The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water has voted 6-2 in favor of The Wildlife Protection Act of 2019 (AB 273), a bill to ban the cruel practice of trapping animals for fur in California.

“Fur trapping is a cruel, antiquated practice that is ecologically destructive,” said Judie Mancuso, founder and CEO of Social Compassion in Legislation, co-sponsor of the bill. “Small and mid-sized animals play a key role in maintaining biodiversity. We cannot continue the brutal killing of our wildlife, particularly given that continuing this practice will deplete local animal populations which are already under tremendous pressure from habitat loss due to development, poison, drought, and wildfires.”

Hundreds of California’s animals suffer and die in painful, inhumane traps every year, including gray foxes, coyotes, badgers, beavers, and mink.

In 2017 alone, 1,568 of these beautiful wild animals were slaughtered for their skins. Social Compassion in Legislation say the revenue provided in selling licenses to these commercial trappers is insufficient to cover the costs of a well-managed fur trapping program, which means the government is, in fact, subsidizing the shortfall for this inhumane industry.

“California should not be subsidizing destruction of our wildlife for the private profit of a few, especially when the majority of the public prefers seeing wildlife alive, not as commodities to be killed and skinned for foreign fur markets,” said Jenny Keatinge, California Wildlife Policy Specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This bill is a crucial step towards ending commercial exploitation of native species in favor of sound, science-based wildlife management that reflects the values of 21st Century Californians.”

The bill will now proceed to Senate Appropriations before moving through to the full senate for voting.

Social Compassion in Legislation is also working to pass SB 313, a ban on wild animals in the circus. They urge all CA residents to contact their assembly members asking them to support this crucial legislation. You can find your assembly member here:

http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/

 

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