The Langley Advance
Tuesday, September 26, 2006 08:23 AM

Trapping: Drowning utterly cruel

Dear Editor,

I missed a wonderful piece by Bob Groeneveld [Trapped in the wilderness, Aug. 29 Opinion, Langley Advance]. It concerned the disgustingly cruel trapping of beavers in the Township of Langley.

Fortunately, an organization I support, The Fur-Bearer Defenders, sent it out with their newsletter.

Ashamed at being a citizen whose taxes go towards this enterprise, I phoned Township hall. The executive in charge of beaver-trapping was sympathetic to my complaints of cruelty. When asked why trapping was not done in a humane manner, he informed me that live trapping and wilderness release has been forbidden by the provincial government's department of the environment.

I also phoned the office of Langley MLA Mary Polak, and was assured that she would be looking into the matter.

If you feel as I do, that drowning these creatures in ditches if they are unable to chew their leg off before running out of oxygen is utterly cruel and unnecessary, write to the Hon. Barry Penner, Minister of Environment, Room 112, Parliament Bldgs. Victoria, BC V3A 3AZ. Failing that, phone Mayor Kurt Alberts at 604-534-3211.

Mike Harvey, Langley