The California Fish & Game Commission on Wednesday approved a statewide ban on bobcat trapping.
The 3-2 vote caps years of debate on trapping, which animal rights activists say is cruel.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife had recommended a “zonal approach,” or partial ban. That proposal would have allowed the state's 200 licensed trappers — roughly half of whom specialize in bobcats — to harvest pelts in areas where high-value bobcat populations exist. It would have allowed trapping to continue in hot spots that include Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, where 537 bobcats were taken in the 2013-14 season.