Nanaimo wants to ban ‘barbaric’ traps
The City of Nanaimo is counting on the provincial government to give teeth to its potential ban on “barbaric” animal traps.Nanaimo city council opted to create a municipal bylaw against the use of body-gripping traps, which politicians called a cruel practice. Councillors also agreed the municipality will no longer use traps to manage nuisance beavers.
Nanaimo is located on Vancouver island in British Columbia. It was once a mining town with mostly Seattle weather, light snows in the winter and regular Orca sightings. And it has an unbelievable city council.
Coun. Fred Pattje, who put forward the motion to ban traps, said there are other, non-lethal ways of dealing with beavers, including water flow management devices. The city can and should try to prohibit body-gripping traps, which are “too cruel a way” to deal with the animals.
The most famous mayor of Nanaimo was Frank Ney who in 1967 started the great Bathtub races to the main island for Canada’s centennial celebration. The colorful Ney participated avidly every year dressed as a pirate until his death. The bathtubs now can have motors up to 8.5 horse power but still need to weigh a minimum of 350 lbs. It’s a huge event that has encouraged other regions to try and copy it.
Surely the town isn’t all enlightened right? There must be some naysayers too?
Coun. George Anderson felt the bid to ban was a knee-jerk reaction to public concern and wanted to wait until the city collected more information on the environmental and financial implications of the more humane management methods. City staff members have promised a report in a year on the effect of internal changes for beaver management.
But the remaining eight councillors say it’s important to get started on a bylaw now.
Wow. Just wow.
Nanaimo is just a ferry’s ride away from our friends at fur-bearer defenders. Clearly they have benefited from smart neighbors. I’m thinking fieldtrip?
