Beaver dam on the Wilmot River. The government of Prince Edward Island has hired three trappers to control the Island’s beaver population and reduce the damage the animals cause to public roads every year.
“Beavers can provide significant challenges to public infrastructure by building dams and blocking culverts with debris,” said Shelley Cole-Arbing of the Department of Transportation and Public Works.
Cole-Arbing said that blocked culverts allow water to build up, softening road shoulders and causing washouts.
She said the department has already received complaints from the eastern and western ends of the province.
Beavers are active earlier this year because of the mild spring weather, she said.
The trappers are hired every year on a seasonal basis to mitigate damage caused to roads and bridges.
The number of beavers taken will be determined based on population trends. It usually ranges from 75 to 100 a year.
“The workers make decisions on appropriate management strategies based on individual site characteristics and known population information,” Cole-Arbing said.
The pelts will be sold and proceeds will go to the P.E.I. Trappers' Association.
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