In late 1997, the European Union (EU), Canada, and Russia signed the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS or the Agreement). This Agreement averted the implementation of European legislation that would have prohibited the importing of 13 species of wild furs into Europe from Canada. The effects of such a ban would have been very serious, directly affecting all our major furbearing species except mink and fox. Likely, even the market for these would have been indirectly affected. The industry has been seeking and developing alternative markets (for example Asian countries), but the European market still currently accounts for approximately 70 per cent of the market for Canadian wild fur.

The United States had previously withdrawn from the official Canada-EU-Russia negotiations. As a result, in late 1997, the US concluded a separate understanding with the EU which is similar to the one agreed to by Canada, though a bit more lenient. Consequently, complications and negative effects of having US fur blocked out of EU markets were also averted.

A major event in the implementation of the AIHTS occurred on June 1, 1999, with the ratification of the Agreement by Canada on a bilateral basis with the EU. The bilateral option had been included to allow for the Agreement to move forward in the event that Russia was unable to ratify within a reasonable time period. After careful consideration of the options available, including the risks and uncertainties of leaving the Agreement unratified in the face of changes in the EU administration, the various Canadian stakeholders asked the federal government to proceed with the bilateral ratification. Prior to ratification, consultations had taken place with our US counterparts on this issue. The US agreement with the EU only went into effect in the event of full ratification of the AIHTS by Canada, Russia, and the EU. However, after Canada’s ratification in June, the US decided in August 1999 to also bring their agreement into force as of June 1, 1999. Canada continues to make every effort to encourage and support Russian ratification at the earliest possible opportunity, but this has still not occurred.

The signing of this Agreement with the EU has kept the critical European marketplace open to Canadian wild furs. However, it was reached only at considerable cost to the wild fur producing nations. With the initialing of the original Agreement in 1997, we became obligated to ban the use of conventional steel-jawed leghold restraining traps not later than the end of the 2000-01 trapping season - regardless of whether or not the traps would otherwise pass thresholds set for restraining trap standards ( which is very likely for some species). Last year the Canadian provinces and territories made the necessary regulatory changes to ensure that we were in compliance with our commitments in relation to this particular aspect of the Agreement. Please consult the 2002 Nova Scotia Hunting and Furharvesting Licence and Summary of Regulations booklet, also available on the internet at https://novascotia.ca/natr/hunt/regulations/default.htm , or contact your local DNR office for information on which restraining traps are currently permitted for various species.

The bilateral ratification of the Agreement on June 1, 1999 started the clock ticking on the schedule for testing of various other restraining and killing trap systems against the standards in the AIHTS. Considerable work had already been done prior to that time and significant progress has been made in the past three years through the Fur Institute of Canada’s Trap Research and Development program (see the List of Traps which have been found to meet the AIHTS, page 12 of this issue of Nova Scotia Trappers Newsletter or on the website of the Fur Institute of Canada at http://www.fur.ca/). Watch the FIC website for regular updates as more results become available). Results of trap testing, which have shown that some commonly used traps for several species will meet the AIHTS standards is welcome news for furharvesters. Significant effort and expense over a relatively short time frame will continue to be required to test and improve traps and trapping systems, to ensure that trappers will be able to continue to efficiently harvest wild furbearers.

As a result of the AIHTS, the markets for North American furs are still open. We can certainly be proud of the many capable representatives from the various players in the fur industry (such as governments, the Fur Institute of Canada, trapper organizations, fur auctions, fur farmers, etc.) who have made, and continue to make, important contributions toward dealing with this situation. Unfortunately, this is not simply an issue of science, factual information, and technological improvement, but also of animal rights, public relations campaigns, strong emotions, and politics. And though the threat to the EU markets may have been successfully resolved, lobby groups will undoubtedly continue their attacks on the industry in other arenas. Canada’s leadership in humane trap standards, trapping system research and development, fur harvester training, furbearer conservation and management, and in implementing this Agreement are strong demonstrations of our commitment to humane, sustainable furbearer resource utilization.

