Section 1 definitions of "fur farm licence", "licence", "mink pelt" and "mink pelt license" were added by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
Section 1 definition of "licensed fur farmer" BEFORE amended by BC Reg295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
"licensed fur farmer" means a holder of a licence to operate a fur farm;
Section 1 definitions of "license" and "mink pelt licence" BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2025.
"licence" means a fur farm licence or a mink pelt licence;
"mink pelt licence" means a licence to keep and deal with mink pelts;
Section 2 (2) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
(2) A person must not engage in fur farming unless the person
Section 2 (2.1) was added by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
Section 2 (2.1) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2025.
(2.1) A person must not engage in fur farming of mink, except that mink pelts may be kept and dealt with in accordance with section 2.1.
Section 3 (1) (part) (2), (3) (part) and (4) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
(1) For the purposes of section 11 (1) of the Act, an applicant for a licence, including an applicant to renew a licence, must include with the application a fee as follows:
(2) An applicant must apply for a new licence if any of the following apply:
(a) the application is in respect of a proposed fur farm that has not yet been constructed;
(b) the application is in respect of a fur farm that has previously been the subject of a licence, but the applicant intends to enlarge or otherwise make significant changes to structures on the fur farm;
(c) the application is in respect of a fur farm that has previously been the subject of a licence, but the licence was not renewed before its expiry.
(3) In addition to any other information required by the chief veterinarian, an applicant for a new licence must include with the application the following:
(4) In addition to any other information required by the chief veterinarian, an applicant to renew a licence must include with the application a statement of the number and species of fur bearing animals intended to be kept on the fur farm, divided according to sex.
Section 4 (1) (part), (2) and (3) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
(1) If the chief veterinarian issues a licence under section 11 (2) (d) or (e) of the Act, the chief veterinarian may include, without limiting those paragraphs, the following as conditions of the licence:
(2) The chief veterinarian must not issue a licence permitting more than one species of fur bearing animals to be kept on a fur farm.
(3) A licensed fur farmer must not enlarge or otherwise make significant changes to structures on the fur farm unless the licensed fur farmer first applies for, and is issued, a new licence.
Section 4 (1) (c) (i) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
(i) submitted under section 3 (3) (b) [how to apply for licence], with any modifications required by the chief veterinarian, is the health management plan that must be implemented under section 7 [health management plan], or
Section 4.1 BEFORE re-enacted by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
Licence to farm mink
4.1 (1) The chief veterinarian must not issue a new licence or renew a licence permitting mink to be kept on a fur farm
(a) on which no mink have been kept previously, or
(b) in the circumstances described in section 3 (2), except as authorized under subsection (3) of this section.
(2) If the chief veterinarian renews a licence permitting mink to be kept on a fur farm, the maximum number of mink that may be kept under the licence is the lesser of the following:
(a) the maximum number imposed under section 4 (1) (b);
(b) the number of breeding mink stock reported as being kept under the order made under the Public Health Act by the provincial health officer on July 26, 2021 and entitled "MINK FARMS — July 26, 2021";
(c) the number reported, on the application for the licence, as the number of mink being kept at the time the application was made
(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) (b), the chief veterinarian may, on renewing a licence permitting mink to be kept on a fur farm, permit the licensed fur farmer to enlarge or make significant changes to structures on the fur farm if
(a) the chief veterinarian receives, with the renewal application,
(i) relevant construction plans,
(ii) the statement referred to in section 3 (3) (d), and
(iii) any other information the chief veterinarian requires, and
(b) the chief veterinarian is satisfied that the enlargement or changes are not being made for the purpose of accommodating a number of mink greater than the maximum number permitted under subsection (2).
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 1, s. 1.]
Section 4.2 BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2025.
How to apply for mink pelt licence
4.2 (1) For the purposes of section 11 (1) of the Act, an applicant for a mink pelt licence, including an applicant to renew a licence, must include with the application a fee of $12.
(2) In addition to any other information required by the chief veterinarian, an applicant for a mink pelt licence must include with the application a statement of the number of mink pelts held by the applicant at the time of making the application.
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 3, s. 5.]
Section 4.3 BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2025.
Issuance of mink pelt licence
4.3 (1) The chief veterinarian must not issue a mink pelt licence except to a person who produced the mink pelt under a fur farm licence issued under section 4 or 4.1.
(2) If the chief veterinarian issues a mink pelt licence, the maximum number of mink pelts that may be kept under the licence is the lesser of the following:
(a) the maximum number stated on the licence;
(b) the number of mink pelts stated on the application under section 4.2 (2).
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 3, s. 5.]
Section 5 (part) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2025.
The chief veterinarian may provide notice under section 14 (3) (a) of the Act of the intention to suspend or cancel a licence in the same manner as an order may be served under section 3 (1) of the Enforcement Regulation, B.C. Reg. 4/2015, and section 3 (2) to (4) of that regulation applies.Section 6 BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
Expiry of licence
6 (1) A fur farm licence expires on
(a) March 31 of the year immediately following the year in which the licence was issued, unless renewed before that date, or
(b) an earlier date, if any, set by the chief veterinarian under section 11 (2) (d) or (e) of the Act.
(2) If a new licence is issued for the purposes of section 4 (3) [issuance of licence], the existing licence expires on the date the new licence is issued.
Section 6 (1) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2025.
(a) March 31 of the year immediately following the year in which the licence was issued, unless renewed before that date, or
(b) an earlier date, if any, set by the chief veterinarian under section 11 (2) (d) or (e) of the Act.
Section 11 was renumbered as Section 11 (1) by BC Reg 295/2021, effective November 26, 2021.
Section 11 (2) was added by BC Reg 295/2021, effective November 26, 2021.
