Facebook ban on private gun sales 'an inconvenience', says Labrador hunter
A decision by Facebook to ban the private sale of guns on its network is being called "an inconvenience" by the Labrador Hunting and Fishing Association.
"They're obviously responding to some pretty serious issues in the United States where unlicensed and unregulated gun sales are well established," said Larry Innes, a member of the association.
"Unfortunately little old Canada gets caught in the crossfire."
The Jan. 29 decision by the social media giant applies to person-to-person sales of firearms, not to sales by licensed gun dealers and gun clubs.
Facebook said it will rely on its 1.6 billion users to report violations and will remove any post that violates the ban.
Guns in Labrador 'another tool'
"Gun clubs are still allowed to maintain their sites, as are firearms vendors and merchants," said Innes.
"People who are repairing or selling firearms can still have Facebook sites, they just can't carry on transactions through Facebook."
Innes said it will be a nuisance, since Labradorians are big users of social media.
"When the Goose Bay gun exchange site was up and running, many people looked to that site first to see what was available, given that many of our vendors have limited stock, and it's always cheaper to buy a used gun," he said.
"Guns in Labrador are another tool, like their axe or Ski-Doo....not a fetish item the way it sometimes becomes in bigger cities where firearms use is rare or exotic."
Stricter laws in Canada
Innes, who is also a lawyer, said Canada has federal laws to control gun use.
Gun owners must be trained, licensed, and subject to a criminal background check by police, he said, and the Criminal Code requires a gun seller to make sure the buyer is licensed.
"There are serious criminal consequences if that verification isn't done. This is very different from what happens in the States where firearms regulations are a hodgepodge of federal and state rules and in many states, they are very lax."
Still, he said, Labrador is part of a global community and what happens in the United States does have an impact.
He said he understands that crimes like mass shootings may lead to restrictions on weapons use, but hopes that law makers strike a balance.
"What we hope is that in pursuing these polices they don't make it difficult for law abiding firearm owners to access the firearms, the ammunition they need to carry out traditional activities."
