Minnesota trappers and an anti-trapping group claimed victory Tuesday after a federal judge approved a state plan to reduce the number of protected Canada lynx accidentally caught in traps in northeastern Minnesota.
The plan restricts trapping methods in the northeast, the primary lynx range. But it doesn't eliminate trapping there, as some had feared might happen.
"We're very pleased," said Gary Meis, president of the Minnesota Trappers Association. "In the worst-case scenario, trapping could have been stopped border to border."
He said the ruling will protect trapping and ensure the safety of the lynx, too. "We can continue trapping without harming the Canada lynx. It's a win-win situation."
There are about 6,000 trappers in the state.
Said Nicole Paquette of Born Free USA: "The court has upheld our position that additional trapping restrictions in lynx habitat are vital to prevent more harm to this imperiled species."
She added, "We remain convinced that there are still further actions worth taking," and said the group will assess whether the plan "will prove sufficient to stop the cruel trapping of lynx."
The state banned trapping of lynx in 1984, but from 2002 to 2007, at least 14 lynx were injured or killed by trappers in Minnesota, mostly by traps set for other species such as bobcat or fox.
