California’s Trapping Ban: A closer look at the ramifications — Furbearer Conservation
Trapping
California becomes first state to outright ban regulated trapping — Furbearer Conservation
California has become the first state in the country to ban fur trapping statewide. Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said Wednesday he signed the legislative bill into law, making it illegal to trap animals for the regulated sale of their hides.
THE MUCH-MALIGNED WILDLIFE TOOL CALLED TRAPPING
Trapping provides an income for thousands of outdoorsmen and women. It can be supplemental income for youngsters in school. Fur sales add millions of dollars to the economy.
Trappers also help property owners avoid damage to their land. Trapping is an efficient method of controlling furbearers who have become a nuisance. Oversize populations of furbearers can cause severe damage to the vegetation. A marsh can become unproductive for other forms of wildlife. Trappers help control animal populations.
Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards — Furbearer Conservation
In 1991, the European Union (EU) passed Regulation 3254/91, which bans the import of wild fur products derived from 13 wildlife species into the European Union from any country, unless the use of foothold traps were prohibited in said country or trapping methods used in said country meet internationally agreed-upon humane trapping standards. EU Regulation 3254/91 remains in place today, with a total of 19 species listed.
The main purpose, as stated in the agreement, is to lay down “harmonized technical standards” offering a sufficient level of protection to the welfare of trapped animals and regulating both the production and use of animal traps, as well as to facilitate trade between traps, and pelts/products manufactured from species covered by the Agreement. The agreement also seeks to develop an international standardization that scientifically addresses and accounts for animal welfare concerns related to the trapping of furbearers. Whether for pest control, research, disease control, wildlife management or the commercial fur trade - the AIHTS seeks to establish the same scientifically validated standards in all areas where trapping is to take place.
Landscape with Beavers
In the American West, beavers are gaining a reputation as environmental engineers who can help restore water systems — and challenge their human neighbors to think differently about land use.
Parachuting beavers featured in ‘Fur For the Future,’ 1950s-era film
In 1948, game warden and pilot Elmo Heter executed a plan years in the making to reintroduce beavers into the mountainous wilds of Idaho. His plan sounded simple, Idaho Fish & Wildlife professionals would work with skilled trappers to catch nuisance beavers from abundant areas adjacent to mankind, pack them into wooden crates, load them onto an airplane and, whilst tethered to a parachute, drop the sub-aquatic rodents into portions of the wilderness for reintroduction efforts. The crates would burst open on impact, freeing the furry engineers encased inside to roam the wilds of their new abode. "
In all, 76 beavers would complete the trip, with only one documented beaver fatality from the drop, which was due to a lashing failure allowing the beaver to exit the box in mid-air.
The story of South Africa’s ‘prosciutt…
It’s winter in South Africa – biltong season.
Give any meat-loving South African a chance and they’ll you about their favourite kind, their first biltong memories and the way they’ve hooked their foreign friends on it. We can get lyrical. And so we should.
One biltong-loving WEG! reader, Buks Barnard, describes beef biltong as “a gift of the gods and a way to world peace”. He’s not wrong. Biltong is synonymous with being South African.
South African children are weaned on biltong; a dry piece makes for a tasty teething stick. Biltong is smuggled across many international borders to SA expats longing for a taste of home. It’s a meaningful “gift” to the local traffic department staff when you’re trying to pass your driver’s licence. It’s the go-to gift for Father’s Day and I’ve yet to hear a dad complain. It’s also big money. According to the South African Institute, Food & Trees for Africa, the biltong trade is worth R2.5-billion.