Taiwan bans hunting with claw traps

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Legislators added claw traps to the list of prohibited hunting tools via amendments to the Act on Wildlife Conservation on Tuesday though wild boar snares were not included.

The amendments passed a third reading in the legislature after negotiations between the ruling and opposition parties over protections for Indigenous hunting rights in December. In addition to prohibiting the use of bear traps, reporters reported that the changes instated a complete ban on hunting using the following methods:
​

• dynamite or explosives
• poisons
• electricity, narcotics, or other paralysis methods
• nets set up on land
• firearms other than authorized hunting rifles
• traps, snares, or other hunting devices
• other prohibited items or methods announced by authorities

The previous law allowed these methods to be used in emergencies, such as when animals posed a danger to humans, and when they had damaged crops. It also allowed them to be used for “traditional cultural or ritual hunting, killing, or utilization needs of Indigenous.”

The amendments did not ban the use of wild boar snares, which animal rights groups have campaigned against. The Ministry of Agriculture acknowledged the issue is important for rights groups and said there would be further discussions with the Council of Indigenous Peoples.

The ministry said tools such as the wild boar snare are irreplaceable parts of Indigenous hunting culture that should be respected and protected to an extent. It said that further restrictions on hunting methods would be announced after the discussions.

Legislators also increased fines for owners of escaped wild animals who do not try to recapture them. The Cabinet began drafting the amendments after a high-profile baboon escaped from a northern Taiwan zoo in 2023.

The law now states that if owners do not notify local authorities about an escaped animal they can be fined up to NT$150,000 (US$4,582). It also allows local authorities to mount capture operations and pass the expense onto the animal’s owners.