6th July 2018
The Moorland Association has today welcomed the news that the Government is planning to allow a further year for the replacement of stoat traps, following a Public Consultation.
The news emerged in a notification made by Defra to the European Commission, which oversees Member States’ implementation of the Agreement on Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS).
The notification reveals that in line with a Government public consultation earlier this year, recently approved stoat traps are to be added to the Spring Traps Approvals Order as soon as the Parliamentary timetable allows but an additional measure removing the use of existing Fenn traps for catching stoats is now to be delayed by 15 months until 1st April 2020.
Amanda Anderson, Director of the Moorland Association, said: “A broad range of countryside organisations have been working together to convince politicians and officials that more time would be required to test, approve, make and market new AIHTS-compliant stoat traps in the large quantities required by gamekeepers and other trappers.”
“2020 is not that far away and replacing all non-compliant stoat traps by then will still be tight. However, this extra time significantly reduces the difficulties the sector predicted. I’d like to place my thanks on record to the Government for hearing the views of rural stakeholders and responding to them.”
The proposed extension of the deadline till 1st April 2020 will allow for more new trap designs to be tested for AIHTS compliance and for approved new traps to be made, sold, weathered in and deployed in the countryside.
