Trapping Standards in B.C.

In 1999, Canada, along with the European Community and the Government of the Russian Federation, ratified the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (the AIHTS, or the “Agreement”). The Agreement sets out performance minimums for killing traps and restraining traps used for species listed in the AIHTS. Furbearer species in British Columbia covered under the AIHTS include:

The Agreement serves to ensure that only certified traps that meet or exceed specific animal welfare thresholds are used to trap these animals. Further, it protects Canada’s access to the European fur market and thus helps protect the wild fur industry in Canada. 

• View the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (PDF, 76 KB)

The Agreement is being implemented through a phased approach, with the requirement to use only AIHTS-certified traps for a particular species becoming mandatory only after a sufficient number of trap types have been certified and trappers have been provided notification that regulations will be changed. If an insufficient number of certified traps are available for a given species, current trap types and/or models will be allowed for that species until a reasonable number of traps have been certified through the AIHTS process. The 2007-2008 trapping season marked the first year British Columbia trappers were required by law to use only AIHTS-certified traps for a subset of the species listed in the Agreement.

What does the agreement mean for British Columbia's trappers?

The Agreement applies to most furbearers trapped in B.C. for the following purposes:

1. for wildlife management purposes, including wildlife conflict control;
2. to obtain furs, skins or meat;
3. for conservation purposes.

Currently, a person using killing traps for beaver, bobcat, fisher, lynx, marten, muskrat, otter, raccoon and weasels (least, short-tailed, and long-tailed), or restraining traps for beaver (cage traps), bobcat, lynx and wolf is required, by law, to use only species-specific traps included in B.C.’s trapping regulations which have been certified under the Agreement. As additional traps are tested and certified for these species they will be added to this list of legal traps – traps for these species are not legal until they have been added to B.C.’s regulations. Please see the Hunting and Trapping Regulations Synopsis and the Hunting and Trapping Regulation Synopsis corrections and updates for the latest list of AIHTS-certified traps approved for use in B.C.

Canada’s commitment to the ongoing implementation of the Agreement allows trappers to continue to market their furs internationally, and will ensure Canada continues to play a leading role in the research, development and implementation of humane trapping methods to effectively manage our fur resource.

For more information on the Agreement please consult the Fur Institute of Canada’s website at www.fur.ca.