The Fur Institute of Canada (FIC), members of the Hunting and Angling Advisory Panel, is the country’s lead expert on humane trap research and is the official trap-testing agency for the Government of Canada and all provincial/territorial governments.
The FIC tests and certifies wild fur animal traps to animal welfare requirements, as required by the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards. This agreement was ratified by Canada in 1998 and entered into force in 2008. The agreement requires participating countries to prohibit the use of traps that do not meet the standards and to certify and regulate traps to the international standard.
Since the mid-1980s, federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions have all provided core funding in support of the Fur Institute of Canada in order to implement the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards.
The Fur Institute of Canada has been effective in its helping to implement the agreement, and consequently Canada is on track to being in compliance with its obligations by 2016.
Hunting, angling and trapping are central to the livelihood, recreation and tradition of many Canadians, including local and regional tourism industries. Management of these activities is an important component to the conservation of our natural heritage.
On May 30, 2012, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed members from hunting, trapping, angling and conservation organizations to the newly established Hunting and Angling Advisory Panel.
The panel—which is made up of representatives from provincial and territorial hunting and angling associations, as well as conservation and related industry associations—provides advice to the Government of Canada on a range of federal policies, programs and activities related to conservation and hunting, trapping and angling to ensure that government decisions are based on inclusive and broad-based advice.
In particular, the panel will:
- Ensure that future conservation practices—including the protection of endangered species—be based on input from Canadians who have a long tradition of conservation;
- Provide inclusive and broad-based advice to the government to help ensure that decisions on issues such as endangered species, wetland protection and nature conservation benefit from a balanced perspective;
- Promote and encourage the effective stewardship of Canada’s aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and fish.
