Mk Iv Fenn And Stoats.....

[J Darcy 5,871]

I hear rumblings that Stoat are going to be taken off the list for the mark4 trap. A new STAO is due in a couple of months I believe, does anyone have any opinions on taking stoats off?

[OldTrapCollector 377]

I will get some little signs made for the entrance to my tunnels - NO STOATS allowed - so that weasels, rats and squirrels can enter but stoats stay away ;-)

[Eds Pestcontrol 66]

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Edited September 21, 2015 by Eds Pestcontrol

[Eds Pestcontrol 66]

Funny really I just put two mk4's out now for stoats. I dont think I've never caught one in a Mk 4 and thought to my that it may have suffered. They never really said any thing to me either lol

[J Darcy 5,871]

How can a trap that is deamed unsuitable for stoat be deemed suitable for the much, much tougher squirrel?

[Eds Pestcontrol 66]

Thats what I just been thinking , the stoat has a fine fairly fragile body compared to some of the large squirrels we have up here

[OldTrapCollector 377]

But the squirrel is not on the European 'protected' list is it?

[Eds Pestcontrol 66]

But I that why there not saying the trap is not fit to purpose

[OldTrapCollector 377]

I wonder if they will 'ban' the Fenn Mk 1, 2 or 3 vermin traps at the same time?

[OldTrapCollector 377]

And by the same token if they will 'ban' Springer No.4 and Solway No.4 traps as well as the Fenn Mk IV ...

[Eds Pestcontrol 66]

Wont be long

[randombadger 26]

It appears that defra doesn't have any choice about these changes for stoat. Due the requirements of the AIHTS that the EU signed many years ago only traps that have passed the required effectiveness/humaneness criteria for the species listed on AIHTS will be permitted after the middle of next year.

 

I guess any trap manufacturer (or anyone else) could have their traps tested to see if they meet the new standards, lord knows how much that would cost. However in the case of the Fenn, it is not the most efficient kill trap available by a long way and I suspect the assumption is that it may not pass for stoat (the New Zealanders tested it a few years ago and it apparently fell quite short of the new standards), hence perhaps nobody is prepared to pay to test it. I guess that the facsimile traps might be in the same boat.... You can bet that all of the no longer manufactured traps will lose their approval for stoat because there will be nobody to pay for the testing ( e.g fenns MK 1,2 & 3), maybe folks can have a whip round....if you think they'll pass....

 

Only certain species appear on the AIHTS list because it was originally there to improve fur-trapping standards. There are other UK species on the list but none that are regularly trapped legally without a specific licence, stoat is the only one.

 

One interesting thing is that traps that have passed AIHTS standards anywhere in the world should be able to be approved in the UK without further testing so we should see some new traps appearing.

 

http://www.face.eu/about-us/resources/news/trapping-in-europe-and-the-agreement-on-international-humane-trapping

[OldTrapCollector 377]

Good post RB

 

DEFRA said that no trap that had ever been passed and listed on the STAO had ever been removed, perhaps this will generate a shake up of the legislation and the confusion surrounding both the process and the law?

[OldTrapCollector 377]

If someone could provide a coherent response aligned with the law and the likes of DEFRA, APHA, NE then they are better than me.

 

As for the formality of testing traps, the subject of clones, clarity on tunnel construction, setting and checking regs for different species, obstruction of Scheduled animals (hedgehogs, polecats and soon, stoats) .... Well it is simply too confusing to the layman, and it won't be long before someone is charged for some infringement of law

 

Any offers?

[Alimac2 321]

By the talk on the hills North of the border over the last month, fenns are soon to be banned out right, something to do with them being in humane in the killing of stoats.. Anyone heard similar??