The small Sunshine Coast community of Gibsons is about to set an anti-trapping precedent for the country. A bylaw banning leghold, conibear and snare traps has passed second and third readings by the town council, and a final reading has been set for Aug. 2.
The move to ban traps began in early spring, after a dog that was out for a walk with its owner in Sechelt got stuck in a leghold trap intended for wolves and had to be rescued by a conservation officer.
“This is the toughest anti-trapping bylaw in Canada. It not only bans leghold traps, which most people think were banned a long time ago, but … also bans conibear [which crush the head and neck of an animal] and snare traps, which together are the three most common.”
“Typically what happens is a lot of municipalities are struggling with beavers, and it’s cheap and easy to hire trappers,” said Fox. “The ‘old school’ way is to trap and kill them all, and this bylaw in Gibsons is a big step in promoting humane and non-lethal ways to live with wildlife.”
Those quotes are from Lesley Fox, director of Furbearer Defenders and the driving force behind this legislation. They’re so committed to the new world of beaver management they’re bringing out Mike Callahan and Sherri Tippie to do a free training in September. Living with Wildlife Agenda Conference. Don’t you wish you could go?
Not enough good news for you? Well hopefully we’ll get a great beaver article in the next couple of days from the Sacramento Bee and this is guaranteed to make you feel better about the world and the humans in it.
