CMAR code of practice for tagging marine animals. Version 1.

Abstract

The Code of Practice (COP) for tagging marine animals consists of a series of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) detailing the various steps involved when tagging marine animals. Each SOP has an associated date indicating the last time the SOP was revised. Suggestions for revision of any SOP should be directed to the authors. Suggestions will be appended to the COP and incorporated on a schedule as outlined in SOP 9. Improving the quality of tagging protocols is good practice to ensure that techniques and methods are transferrable between staff, across years and across projects. Improving our protocols is also an important component of meeting our obligations under animal welfare legislation and are in-line with the Australian Code of Practice for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes (NHMRC 2004). The following protocols have been based upon CSIRO’s Fish Tagging Protocol (Bradford et al. 2007); they are designed to be a living document that will be updated in light of advances in technology and methods.