As we continue our advocacy work in pursuit of trapping reform and stronger protections for wildlife, Exposed Wildlife Conservancy has made a formal submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance as part of the federal government’s pre-budget consultation process.
We are urging the Government of Canada to fund an independent review of Canada’s continued reliance on the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS). Our recommendation asks whether Canada’s current trapping standards and implementation framework still align with modern federal commitments to biodiversity protection, species-at-risk recovery, ecological integrity, and humane wildlife management.
For many, trapping is often viewed as something historical, but across the country, on public land and in provincial parks, animals continue to suffer in traps and snares every year. Countless target and non-target animals are caught in inherently indiscriminate devices. Many endure prolonged pain, panic, injury, or death.
This issue became heartbreakingly real for many people through Moon’s story.
Moon, a beloved 2-year-old husky, was killed in a baited Conibear fur trap while out on a walk with his family in British Columbia.
Moon’s story helped spark a broader public conversation about trapping reform, accountability, transparency, and public safety. It also underscored a difficult reality: current trapping regulations not only affect wildlife, but they also have profound impacts on families, companion animals, and communities.
These unavoidable incidents are not isolated or uncommon. After his story hit the media, hundreds of people from across the country reached out to share their stories of loss and express concerns over the poorly regulated commercial trapping industry.
The AIHTS was originally developed to improve animal welfare in wildlife trapping, meet European Union requirements, and maintain access to international fur markets. However, growing scientific evidence suggests that aspects of the current framework deserve renewed federal scrutiny, particularly the continued accommodation of killing neck snares within Canada’s implementation system.
Recent peer-reviewed research has raised serious concerns about the humaneness and non-selective nature of these devices, including documented captures of non-target wildlife, domestic animals and beloved pets. At the same time, federal species recovery and management documents already identify trapping-related mortality as a concern for vulnerable species, including wolverines and eastern wolves.
We are highlighting the need for a transparent, evidence-based federal review to determine whether current practices remain consistent with Canada’s biodiversity and wildlife stewardship commitments.
We will continue to emphasize that this recommendation relates specifically to commercial and recreational trapping standards and does not address Indigenous harvesting carried out pursuant to Indigenous rights, agreements, or traditional harvesting arrangements.
In short, a federally funded review would help ensure that wildlife policy reflects current science, evolving conservation priorities, and Canada’s broader commitments to humane and ecologically responsible wildlife management.
You can read EWC’s full federal pre-budget consultation submission here:
