Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 20:44:48 EDT Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Steve Huy Subject: animal rights pressure - MOS Mute Swan Policy Stance - MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit In a message dated 04/25/01 06:43:04 Eastern Daylight Time, dbrinker@BELLATLANTIC.NET writes: > DNR is under very strong pressure from animal rights lobbies via the highest > office in the state. It is certainly a good idea to keep an eye on animal rights activities at this time. One thing that may eventually affect ornithology in Maryland is the recent failed legislation to outlaw all "leghold" traps. Personally I do not think highly of trapping in the modern world. If you're trapping for fur it really isn't necessary, unless you have a reasonable use for the fur and not just the desire to show off your wealth. If trapping for problematic wildlife, I feel the traps should be monitored so no animal suffers in them for long. I assume (and could very well be wrong) that many people on this list would oppose use of leghold traps in their neighborhood, yard or local public lands. Many people feel they are inhumane, cruel and unnecessary. I am not arguing for or against these traps - trapping is part of the State's heritage and will continue as long as the people feel it acceptable - I'm setting the scene for my comments below. My purpose here is to point out the danger of this legislation, sponsored nationwide by animal rights groups, to ornithology. This will apply to other bills that are sure to be penned by extremist animal rights groups - perhaps even in an effort to protect mute swans. I'm sure those of you not familiar with this bill are thinking of steel-jawed traps that grab an animal by the foot until it dies on the trappers next check or from starvation or exposure. Perhaps you are thinking about those steel traps that grab the body of a beaver or muskrat under water so that it cannot surface and drowns. Now think about those of us on this list that band raptors. One of the more popular traps we use snares the raptor by the leg. The bal-chatri, a design thousands of years old, is simply a cage containing a lure (usually a small mammal or bird) covered with nooses that grab the feet of the raptor that tried to grab the lure. This trap is very safe, for both the lure and raptor, when used properly. Unfortunately the wording of the legislation would have included these traps as they grabbed the legs, or body and actually used small snares. The text of the bill included restrictions on the sale of furs, mentioned methods of trapping that sounded as though it was designed to prohibit steel jawed traps. Unfortunately this vague wording was purposefully designed to eliminate not only the activities of fur trapping, but things like trapping raptors. Perhaps it is aimed at research, perhaps at falconry. Unfortunately the lawyers for these animal rights groups are really smart and can target small groups like raptor banders without most of us realizing it. The bill that was submitted in Maryland did not pass as I understand, but will be introduced again next year. It has passed in other states. I have heard that in one state it has been interpreted to outlaw trapping of raptors for the purpose of banding or research by any trap that grips the legs or body of the birds. There is some debate over mistnet use as perhaps 'gripping or holding" the body of the birds. This means that falconers and banders in the state must find another way to trap raptors - which is not likely. Hopefully they will be able to pass an amendment next year that will provide definitions of the traps included. This may sound paranoid and ridiculous to most of us. But I also realize that if such a regulation was passed, I could be fined and jailed for studying raptors. Its important to keep an eye on such activities and make sure that we aren't inadvertently supporting legislation which may seem ethical to us, but may adversely impact our wildlife and conservation in general. This recent bill was certainly an eye opener to me. I don't follow politics much and if this had passed I may not have learned about it until I was standing in front of a judge. Now I realize I'll have to follow issues like this. Its not something I want to do, but to support conservation it is necessary. J. Steven Huy Middletown, Maryland, USA mailto: nsawwhet@aol.com ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================