PEI trapping report slammed by wildlife charity

A government-commissioned report on trapping is heavily biased and inappropriate to inform decision-making in Prince Edward Island, says wildlife charity The Fur-Bearers. In an open letter, the organization is calling out the report’s pro-trapping bias and its failure to include key information like the number of dogs who were injured and killed by traps in the province in recent years.

PEI’s Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action, Stephen Myers, asked his department to commission an independent report to review trapping in the province. The report was tabled in the PEI legislative assembly on November 28, 2023. This report was tabled on the same day that a petition with over 500 signatures calling for an end to trapping and snaring was introduced in the legislative assembly.

“Impartiality and objectivity are paramount in public policy decisions that affect the citizens of Prince Edward Island, especially the issue of trapping, a licensed, commercial activity that poses a risk to public safety and harms both domestic and wild animals,” says Aaron Hofman, Director of Advocacy and Policy at The Fur-Bearers. “While the views of various stakeholders and perspectives should be considered in decision-making around trapping, affiliations must be disclosed, and the influence of competing interests balanced.”

The Fur-Bearers is releasing data obtained through freedom of information requests from PEI’s Department of Justice and Public Safety to fill a critical gap in the commissioned report. This data shows the number of reported incidents of companion animals becoming caught in traps and snares in recent years.