NOTE: As of March 16, 2009, it is an offence to breed your Controlled Alien Species unless you are an accredited zoo, education or research institution OR you have been granted a permit to do so. It is also an offence to possess a Controlled Alien Species if that animal was not already in B.C. on March 16, 2009, unless you obtained a permit before bringing it into to B.C.
All owners of Controlled Alien Species will require a permit by April 1, 2010.
The Wildlife Act’s new Controlled Alien Species Regulation is a regulation that controls the possession, breeding, shipping and releasing of alien animals (i.e. that are not native to BC) that pose a serious risk to the health or safety of people. Under Sections 6.4 and 6.5 of the Wildlife Act, the Minister of the Environment has authority to designate species as Controlled Alien Species and to regulate these species. You can find the Regulation here and the Amended Regulation here(PDF/119 KB).
The provincial government has the responsibility of ensuring public safety and the listed animals pose a serious risk to that safety. The regulation protects the public while also ensuring that recognized institutions can continue to possess these animals. The BC SPCA, the Union of BC Municipalities and the Office of the Chief Coroner all requested the control of alien species.
The Controlled Alien Species Regulation mainly affects the owners and breeders of Controlled Alien Species, the film industry, circuses, zoos, educational and research institutions, pet stores and rescue centres. In essence, anyone who is in possession of a Controlled Alien Species is affected by this regulation.
There are roughly 1,200 species on the Controlled Alien Species list. A detailed list of Controlled Alien Species can be found on our website. Here you will find the list organized into both scientific and common names.
The exact number is unknown. As these species have been largely unregulated, no count or census has been done. When Alberta introduced their regulations, they issued roughly 1200 permits.
If the Controlled Alien Species was in B.C. on or before March 16, 2009, you will need to have for a permit for that animal before April 1, 2010. You can start applying for these permits on November 1, 2009. To ensure compliance with the regulation, and obtain your permit before the March 31, 2010 deadline, we suggest you submit your completed application on or before February 1, 2010. Please see the area of our website that best applies to you as there are different requirements for different situations.
NO. Municipal by-laws can be more restrictive than the provincial regulation. The Controlled Alien Species regulation is now a minimum standard across the province. .
Conservation Officers, constables and SPCA officials have the authority to seize, sell, euthanize, and dispose of seized animals. Typically, this would occur where there are strong reasons to do so e.g. where the animal presents an immediate threat to the health or safety of a person.
A conservation officer or constable may seize a Controlled Alien Species if the person in possession of the animal (a) does not have a possession permit, (b) contravenes any condition of their permit, or (c) contravenes any aspect of the Controlled Alien Species Regulation.
If you possessed one of the listed species on or before March 16, 2009, you may be able to get a possession permit that will be valid for the life of the animal. All owners of Controlled Alien Species will require a possession permit after April 1, 2010. If the animal was not already in B.C. on or before March 16, 2009, its possession is illegal unless you obtain a possession permit from the B.C. Ministry of Environment before bringing it into B.C.
B.C. Ministry of Environment's Permit and Authorization Service Bureau (PASB) will be accepting permit applications for Controlled Alien Species after November 1, 2009. Please allow 60 working days for us to review and process your application. For this reason, we suggest that you submit your application on or before February 1, 2010, to ensure compliance with the regulation and that you have your permit in place before the April 1, 2010 deadline.
B.C. Ministry of Environment's Permit and Authorization Service Bureau (PASB) will be accepting permit applications for Controlled Alien Species after November 1, 2009. To ensure compliance with the regulation, and that you obtain your permit before the April 1, 2010 deadline, we suggest that you submit your permit application on or before February 1, 2010.
Please submit your permit applications to the following address:
ATTENTION: Controlled Alien Species Permits
Permit and Authorization Service Bureau
Ministry of Environment
PO Box 9372 STN PROV GOVT
Victoria B.C., V8W 9M3
