California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Wednesday making it illegal to trap animals or sell their fur!
It’s the 21st century people – certain customs have just got to go… The Wildlife Protection Act of 2019 officially put an end to California’s out-of-date method of trapping animals with the intention to sell their fur. Though ‘fur trapping’ may have played a significant role in the past, it only seems fitting that this longstanding practice corresponds with the troubles of today.
It’s true! CA is now the first state to ban fur trapping. https://t.co/lAx89MJ4ZQ
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 4, 2019
“Historically, fur trapping played a significant role in the extirpation of wolves and wolverines and the severe declines in sea otters, fishers, marten, beaver, and other fur-bearing species in California,” the bill states. “Because individual trappers concentrate their operations in limited geographical areas, they can locally deplete populations of the species they target, impairing the ecological functioning of the area and diminishing opportunities for wildlife watching in these areas.”
Trappers typically shoot, beat, or strangle the animal after catching it before later stripping its fur, pelt, or skin to be sold; the new law prohibits the use of steel-jawed leghold traps as well as any other trap that has a sawtoothed or spiked jaw.
According to The Associated Press, the number of licenses for recreational and commercial fur trapping has declined in recent years. California issued 133 licenses last year, resulting in 1,568 animals trapped and 1,241 pelts on the market; the new law still permits the trapping of pests such as rats, mice, voles, moles, and gophers.