The harsh but true economics of fur trapping

The fur industry tells long tales of men and women working hard in the desolate lands of our nation, putting food on the table for their families, and staying true to Canada’s history. But one CBC article has revealed the truth is much less romantic.

In yet another article about the nosedive of the fur industry, the CBC spoke with the Yukon’s provincial trap coordinator who noted that “few Yukon trappers make an active living off the work. At best, trappingprovides a supplementary income.”

A spokesperson for the Yukon Trappers Association said “You know, if you can make even $15,000, you're doing pretty good."

And one Yukon trapper, who also works as a math teacher, gave his students an arithmetic problem: figure out his actual wage as a trapper, based on costs and revenues.

"We figured out that Iwas getting less than a dollar an hour, wage,” he told the CBC. “They looked at me like I was crazy."

At The Fur-Bearers, we want all Canadians to be successful in pocket and in heart, and we recognize that the skills developed by fur trappers can be easily applied to other more profitable – and humane – ventures.

But it’s time for the fur industry to stop spinning a web of romanticism and the public to face the truth: it’s time to #MakeFurHistory.


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Formed in 1953, The Fur-Bearers (The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals) is a registered Canadian charity that protects fur-bearing animals through conservation, advocacy, research, and education. Your donation is tax-deductible. Charitable registration number: 130006125RR0002

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