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In recent years it has become an annual complaint from various areas in New Brunswick that trappers are setting their traps too close to inhabited areas and trails where adults and children walk, often with their dogs that are allowed a chance to run, with the inevitable result that a beloved pet is either killed or seriously injured. There is also a risk for children who may not always stay on a pathway.

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It seems to us that this is a prime example of a problem arising from the overlap of urban and rural lifestyles and activities, and it is most prevalent in areas that are in transition between the two. We don't begrudge the trappers the livelihoods they make from the activity, nor do we think they should be demonized in any way: as they point out, they are obeying the law and they try to be responsible, but they are also trapping the same areas they have long trapped.

The problem is that the law has not kept up with development. It is time for the province to find a better balance between the competing interests. It would be reasonable to ban trapping within municipal limits, or at least clearly ban setting traps within a certain distance of well-used walking trails. It's a relatively easy solution to a growing problem. Citizens who use the trails and exercise their dogs should not have to worry about animal traps.