish, both for research and for testing purposes. CCAC is a peer-based organization involving scientists, veterinarians, community representatives and members of the animal welfare movement in each of its programs. This ensures that guidelines are based on sound science and expert opinion, and take into consideration current societal values and the interests of the animals. An additional focus for the CCAC is international harmonization, therefore, international experts are also included in the guidelines development process.

The CCAC guidelines on: the care and use of fish in research, teaching and testing is close to publication and will be available on the CCAC website (http://www.ccac.ca) by July 2005. This presentation will provide an overview of the contents of the guidelines and will highlight some of the areas which have proved challenging during development and are likely to continue to present challenges as CCAC embarks on the implementation of the guidelines.