A bald eagle is recovering at the Atlantic Wildlife Institute after finding itself caught in a coyote snare — something that the institute says is not a new occurrence.
“We have seen it before, where we’ve had other eagles, bald eagles — and even a golden eagle some years back — that were caught in the snares and either caught around their neck, or we had one that came in that still had the snare embedded around its wing,” Pam Novak, director of wildlife care, said.
The eagle, which was found in the Renous area, was sent to the institute to recover, which will be a slow process, she said.
Snares are one type of method used by harvesters to trap fur-bearing animals, such as coyotes. These animals are then used in fur products, such as clothing.
Fur harvesting is regulated by the New Brunswick government and regulations differ across Canada. Harvesters require a licence and must abide by the rules laid out by the government. But trapping for fur has long been criticized by animal rights groups who want such snares and traps banned.
The Department of Natural Resources did not provide an interview about trapping and snaring and whether regulations could change in the future, but Valerie Kilfoil, a spokesperson for the department, said in an email that the eagle in Renous was caught in what was deemed a legal snare.
Camille Labchuk of Animal Justice says she believes Canadians are “learning the truth” about fur trapping, leading to a decline in fur demand.
Kilfoil said about 1,100 licences are sold annually, which allow the individual to trap, snare or hunt 17 species of fur-bearing animals, including coyote, bobcat, and fox, during the snaring season, which runs from mid-November to the end of February.
She also said trapper education training, before acquiring a fur harvester licence, has been mandatory since 1981.
Charles Neveu, the president of the New Brunswick Trappers and Fur Harvesters Federation, said continued education is also paramount to ensure good practices are followed.
He said snares and traps are certified through the Fur Institute of Canada. According to the institute’s website, as of October 2023, 248 trap models had been certified. Certain traps are designed to kill an animal quickly, while others are used to restrain it until the trapper arrives. The website says different designs are used depending on the targeted species and where and when the trap will be set.
Neveu said there are certain things harvesters can do to lower the risk of catching what is referred to as a “non-target species.” For example, there’s a device that can be put on a snare, he said, which acts as a breakaway if an animal above a certain weight, such as a moose, walks into it.
With birds, since most hunt with their eyesight, it’s important to place bait in a dense canopy, Neveu said, so the bird doesn’t see it and try to swoop in.
As well, he said it’s important not to place a snare along the main access trail leading to the bait, or within 15 metres of the bait, to avoid catching birds or even someone’s pet.
“[A dog is] not going to react like a predator, like a coyote or a fox,” said Neveu. “He’s going to smell the bait, and he’s going to go directly from the road to the bait and check it and then come back.”
Neveu said that’s why the snare should be placed on the backside of the bait, since coyotes, for example, are more skittish and tend to approach the bait more cautiously, usually from behind.
These are things the federation works to educate harvesters about but he said it’s become more difficult to engage with trappers.
He said trappers can do the education course, obtain a licence and starting trapping, without continuing to seek out the latest updates on education and proper equipment.
As the federation’s membership gets older, Neveu sees fewer trappers at events and workshops, and he wants to find ways to better connect with the younger generation of harvesters.
“People look on the internet and find something, [and think] ‘OK, that’s what I’ll try, cheap snare and all that,'” said Neveu. “But at the end of the day, we’re responsible to teach those [people] also to make sure everything gets done correctly and … not to damage the non-target species.”
The capture of non-target species has always been a concern for Julia Haggerty, who lives near Fredericton. It’s one of the reasons she has long advocated for a ban on fur traps, along with the humaneness of the traps and the enforcement of regulations.
Haggerty said she remembers protesting in the streets and lobbying the New Brunswick government over 20 years ago, when she was part of a group called the Society Against Animal and Environmental Exploitation.
Now 79, she said it is discouraging to see the lack of regulation changes so many years later.
One change she has noticed is that buying fur doesn’t seem to be as popular anymore. But that being said, she doesn’t believe it’s a necessary trade for income or food for many fur harvesters.
Camille Labchuk, a lawyer and the executive director of Animal Justice, a Canadian non-profit that lobbies for animal protection laws, agrees that the popularity of fur has declined.
She said she believes the public has become increasingly more concerned with traps and snares in their communities — because of the catching of non-target species but also because of videos that have come to light of target species in traps dying “in absolutely brutal ways.”
“As the decline of fur really takes hold, and I see less and less for every winter, which makes me very happy, it’s just no longer a commercially viable or useful use of hunters and trappers’ time,” said Labchuk.
She said while there hasn’t been much movement legally when it comes to restricting the regulations around trapping and snaring, she said the social movement has been huge.
For example, years of backlash led to Canada Goose, a brand that long used coyote fur trim on its coats, to announce it would no longer use fur in its products.
“We have become much more sensitive, not just to fur, but all types of animal issues, and we are slowly starting to see politicians respond to this,” said Labchuk.
“I think the time is really right for additional support to be directed towards legislators for making changes that would reduce or eliminate trapping or snaring and bring New Brunswick and Canada more in line with Canadians’ values.”
