EDMONTON-

Alberta Forestry Minister Todd Loewen said the decision to lift limits on trapping animals like wolverines was made to get more data on what to do with them.

Until recently, trappers on Crown land were almost entirely prohibited from trapping wolverines, lynx, river otters and fishers, but Loewen’s decision means the season is now open for these four traps .

Loewen says it was impossible for her to defend the near-ban on these furry creatures because current population numbers for these animals are not known.

He says that by removing the limits, the government and conservationists will better understand the overall health of each species through data collected by trappers.

Environmentalist Ruiping Luo of the Alberta Wilderness Association says the government should find a way to collect the data without killing the animals.

Luo says that while lifting the ban may not lead to extinction, any further loss or damage of species could create a domino effect with consequent damage to ecosystems.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published November 7, 2024.