The New Zealand Wildlife Marking Code of Conduct 

Operators must have appropriate certification and permits to conduct their work. 

Operators are responsible for the safety and welfare of the animals they study: 

1. The welfare of the animal is paramount.
2. Only catch as many animals as are required for the purpose of your project.
3. Handle each animal carefully, gently, quietly, with respect and in the shortest possible time.
4. Do not operate more trapping/catching equipment than you can properly manage.
5. Capture and process only as many animals as you can safely handle.
6. Do not allow unqualified persons to use your equipment, capture or handle animals, or apply marks to wildlife, except under direct supervision.
7. Do not attempt to catch wildlife in conditions that could result in animals becoming severely stressed, subject to potential injury or death, or lead to animals abandoning their offspring.
8. Animals that show signs of stress should, in most cases, be released without marking.
9. Regularly check all catching equipment/ traps according to site conditions and target species.
10. Properly close all catching equipment/ traps at the end of each marking operation.
11. Beware marking juveniles at too advanced an age (it may be dangerous and inappropriate for the species).
12. Use the correct mark and marking procedure for each species.
13. Keep careful and accurate records of all marked wildlife and submit records of Primary and Auxiliary marks applied, changed or removed, as well as all dead marked wildlife to the Department of Conservation Wildlife Marking Team.
14. Treat all animal injuries in the most humane way.
15. Maintain trapping and marking equipment in hygienic conditions and use PPE for operators as appropriate.

Operators should continually assess their own work to ensure that it is beyond reproach:

1. Look for ways to improve your techniques and advise the DOC Wildlife Marking Team of improved methods. 
2. Reassess your methods and approach whenever an injury or mortality occurs. 
3. Ask for and accept constructive criticism from other marking operators. 
4. If any marks (bands, transmitters, loggers, trackers, tags, transponders, or any other mark or device) or their attachment (harness etc.) require adjusting, removal or replacement due to actual or potential adverse effects (such as injury, infection, entanglement, loss of mark, death), details must be reported to the Wildlife Marking Office (bandingoffice@doc.govt.nz) as soon as possible upon discovery to improve Best Practice. 
5. Operators should offer honest and constructive assessment of the work of other operators to help maintain the highest standards possible. 
6. Operators must obtain permission to mark wildlife on private land and public lands where authorisation is required. 
7. Operators should be willing to explain the methods and purpose of wildlife marking to members of the public when necessary. 

Note: The above has been taken from Melville, D.S. 2011: New Zealand National Bird Banding Scheme bird bander’s manual. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 133 p.