Why do we trap in Canada?
The answer is easy: fur is ethical, sustainable, renewable and biodegradable.
Before there was the coveted polar fleece (polyester), made from oil by-products, there was only fur to keep our ancestors (also all the other people in the North, say Germany and Scandinavia) warm–add leather, down and wool; all from animals.
In the Yukon, there would be no First Nations today if they had forsaken wearing a dead animal’s skin, not to mention eating its flesh. Only today are we in a position to say no to eating meat, fish and eggs; but I’m sure most people, without realizing it, have something out of leather in their home.
Trapping brings about a sense of identity–First Nation trappers going back to their roots, identifying themselves with being out on the land and therefore healing and moving forward. Non-First Nation trappers want to be out in the bush, living according to the seasons: simple (but challenging) and in peace with one’s own company (a furry companion like a dog will make life out on a line fun and interesting too). Trapping provides a little bit of income to maybe pay for the gas the Ski-Doo needs.
The Fur Institute’s history
In the late 20th century, the word-combination “certified trap” was first heard. A certified trap is one that conforms with the requirements of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS).
Due to anti-fur organizations wanting to ban fur imports from countries using leghold traps into Europe in the 1980s and ’90s, Canada recommended the standardization of scientific tests for trap performance that could be used by any country.
In 1997, Canada, the European Union (EU) and Russia agreed on the AIHTS. In 1998, the USA signed a separate but equivalent agreement with the EU. Fast forward to the 2007-2008 trapping season, which was the first in which Canadian trappers were required to use only AIHTS-certified traps.
There are quick-kill, trigger-activated restraining, as well as live capture boxes or cages which are tested and certified by the FIC. The FIC publishes and updates its list of certified traps regularly. Research is ongoing that will lead to new safety features, efficiency and animal welfare improvements. Over 95 percent of animals trapped for the fur trade are caught in quick-killing traps.
Canada is the only AIHTS signatory that has established a comprehensive trap certification program through the FIC, and conducts testing on behalf of various EU countries and Russia. There you have it: Canada was and is the world-leader in humane trapping.
If you want to know, say, how many wolves were sold in Canada in a certain year, the FIC also publishes comprehensive fur production numbers.
Is trapping regulated?
Each Canadian territory and province has research in place that determines if an animal population is healthy (in numbers) or not. For instance, traplines along the Yukon highways are: both very small and may have quotas on, say, marten. A trapper might be allowed to harvest up to 10 marten or none.
Many rural and remote Canadians hunt and gather and are frontline conservationists, keen observers, being the eyes and ears in case the government or other nature conservation groups would like to know numbers and health, of any kind of animal.
Trappers also protect species: happy to see beavers on a pond again, letting them be until there are too many beaver lodges on the same pond, trapping the beavers of one lodge to preserve the population’s health and ecosystem.
In urban areas, trappers are called on to manage a specie (foxes, coyotes and raccoons easily adapt to human surroundings) to prevent escalation of human-wildlife conflict, to keep the populations in check and healthy, to preserve habitat and subsequently make sure other wildlife will not decline to near-extinction.
There was a time when Ontario had trappers on their payroll for the summer months; they would check the highways for beaver dams, so as not to get into the situation of a beaver dam breaking and taking the road with it. Some municipalities in Alberta have staff trappers!
Can furbearers be “farmed”?
Yes, mink and fox farms still exist. These animals get our leftovers, such as parts of chicken, pigs and fish. In addition to their fur, we get their oil for cosmetics and the preservation of leather. The agricultural cycle is complete by composting the animals’ carcasses and soiled straw bedding to produce organic fertilizer.
Buses in Denmark were even powered by mink remains before the government shut down the industry due to Covid.
Since the beginning of time, we have relied on animals for food, clothing, companionship, art and medicine; our dependence on them is complete. The Fur Institute also has a blog, truthaboutfur.ca that can give you a deeper dive on many aspects of the fur trade.This column has been compiled with information gleaned from the Fur Institute of Canada (fur.ca)
