Quote:
Originally Posted by 3blade
The reason is to hold onto the current system
If registered lines go unused, the provincial government faces pressure to turn it over to the more-equals. As it stands the provincial government can prove conclusively that registered trappers are a useful wildlife management tool. Removing quotas helps increase harvest. If there is little to no harvest or data, that argument fails.
The courts (heavily influenced by federal politics) will give the more-equals everything they want and more. So you don’t go to court against them without overwhelming evidence
Resident trappers are viewed as recreational (or problem wildlife control), and will never be a higher priority than more equals or registered. No it is not fair, or right, but the wildlife management world rarely is.
If the more-equals get their way there will be no (non-treaty) trapping, and most low information urban voters would be happy to see it that way. Stop fighting amongst yourselves.
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I agree. I never started the fight, but I don't agree with someone's idea of entitlement. Either way, a trapper is a trapper and should back each other up, not divide.
Not doubting you, but where did you learn the reasoning behind the quote removal?
If we actually let the system do exactly what it is supposed to do, unused lines would be taken and given/sold to trappers willing to trap them.
If you don't catch your quota, and have no justifiable reason why you didn't, you should loose your line to the long list of trappers eagerly waiting to have a line of their own. The list of trappers wanting their own line is quite long depending on the area.
Justiable reasons would have to be set in stone reasons such are logging, fire etc.. saying "I was working too much this winter" should only be acceptable with proof and only acceptable for a couple of years.
This just doesn't happen though.
I know dozens of lines that do not get trapped. It's been in the family for years... The older trapper no longer can trap and no other family have any interest but they don't want to let their cabin in the woods go.. If you talk to these families they openly state they don't trap it anymore because they themsevles often don't understand the contract the trapper has with the government to trap it.
99% of the time I ask the senior sign on as jr, I get no.. and the reason given is they believe if they sign on a jr, the jr will take the line from them.
This is the problem... yes fur prices suck, but lets be honest, trapping is just a hobby these days.. a wildlife management tool for the government, but to the line holder, just a hobby..
If the government started seeing lines for a couple years, those family line holders will likely step up and trap.. Which is what should happen.
They have policies, but they don't want to enforce them..
And then we have the issue of lines being sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.. You should be able to get your money back (including improvements you made on the line), but line prices have gotten out of hand for a long time now.
My point is, untrapped lines are easily fixed if they ever decide to enforce policies..
It would be hard for a family to loose a line that's been in the family for decades, but start trapping it or loose it to someone who will. If I was in their shoes, it would be a crap situation, but that is the contract the trapper has with the province.
I should add, I can not state how many times RFMA holders have asked me if I would sell my furs (trapped on residential land) to them so they can claim them.
Furbearer Limits (Quotas) have been removed for 2024-2025
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