The Government of Prince Edward Island is engaging in discussions about the future of trapping in the island province. The public debate on trapping comes after multiple incidents of dogs killed in traps in the province, resulting in thousands of citizens signing petitions that call for a ban on trapping and snaring in PEI.
The Standing Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability is studying the issue of trapping and invited The Fur-Bearers to present in front of the committee to offer our expertise.
We offered two recommendations as a path forward for Prince Edward Island: 1) we recommended that the province ban commercial and recreational trapping, and 2) we recommended that the province adopt policies and laws that prioritize human-wildlife coexistence, where non-lethal approaches to wildlife management would be the default, and trapping would be a last resort.
Our full presentation can be viewed in the video below. Coyote Watch Canada’s presentation begins at the start of the video, and The Fur-Bearers’ presentation begins at 1:16:50.
We’ll continue to share information about the efforts from citizens to ban trapping in PEI on our website and through our newsletter. Click here to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on the situation on the island.