WHEREAS local governments do not have the authority to regulate trapping; AND WHEREAS the use of body and leg hold traps within urban areas pose an unacceptable risk for injuries to humans and pets; AND WHEREAS the sale of traps to individuals not licensed as trappers is not restricted: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Ministry of Forests, Lands Natural Resource Operations be encouraged to prohibit the sale of wildlife traps to individuals without a trapping permit or license; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Ministry of Forests, Lands Natural Resource Operations be encouraged to develop and promote educational programs on alternatives to trapping wildlife and the importance of signage, particularly within urban areas in order to protect humans and pets from unnecessary injury.
Ministry of Forests, Lands and Resource Operations The Province recognizes that trapping within urban areas in British Columbia is a growing concern amongst residents and municipal governments. The Province regulates trapping activities in order to maintain healthy wildlife populations, protect public safety and ensure the humane treatment of animals. Provincial regulations address these issues while providing opportunities for the sustainable use of wildlife, as well as for the control of wildlife populations where necessary. Public safety is of paramount importance and the Province believes that current trapping regulations do protect members of the public. The Conservation Officer Service and the British Columbia Conservation Foundation are currently developing a draft educational program called WildSafeBC. This program is an expansion of the highly successful Bear Aware program. The program will assist in reducing human-wildlife conflicts and will help communities address their growing problems with deer, coyotes, cougars and other wildlife. The British Columbia Trapper Association and the Fur Institute of Canada are currently developing an urban wildlife operator training program that would train and certify licensed trappers interested in expanding their knowledge of safe and humane urban trapping methods. The Province intends to assess the efficacy of this program in the near future. The Province will explore the possibility of restricting the sale of wildlife traps to licensed trappers, the use of signage in urban trapping situations and will work with municipal governments on emerging urban trapping issues.