Race on for new stoat trap

The ongoing mission to find replacements for the Fenn and other small mammal traps, which are due to be banned next year, is “proving tricky”, according to the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO).

These currently widely used traps are not compliant with the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS), which the UK has pledged to implement by July 2018.

A number of manufacturers are working to design replacement traps that can reliably kill stoats within the required 45 seconds, but the task is proving difficult.

The original deadline was set for 2016, but the NGO was able to secure an extension to ensure that new traps are of a similar size to the Fenn, are reasonably priced and widely available before the existing models are made illegal for use on stoats.

Charles Nodder, NGO political adviser, told the organisation’s Keeping the Balance publication that should the need arise, they will seek a further extension: “All is being done to find at least one trap that works and meets the success criteria, but if it becomes necessary to ask ministers for more time we will not hesitate to do so.”

The AIHTS was signed by the European Union on the UK’S behalf, but it seems unlikely that Brexit will negate this decision as the Government has announced it will implement it regardless of when we leave the EU.

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To comply with AIHTS rules, traps must kill stoats within 45 seconds