The Ministry of Agriculture said it is mulling a comprehensive ban on deadly traps to protect wild animals, as it last week announced a hotline for reporting traps.
People who spot traps should call the 1959 animal protection hotline so specialists can disarm them, Department of Animal Welfare Director Chiang Wen-chuan (江文全) said.
Mechanical traps are indiscriminate and pose a danger to people, pets and protected species, he said, adding that they could inflict irreparable harm.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Agriculture
The ministry called on the public to aid in their campaign to ban traps, which aims to facilitate environmental protection and public safety, Chiang said.
Most traps are laid in the mountains so it is hard to identify the culprits, he said, adding that the government was only able to fine 15 trappers last year.
Counties and cities have removed 2,100 traps over the same period, Chiang said.
However, he cautioned people not to approach or attempt to disarm traps themselves and said that taking a geotagged photo is safer and more effective.
Trapping contravenes Article 14 of the Wildlife Conservation Act, an offense punishable by a NT$15,000 to NT$70,000 fine, he said.
The law allows indigenous Taiwanese to use traps, but the ministry is considering abolishing the exception by proposing an amendment, Chiang said.
Farmers are urged to use traps that restrain animals instead of killing them or to invest in electrified fences to keep wildlife out, he said.
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