Three states are sued over trapping methods

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November 2006:
The Animal Protection Institute, of Sacramento, California,
on September 20 and October 12, 2006 sued the Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources and Maine Department of Inland Fisheries &
Wildlife for permitting trapping by methods that jeopardize
endangered and threatened species.
In Minnesota, API director of wildlife programs Camilla Fox
told Associated Press, “Between 2002 and 2005, at least 13 Canada
lynx were incidentally trapped in snares and traps set for other
species. In Maine, records show that a minimum of five Canada lynx
were caught in traps in 2005 alone. At least two of the lynx were
kittens.”


Sinapu, of Boulder, Colorado, and Forest Guardians, of
Santa Fe, New Mexico, on October 10 sued the Colorado Wildlife
Commission for authorizing the use of box traps to capture mink and
pine marten, who would then be killed and pelted. The authorization
was issued on July 13, at request of the Colorado Trappers
Association.
Sinapu and Forest Guardians contend that the authorization
violated the intent of a 1996 amendment to the Colorado state
constitution which prohibits any use of poisons, leghold traps, or
body-gripping traps on public land. Sinapu and Forest Guardians also
contend that the Colorado Wildlife Commission lacks information about
the abundance and distribution of mink and pine marten, and violated
its own rules of procedure in approving the trappers’ request.

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