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IACUC Guideline XXI
Requirements for Collecting Species of Pennsylvania Fish, Amphibians or Reptiles

Purpose
Introduction
IACUC Submission Requirements

Purpose

This guideline has been established to provide guidance to IACUC members and PIs to ensure the state and federal regulations that are specific to trapping, collecting or otherwise utilizing PA fish, amphibians or reptiles have been satisfied.

Introduction

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is responsible for providing oversight of the Animal Care and Use Program. In addition to ensuring the requirements of The Public Health Service Policy on Human Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and Title 9 Code of Federal Regulations - Animal Welfare are satisfied, the IACUC also ensures other applicable laws and regulations are satisfied.

IACUC Submission Requirements

  1. Each principal investigator (PI) that plans to conduct any activity that involves the collection of Pennsylvania fish, amphibians or reptiles must submit a proposal to the IACUC.
  2. The proposal must include a copy of the PI's Scientific Collector's Permit (SCP). SCP's expire on December 31 of each calendar year therefore PI's conducting this type of research should submit their renewed permits annually with their annual IACUC renewal.
  3. SCP's are not valid unless the applicant has a valid PA fishing license. The PI should submit a copy of their fishing license with the application annually.
  4. EXCEPTION: A SCP is not required if the PI is catching or collecting animals according to PA Fish and Boat Commission seasons and regulations.
  5. If the PI will be conducting electrofishing procedures, confirmation that they will be adhering to IACUC Guideline 11 is needed or justification for deviation is necessary.
  6. The submission should include a description of your capture techniques as well as a plan for handling animals that were injured during capture.
  7. If the PI plans to capture endangered, threatened or candidate species of fish, amphibians or reptiles, the submission must also include notice of prior approval from the PA Fish and Boat Commission (Special Permit from the Executive Director of the PA Fish & Boat Commission).
  8. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Permit Requirements: If animals are not being taken, but only surveyed, in some cases the Fish and Wildlife Commission defer permit responsibility to the state. Individuals should check with the USFWS when working with endangered species.
    • a. Endangered Species Act (Title 50 CFR, Part 17):
      • i. Native Endangered and Threatened Species – Incidental Take Permit (Associated with Habitat Conservation).
      • ii. A permit is required to import any specie of animal that has been determined by the US Fish and Wildlife Society to be endangered (http://www.fws.gov/endangered/wildlife.html).
    • b. CITES Permits are issued to PI's when they wish to import or export a CITES regulated specie (http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml). If a PI plans to import or export species of fish, reptiles or amphibians, they must first confirm whether the animal is regulated by CITES. If it is regulated, the PI must first get an import CITES permit from the country of destination then they must get an export permit from the country of origin.
    • c. Import or Export Permits (Lacey Act) – This permit is required to import or export any animal specie that is not covered by CITES. All imports and exports must be done at a designated port of entry.
    • d. Designated Port Exception Permit (Lacey Act) - This permit is required to import or export any animal specie for scientific purposes and that is not covered by CITES. Imports and exports need not be done at a designated port of entry.
  9. Site Specific Permit Requirements: If a PI plans to conduct research, for example, at a National Park, National Forest, State Park, State Forest or Wildlife Refugee additional permits are required.
  10. When applicable, the submission must also discuss an AVMA approved method of euthanasia. (NOTE: If fish are anesthetized using MS-222, a 21 day withhold period is required. These fish cannot be returned to streams if the possibility exists that they may be caught and consumed by humans).

Initially approved by the IACUC on 12/10/2007
Last approved by the IACUC on 12/08/2008