Section 11 BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
Records made under this Part
11 (1) A licensed fur farmer must ensure that all records made under this Part are kept together with the licensed fur farmer's health management plan
(a) in the form and manner required by the chief veterinarian, and
(b) for a period of at least 10 years.
(2) Records made under this Part are prescribed for the purposes of section 19 of the Act.
[am. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 1, s. 2.]
Part 3.1 BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
Definitions
means any activity
(a) that involves handling or coming into contact with live mink, mink food, mink waste, mink carcasses or mink byproducts, or
(b) performed within 2 metres of a live mink;
"photo identification" means one of the following:
(a) a photo BC Services Card within the meaning of the Identification Card Regulation;
(b) a driver's licence that is issued by a government of a province of Canada and includes a photograph of the holder;
(c) a passport attesting to citizenship or other national status that is issued by a government of any jurisdiction and includes a photograph of the holder;
(d) another form of identification that is issued by a government of any jurisdiction, includes a photograph of the holder and is satisfactory to the chief veterinarian;
"proof of vaccination" means
(a) in the case of a person who is more than 18 years of age, photo identification and a vaccine card;
(b) in the case of a person who is 18 years of age or younger, a vaccine card;
"vaccinated" means to have received, at least 7 days previously, all doses of a vaccine or a combination of vaccines as recommended by
(a) the provincial health officer, with respect to vaccines approved for use in Canada by the department of the federal government responsible for regulating drugs, or
(b) the World Health Organization, with respect to vaccines approved by the World Health Organization but not approved for use in Canada;
"vaccine" means a vaccine intended for use in humans against SARS-CoV-2;
"vaccine card" means proof in one of the following forms that the holder is vaccinated:
(a) electronic proof or a printed copy of an electronic proof,
(i) issued by the government in the form of a QR code, accessible through the Health Gateway online platform, and
(ii) showing the name of the holder;
(b) proof in writing, issued by the government for the purpose of showing proof of vaccination in accordance with orders of the provincial health officer made under the Public Health Act;
(c) proof, whether electronic or in writing, issued
(i) by the government of Canada or of a province of Canada, and
(ii) for the purpose of showing proof of vaccination in accordance with an order made in the exercise of a statutory power with respect to the protection of public health or the facilitation of international travel.
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 1, s. 3.]
Part 3 still applies
11.2 Nothing in this Part affects the application of Part 3 to a fur farm on which mink are kept or dealt with.
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 1, s. 3.]
Vaccination required for mink-related work
11.3 (1) A person must not engage in mink-related work on a fur farm unless the person is vaccinated.
(2) A licensed fur farmer must ensure that a person does not engage in mink-related work on the fur farm unless the licensed fur farmer, or a person responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the fur farm, confirms that the person is vaccinated by reviewing the person's proof of vaccination.
(3) Despite subsections (1) and (2), a person who is engaged in mink-related work on the fur farm on or before January 1, 2022, is not required to be vaccinated until that date.
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 1, s. 3.]
Confirmation of compliance
11.4 (1) A licensed fur farmer must make a vaccination status record in accordance with subsection (2) with respect to each person who engages in mink-related work on the fur farm.
(2) A vaccination status record must include all of the following:
(a) the person's full legal name;
(b) the date on which the person began to engage in mink-related work;
(c) the date on which the person is confirmed to be vaccinated.
(3) On or before April 30, 2022, a licensed fur farmer must give to the chief veterinarian a copy of the vaccination status record.
(4) For the purposes of determining compliance with section 11.3, an inspector may do one or more of the following:
(a) require the licensed fur farmer to produce a copy of the vaccination status record;
(b) require a person found to be engaging in mink-related work on the fur farm to produce the person's proof of vaccination for review by the inspector;
(c) disclose to the chief veterinarian
(i) the names of persons found to be engaging in mink-related work on the fur farm, and
(ii) the results of reviews performed under paragraph (b) with respect to those persons.
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 1, s. 3.]
Personal protective equipment for mink-related work
11.5 (1) A person must not engage in mink-related work on a fur farm unless the person is wearing both
(a) eye protection in the form of goggles, and
(b) a mask intended for medical purposes that
(i) covers the user's nose and mouth, and
(ii) provides a physical barrier to fluids and particulate materials.
(2) A licensed fur farmer must ensure that a person does not engage in mink-related work on the fur farm unless the person is wearing both eye protection and a mask in accordance with subsection (1).
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 1, s. 3.]
Further breeding and acquisition prohibited
11.6 (1) A licensed fur farmer must not do any of the following:
(a) breed mink kept on the fur farm;
(b) allow mink kept on the fur farm to breed;
(c) bring new mink to the fur farm.
(2) A licensed fur farmer must immediately slaughter any kits born on the fur farm.
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 1, s. 3.]
Records made under this Part
11.7 (1) A licensed fur farmer must ensure that all records made under this Part are kept together with the licensed fur farmer's health management plan
(a) in the form and manner required by the chief veterinarian, and
(b) for a period of at least 10 years.
(2) Records made under this Part are prescribed for the purposes of section 19 of the Act.
[en. B.C. Reg. 295/2021, Sch. 1, s. 3.]
Section 19 (b.1), (h.1), (h.2) and (h.3) were added by BC Reg 295/2021, effective November 26, 2021.
Section 19 (a.1) and (a.2) were added by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
Section 19 (b.1) BEFORE amended by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
(b.1) section 4.1 (2) [keeping more mink than permitted];
Section 19 (h.1), (h.2) and (h.3) BEFORE repealed by BC Reg 295/2021, effective April 1, 2023.
(h.1) section 11.3 (1) or (2) [mink-related work without vaccination];
(h.2) section 11.5 (1) or (2) [mink-related work without required equipment];