Harmonisation of the Care and Use of Wild and Domestic Mammals and Birds in Field Research

Oslo airport Gardermoen, 26-27 October 2017

This international consensus meeting was a follow-up of Norecopa's consensus meeting in 2008. There were 32 participants from 4 countries (32 from Norway, 4 from Sweden, 3 from the UK and I from the Netherlands). We are very grateful to Laboratory Animals Ltd. for sponsorship of the meeting.

Much has happened since 2008: not least, implementation of EU's Directive 2010/63 and new Norwegian legislation. Both of these contain new concepts and relatively few specific statements about field research. There are many unanswered questions which need to be discussed. One of these concerns the dividing line between capture, marking and sample collection of animals for management purposes, and for research. Another aim of the meeting was to close the gap between researchers working in the field and those working with laboratory animals, and to present the PREPARE guidelines for planning research.

This meeting addressed:

• EU and national legislation, and how it applies to field research
• Ethics, health and welfare
• New technologies, methods and approaches
• Planning field research

The meeting discussed the use of domestic animals (e.g. sheep and reindeer) in field research, as well as wildlife.

Consensus statement

After the meeting, the participants circulated and unanimously approved a consensus statement describing the discussions at the meeting, their views on these topics, and a set of Action Points to address. 

The presentations at the meeting

Regulating the scientific use of animals taken from the wild (Kim Willoughby, Home Office, UK)

Marine mammals: challenges and regulations (Lars Folkow, University of Tromsø)

Challenges for the Authority (Heidi Bugge, Norwegian Food Safety Authority)

Capture and marking of large carnivores for management purposes (Veronica Sahlén, Norwegian Environment Agency)

Wildlife health status in Norway (Carlos das Neves, Norwegian Veterinary Institute and University of Tromsø)

Disease as a confounding problem and the need for surveillance (Bjørnar Ytrehus, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research)

Can we have one research ethic for wild and domestic animals? (John Linnell, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research)

Ethics and the public's perception of field research (Siri Martinsen, NOAH)

Stones from the glass house: An external perspective of wildlife research (Trond Berg, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)

Efforts to reduce poor reproducibility/translatability: the PREPARE guidelines (Adrian Smith, Norecopa)

Tags on birds: how much are our guidelines flights of fancy? (Rory Wilson, Swansea University)

Camera trapping wildlife in Scandinavia - challenges and opportunities (John Odden, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research)

Status and challenges with immobilization techniques and equipment (Jon Arnemo, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences)

Relevant literature published after the meeting:

Lindsjö J et al. (2019): The dividing line between wildlife research and management - implications for animal welfare. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00013

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