This really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that many of the same groups that sued the state of Maine last year over inadvertent trapping of Canada lynx, are once again threatening a lawsuit if the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife doesn’t immediately take actions to stop the trapping of the lynx.
The Wildlife Alliance of Maine and the Animal Welfare Institute will join together to force the state to take action.
“Lynx are still being taken illegally in traps set for other animals, in traps smaller [than] those covered by the consent decree, and in areas not covered by the consent decree,” wrote Judith Brawer, an attorney for the two organizations.
“If DIFW refuses to take immediate action to protect lynx from traps, more lynx will be illegally taken, further violating the ESA, and thus we will be forced to pursue legal action before the start of the upcoming trapping season.”
Last year the Animal Protection Institute, which is thought to have released deadly cobra snakes in North Carolina to scare the public, sued the state to protect the lynx and won. After that ruling by the court last October, in a previous article I said this:
We know that these groups long range intentions are to rid the U.S. of hunting, fishing and trapping. Any weakness in the armor of states fish and game provides opportunity for lawsuits. MDIFW should have been more vigilant to protect the interests of the trappers in this case. They should never have taken the risk and assumed anything. Lets hope they take a lesson from this act.
Were we ignorant enough to think these groups would stop at that one court’s decision? Some day sportsmen and staff of MDIFW will realize there is never an end, especially when weakness on the part of the state and the sportsmen are shown.
Tom Remington
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