Thank you for the invitation…

Thank you for the invitation to comment on the proposed changes to snares used in Ontario.

It must be pointed out that proposing to change the diameter of relaxing cable restraints (RCRs) brings into the public spotlight that these snares are being used in Ontario. This is despite RCRs not being certified traps under The Agreement on International Trapping Standards. Unless I am much mistaken, Canada is a signatory to this agreement. If so, how is that animal killers in this country are allowed to use these devices while remaining party to such an agreement? Snares in themselves are not certified traps under the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards. Thus a ban on such devices would be appropriate in Ontario.

It would seem snares are used in the fur trade as well as by farmers aiming to kill animals viewed as predators. Some predatory animals may be killed by these snares, but nontarget animals are often caught and harmed. Needless to say, snaring an animal of any sort is inhumane. It is extremely worrying that a significant number of wildlife species continue to be persecuted by farmers, suggesting a failure by those farmers to take appropriate care of their domestic animals. It should be said that wild creatures should take precedence over domestic ones. They are the true natives of this country. Some farmers use horses or donkeys to effectively protect their herds from canine predators, a far more humane and less indiscriminate means of farm animal protection.