202408/08
Certain animal rights organizations and legislators proposed amending the Animal Protection Act to advocate for a wholesale ban on metal lasso snares (boar sling traps) today (August 8). In response, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) stated that there are still times where there is a need for the use of metal lasso snares, particularly when it comes to the traditional hunting activities of indigenous peoples, as well as farmers in mountain communities for preventing wild animals from damaging crops. There are currently no alternative tools that are more effective or safer to replace metal lasso snares. If a strong demand for the use of metal lasso snares still exists, a wholesale ban will not help to improve the current situation and will force the usage to become more secretive, which is not conducive to conservation management. In recent years, the FANCA has developed improved hunting gear that is less harmful, and there have been a number of confirmed cases where an accidental capture of Formosan black bears or injuries to trapped animals can be avoided. Residents of the mountain communities can obtain these hunting gears for free from the FANCA, thereby taking care of the livelihood of farmers, the preservation of indigenous cultural heritage, and conservation efforts.
The FANCA said that steel-jaw traps can cause serious and immediate harm to trapped animals. The Ministry of Agriculture has amended the Wildlife Conservation Act to fully ban the use of these traps, and this amendment is now under review by the Legislative Yuan. However, metal lasso snares (boar sling traps) are commonly used by many farmers in mountain communities as a prevention and control tool to reduce wildlife damage to their crops. This type of traps is also used by Indigenous peoples to hunt wildlife. There is indeed a strong demand for their use in practical activities with no better alternatives, thus a wholesale ban would not be suitable. Once the use of metal lasso snares becomes illegal, if non-targeted endangered wildlife (e.g., Formosan black bears) are inadvertently caught, the user might not proactively notify authorities for animal rescue due to a fear of violating the law, and may even destroy the evidence, which is detrimental to the conservation of endangered species.
The FANCA explained that the improved hunting gear developed by the Agency is based on those used in Japan, with four measures to reduce the harm to wildlife. The pedal diameter is smaller than 12cm, which can help prevent the accidental capture of non-targeted wild animals (e.g., Formosan black bears); the wire diameter is larger than 4cm, which can avoid direct injuries to the limbs of the animals; the lasso is equipped with a figure-eight swivel ring, which prevents hurting the animal due to entanglement; and it is equipped with a non-slip sleeve to fix the length of the lasso loop, so that smaller animals can extricate themselves from the trap to avoid being accidentally captured and injuring[LK1] their limbs due tightening of the lasso. Compared with conventional traps and the traditional boar sling traps, the improved hunting gear can minimize the accidental capture of non-target species, and increase the survival rate of animals and the efficiency of rescue.
The Tsou Hunter Association under the guidance of the Chiayi Branch set up infrared cameras to assist in field monitoring. According to the FANCA, in June 2023, the cameras filmed Formosan black bears coming in contact with the improved hunting gear without getting trapped, which proves that the improved hunting gears can indeed prevent the inadvertent capture of bears. In addition, last December, hunters from the Pasing Tribal Community under the guidance of the Taichung Branch used the improved hunting gear, which happened to capture a non-targeted Formosan Reeve’s muntjac and a pregnant Formosan serow. However, due to the effectiveness of the non-slip sleeve and the figure-eight swivel ring designed for the improved hunting gear, not only were the animals not harmed, the hunters were also able to arrive without delay to undo the trap and release the animals safely back into the mountains.
The FANCA further stated that it has so far distributed 5,682 improved hunting gears free of charge to farmers and indigenous people in mountain communities with a need; it has also subsidized farmers to set up electric fences around farmlands that can effectively prevent and control wildlife damage. This year, the FANCA has even increased the subsidy scope to include monkey-proof nets and sound repellers and other measures that can prevent both monkeys and wildlife damage. It is hoped that farmers can be encouraged to use different methods for the prevention and control of wildlife damage.
The FANCA emphasized that regardless of international trends or practical management, public-private collaboration and the encouragement of local residents to participate in conservation work will enhance the local capacity of environmental protection, taking into account both conservation and the continuation of traditional cultural wisdom. To minimize the harm to non-target animals from traps, it is necessary to properly address the needs of farmers in the prevention and control of wildlife damage, while respecting the rights of indigenous peoples in the utilization of natural resources. Together with the relevant stakeholders, and by applying multiple methods for wildlife damage management, we can promote conservation work pragmatically and effectively.