A tradition past its prime
Why, in a civilized society, would such a cruel and antiquated practice be allowed to exist?
The return of hunting season and the recent discovery by CAT Action, of a snare embedded into the midsection of a cat, has once again ignited the topic of trapping.
To be clear, this isn’t a debate about hunting, that’s a topic for another day.
The question on the table remains, why, in a civilized society, would such a cruel and antiquated practice be allowed to exist?
Fur trapping is incredibly violent. P.E.I. allows trappers to use snares, leg-hold and crush traps — devices that often result in slow, agonizing deaths.
Of course, there are regulations in place requiring trappers check traps every 24 to 48 hours in order to ensure an animal doesn’t suffer ‘too long,’ but these regulations are tough to enforce and one avid trapper even boasted on a P.E.I. Facebook page that he traps so that he only has to go out “once in a while.” If he had to shoot his targets, he would need to go out “every day.”
If unnecessary suffering isn’t reason enough, studies have shown upwards of 75 per cent of animals caught in traps and snares are non-intended targets: including birds, other wildlife and pets.
P.E.I. is the smallest, most densely-populated province in the country. Provincial regulations allow traps to be set near to residential homes, while snares can be set a mere 200 metres away.
Traps can also be set on Crown land where the general public may be hiking with children and pets.
I have heard the arguments in favour of trapping. It’s tradition, part of our culture.
I would argue tradition is a poor excuse for the continuation of unethical practices.
Not so many generations ago ‘tradition’ essentially excluded women from public life. They were seen as property and could be beaten without consequence. They did not enjoy the right to advanced education or to hold public office.
There was a time married women could not own property and mothers could not claim custody of their children. Women in Prince Edward Island weren’t given the right to vote until 1922.
Traditions change with the times. When we know better — we need to do better.
Still, some will argue trapping is about ‘conservation.’ Yet, around the world wildlife is actually in decline due in large part to habitat destruction.
And of course, there are non-lethal forms of conservation that make lethal forms unnecessary.
But I digress — as I said, this is not an argument against hunting — simply against the cruel practice of trapping and snaring.
The fur trade is on its way out with pelt prices dropping drastically as many people refuse to wear fur — it’s a tradition that is past its time — and less than 0.2 per cent of the Island’s population takes part in trapping so it is particularly disappointing that the government has chosen to make wildlife management decisions based on the wants of the trappers who profit from this barbaric practice, while ignoring the interests of those who are in favor or a ban.