Animal Welfare in Subsistence Hunting and Trapping

Subsistence hunting and trapping by indigenous and rural communities raises welfare questions about methods and suffering — balanced against cultural rights and food security needs.

Key Facts

An estimated 300 million people depend on wild animals for significant food security
Trap and snare methods vary enormously in humaneness — some cause days of suffering before death
Leg-hold traps are banned in the EU but widely used in North America and other regions
Indigenous hunting practices have sustained wildlife populations for millennia in many regions
Welfare improvements in trapping methods are possible through technology and training

Welfare Considerations

Subsistence hunting and trapping welfare requires culturally respectful engagement with genuine welfare concerns. Leg-hold traps cause prolonged suffering from injuries and stress during capture. Snares can cause slow strangulation or disembowelment in non-target species. At the same time, subsistence hunting represents food security for hundreds of millions of people with legitimate cultural and survival needs. Welfare improvement through better trap technology and training respects both animal welfare and human rights.

What You Can Do

Support development and adoption of more humane trapping technology
Engage with indigenous wildlife management programs that incorporate welfare considerations
Advocate for trap standards in jurisdictions permitting trapping
Follow organizations working to improve subsistence hunting welfare without criminalizing practice
Support research into quick-kill trap designs as alternatives to live traps and leg-holds