British Columbia is currently reviewing the Wildlife Act, including hunting, trapping, and related commercial activities. That makes this spring an important window for long-overdue changes to trapping regulations.
For years, communities, organizations, and local governments across B.C. have raised concerns about the public safety risks associated with commercial and recreational trapping on publicly accessible land. These concerns are not new, and despite repeated calls for reform, meaningful regulatory change has remained limited.
Recent incidents, including the death of Moon near a publicly accessible recreation area, have once again highlighted the gap between how trapping is currently regulated and how people actually use shared land today.
We recently met with Minister Randene Neill, alongside Moon’s family and The Fur-Bearers, to discuss these concerns directly. We are encouraged that the Minister was receptive to the conversation and willing to listen. We are also grateful that Exposed Wildlife Conservancy and our partners will be included in the ongoing conversation about what these changes could look like as the Province moves forward with the Wildlife Act review.
As this process continues, we are advocating for practical, enforceable public-safety reforms, including:
We are also digging further into research related to commercial and recreational trapping in British Columbia’s provincial parks, including whether current trapping practices align with the conservation, recreation, and public safety purposes of those spaces. There is more to come on that work.
We are hopeful that the changes being considered this spring will be meaningful and positive. At the same time, we know this work requires continued attention and accountability to ensure that public safety, wildlife welfare, and the realities of modern land use are properly reflected in provincial regulation.
We will continue to engage constructively, bringing forward evidence-based solutions and keeping our supporters informed as this work develops.
If you’d like to support this work, please consider making a donation today. Your donation, no matter how modest, helps us continue our advocacy, research, and public engagement efforts to protect wildlife, pets, and the public.
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