Township: Beavers' fate in provincial hands

Langley wants to take the lead on changing the way beavers are trapped province-wide.

Langley Advance: by Matthew Claxton

If Langley Township has its way, fatal beaver traps will be tossed out with the trash and replaced with a relocation program.

Unfortunately, the provincial government controls the way beavers are trapped.

To change provincial minds on the virtues of live trapping, the Township councillors voted to send a resolution to the meeting next month of the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

"The province has tied our hands," said Councillor Jordan Bateman. "I think everyone in Langley would prefer to find a place to relocate the beavers."

Since 2003, Langley, like other municipalities, has switched from a capture-and-release program for dealing with problem beavers to a lethal trapping program.

The province stopped allowing live trapping, because it said there were already too many wild beavers. Releasing trapped animals was tantamount to condemning them to a slow death as they failed to find any territory of their own, according to the ministry of the environment.

The trapping program has recently drawn the ire of local animal rights groups such as the Fur Bearer Defenders and local wildlife shelter Critter Care. Several groups have sent letters asking the Township to change its policy.

That pressure brought about the first review of the policy since it came into effect in 2003.

"It's good the issue has come to light," said Bateman.

Before the recent media coverage of the event, Bateman said he didn't even know that the Township used lethal trapping. Around 30 beavers a year are trapped after they build dams which disrupt agriculture, industrial or residental land.

Most of the beavers in Langley aren't bothering anyone, and live unmolested in parks or the Canadian Forces lands in Aldergrove.

On Monday, council considered the issue at its afternoon meeting.

Bateman suggested that a resolution at the UBCM for the province to change the laws could be made. The Township will also contact other Lower Mainland municipalities and the provincial Ministry of the Environment about the issue.

The UBCM is an excellent forum for lobbying the provincial government, because it attracts the attention of top-level cabinet ministers, Bateman said.

Some of the Township's councillors may be able to meet with Environment Minister Barry Penner at the annual conference, Bateman said.

He has also been encouraging the people who have contacted him about the issue to call the province directly to register their displeasure.

"There's absolutely nothing we can do about the provincial government policy," Bateman said. "It's up to them to change it."