In late September 1997, a meeting was held in Quebec City between representatives of federal, provincial, and territorial government agencies, aboriginal peoples, and trappers to discuss the implications and requirements of the Agreement. Discussion centered around timetables and options available for complying with the Agreement, along with such issues as direction and funding for required trap testing, research, certification, and coordination between different jurisdictions. While the federal government coordinated negotiations and signed the Agreement on behalf of Canada, the actual mandate for managing furbearing species rests with the provincial, territorial, and aboriginal land claim governments. Consequently, only they can implement the requirements of the Agreement, and approaches for doing this may vary between jurisdictions.

Following the meeting in Quebec, discussions between the various jurisdictions and interest groups on implementation and coordination have continued both nationally and internationally. The Trap Research and Development Committee of the Fur Institute of Canada is leading the trap testing and development work for our country. Its primary goal is to ensure that effective, economical, safe and humane traps are available for Canadian trappers. The FIC, together with representatives of the provinces and territories, have maintained a close and coordinated cooperation with US and Russian cooperators in trap research and issues around the implementation of the AIHTS. Following on the success of the FIC research program in developing computer models for rating killing traps against the AIHTS standards, Canada and the US have begun work on the cooperative development of trap performance models for leghold restraining devices. The results of this project have potential to significantly enhance our ability to assess performance of such restraining traps. The Canada-US cooperative approach should allow exploration of this potential more quickly than either party would likely have been able to do independently. The FIC also plays a key role in facilitating information dissemination and education in addition to many other processes and activities necessary for the implementation of the Agreement.

The Canadian Furbearer Management Committee (CFMC) - a national committee comprised of representatives from each of the provincial and territorial government wildlife agencies, reporting to the Provincial/Territorial Wildlife Directors) has been working on various issues to ensure harmonization and coordination of interpretation and implementation of the Agreement in the various Canadian jurisdictions. The CFMC has now completed the process for “certification” of traps, as required in the Agreement. This process has now been put in place for use by the provincial and territorial wildlife agencies and provides the framework for certification of traps by these ‘competent authorities’ as complying with the requirements of the AIHTS. In addition to considering performance of traps against the animal welfare requirements of the AIHTS, certification also takes into account safety and efficiency of trapping devices. The requirement for traps used to capture furbearers to be certified as meeting the AIHTS does not actually go into effect until 2007. However, with the certification process now in place, manufacturers have already begun to submit qualifying traps for certification. As a result, manufacturers, trappers, and wildlife management agencies will now have the opportunity to know as soon as possible which devices have been certified as meeting the AIHTS, well in advance of the 2007 deadline. In order to provide information to trappers on which traps have actually been certified, the current list of traps which have been found to meet the animal welfare requirements of the AIHTS (see page 12) now also includes a second column to indicate whether the trap has been certified. The CFMC also advises the Wildlife Directors on other furbearer management related issues, and provides representation for the provincial and territorial jurisdictions at various international meetings pertaining to the implementation of the Agreement.

The Canadian Wildlife Directors have moved ahead with the formation and mandating of the Canadian Advisory Committee for the implementation of the AIHTS. From that group will come direction on the composition of the Canadian delegation to the AIHTS Joint Management Committee, as well as on the actual priorities and direction of that delegation. Canada hosted a provisional meeting of the Joint Management Committee in June of 2000 in Edmonton. Attendance at that meeting consisted of representatives of Canada and EU (currently the only signatories who have ratified the Agreement), along with invited representatives of Russia and the USA. Reports tabled at the meeting detailed the status of trap testing and research in the respective jurisdictions. A second provisional meeting had been scheduled for June 2001, to be hosted by the EU. The EU postponed that meeting and a meeting is now scheduled for late October 2002. Canada, US and Russia will have considerable progress and success to report at that meeting. Traps also continue to be used in the EU for a variety of purposes, so it will be interesting to receive information on what work has been completed there to comply with EU obligations under the AIHTS.

Trappers and trapper organizations continue (along with other stakeholders when appropriate) to play key roles in various aspects of the efforts surrounding this Agreement including participation in FIC activities and committees, cooperation in trap testing, research and development, delivery and development of furharvester education, representation on international delegations, and direct input to provincial and territorial governments. Anyone wanting more details on the EU Agreement and how it will affect trappers here and in other parts of Canada, as well as information on trap research and development, trap certification, or related topics, should contact the Furbearers and Upland Game Section of the Wildlife Division, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources (contact information can be found inside the front cover of Nova Scotia Trappers Newsletter).

