The California Fish and Game Commission voted to end the practice of bobcat trapping statewide on Wednesday in response to legislation by Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) that was signed into law in 2013.

The meeting of the five commissioners was held to adopt one of two controversial sets of regulations: a statewide ban on bobcat trapping, or a partial ban. Bloom led a group of wildlife conservationists, environmental advocates and other members of the public at the hearing to voice their support for a complete ban on bobcat trapping.

“Bobcats are an irreplaceable part of California’s natural heritage, playing an important ecological role not just in the ecosystems they inhabit, but also in the state’s recreation, tourism and wildlife viewing industries,” Bloom said. “The Commission heeded the call from millions of Californians, as well as environmental and conservation experts that have voiced their strong opposition to bobcat trapping. It is good to see the state take such a strong step towards protecting one of our last native predators.”

During his first year in the legislature, Bloom authored the Bobcat Protection Act of 2013 which created a no-trapping zone around Joshua Tree National Park and set the stage for potential future protections around the state’s other national and state parks, conservancies, and other protected areas. Rising international demand for bobcat pelts in China, Russia and Greece in recent years has led to a massive spike in pelt prices from $79 in 2009 to over $700 today. As a result, trapping of bobcats in California has skyrocketed.

In the 2011-2012 trapping season, the number of bobcat trappers more than doubled over the previous season, while the number of harvested bobcats rose by more than 50 percent. Last season, 1,300 bobcats were taken statewide. There are currently only a small number of bobcat trappers in the state, around 100, benefiting from the exploitation of the dwindling population of California bobcats. A complete ban would have many benefits for the bobcat population, including maintaining genetic lineage and helping the population to recover from the recent spike in trapping.