Undoubtedly the fur industry faces difficulties now and in the future. However, continued hard work and cooperation between government, fur harvesters, and other players in the industry should ensure the continued wise use of this natural resource, as well as the survival of a distinctly North American industry and way of life.

The American pine marten is a small member of the weasel family, about the size of a mink. It has chocolate brown fur, with an orange coloured throat and chest. Its long slender body, short limbs, broad feet, and sharp claws make the marten well adapted for climbing trees, travelling across the forest floor and snow, and for capturing mice and voles that are its main foods.

Marten once flourished throughout Atlantic Canada in the boreal forest. However since the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, three of the four Atlantic province’s have seen their populations either become extinct (PEI) or at risk of extirpation (Nfld., NS). In Nova Scotia, marten populations have been listed as “Endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (1998).

Once thought to be widespread across Nova Scotia during the late 1800’s, by the early 1900’s, marten populations had declined drastically due to over-harvesting. Today, marten in Nova Scotia are split between two populations; western Nova Scotia and the Cape Breton Highlands.

The western mainland population is a result of a re-introduction program in Kejimikujik National Park between 1987 and 1994 with animals brought in from New Brunswick. Marten had been extirpated from the mainland by 1935. A recent preliminary study suggested that the western population has increased and expanded from the original release sites. However, the status of the population is unknown.

The relic Cape Breton Highlands population is highly fragmented and distributed between two disjunct sub-populations. Based on all available information, (which includes historical data, winter track/bait stations surveys, unusual sighting reports from trappers and the general public), marten numbers in the highlands are at a critically low level. Because of the small fragmented population, the loss of genetic diversity due to inbreeding could become a threat to the remaining marten in Cape Breton. Other threats which could have a major effect on small disjunct populations are loss of habitat quality and quantity, and stochastic or random events (i.e. disease, extreme weather, forest fires, etc.). Given the small population size and isolation of the individuals, every animal becomes an important link in the survival of the species. If trappers know or suspect there maybe the slightest chance that an animal may be inadvertently trapped in their area, then these areas should be avoided.

Since 1997, there have been only nine records of marten in Cape Breton. As a result of these continuing low numbers, a recovery effort has been untaken by DNR to re-establish a free-living marten population in Cape Breton. The initial step has been to establish a recovery team that consists of scientists and experts from goernment and other stakeholders. Out of the the recovery team, various field studies have been initiated to begin to piece together habitat requirements, availability and prey abundance for marten in Cape Breton. In addition to these studies, a concerted effort has been initiated to try to map out the distribution and gain a better understanding of the number of animals that remain.

An essential piece in the recovery process is stewardship. In order for the recovery of any species to be successful, all major stakeholders (forest practitioners, fur harvesters, landowners, aboriginal peoples) including the general public must become involved in the recovery effort. Local people have valuable information on past and present sightings that can be used to access potential habitat. Knowing where marten have been and where they may be, will allow researchers to live-trap and tag individuals. This would provide opportunities to gain information (habitat use, home range size, age, sex) about marten in Cape Breton that is not currently known. The education of the public in the ecology of marten, sets the stage for the potential of a successful recovery of the population.

What can you do to help? Marten are attracted to many types of bait exposing them to many different traps and trap sets, including those made for mink, squirrels and fisher. In other jurisdictions snares set for snowshoe hare have under certain circumstances killed marten. Trappers may not be thinking of incidental catches when setting traps for other species. Any live animals should immediately be released. If an animal is trapped and cannot be released, then every effort should be made to turn in all of these animals to a D.N.R. office. There are now a couple of options available to trappers to handle these animals. Bring any marten specimens (even if they are old) to your local DNR office. Report any sightings of live marten, marten captured in traps, scats, or tracks to the DNR office in your area or to the Wildlife Division in Kentville (902) 679-6091. DNR and the Marten Recovery Team looks forward to working with local fur harvesters in the successful recovery of this species.