On Wednesday 19 February 2025, Countryside Alliance Ireland met John Blair MLA at his office in Antrim to discuss the reintroduction of his Private Member’s Bill to ban hunting with dogs. This meeting followed multiple requests from Countryside Alliance Ireland, including attendance at his Party’s conference. He had previously shown reluctance or refusal to engage with us.
As expected, Mr Blair defended his position to reintroduce his divisive, prejudice Bill and insisted that his consultation had been conducted fairly. However, he could provide no specific supporting evidence. Countryside Alliance Ireland raised numerous concerns including his misrepresenting the findings of Lord Burns and Lord Bonomy, whose reports do not support his stance. We challenged his inaccurate portrayal of terrier work, which does not reflect best practice. His claim that the Bill would not impact shooting activities also came under dispute, as terrier work plays a vital role in game protection and wildlife management.
When asked for evidence that hunting with dogs is measurably worse in welfare terms than other forms of control, Mr Blair struggled to respond. He even questioned Lord Burns’ assertion that “death will normally follow within a matter of seconds once the fox is caught.” This demonstrated a lack of understanding of the extensive independent research conducted by the Burns Inquiry, contrary to the statement in the Members Bills’ handbook that:
“Developing a Member’s Bill provides an opportunity to address issues in our community but it is a considerable commitment and requires the Member to follow principles of good legislation and to invest significant time in becoming intimately familiar with their chosen policy area.”
Mr Blair then shifted focus to those who participate in hunting, undermining the activity by using expressions such as “hunting for pleasure or fun”. Countryside Alliance Ireland firmly refuted this characterisation, emphasising that hunting is carried out for legitimate wildlife management purposes. Simply observing an event – whether in person or through a recording – does not alter its fundamental purpose. Following a hunt does not mean followers are taking some gratuitous pleasure in watching animals being dispatched, any more than someone would by watching a wildlife documentary.
We did ask why, if he was genuinely interested in animal welfare, he had not reached out to Countryside Alliance Ireland after his last defeat. We are an active member of the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime Northern Ireland, a group of which Mr Blair seemed unaware. He was also unable to answer why he had not met others in the country sports community to seek a solution to any concerns before bringing another bill. Although Mr Blair does maintain he has met with others but would not disclose who. Countryside Alliance Ireland remains committed to supporting legislation that genuinely improves animal welfare, but we made it clear that we do not support the reintroduction of this unjustified PMB.
Furthermore, we raised concerns regarding the impact on Firearms Certificate (FAC) holders. The PSNI recently confirmed on television that people under investigation would have their firearms removed. Under his bill, someone who shoots a rabbit which is retrieved by their dog could face being reported to the police for illegal hunting. Innocent FAC holders could then lose their firearms for a protracted amount of time, a serious consequence especially for those for whom firearms are needed for work, which Mr Blair appeared to dismiss.
Countryside Alliance Ireland remains deeply troubled about the risk of unintended consequences from this bill for wildlife management, its impact on Assembly time and resources and our rural communities.
We advocate for balanced, evidence-based policies that protect rural traditions while maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare.
We did share a few candid remarks with Mr Blair. We noted that his true level of public support should perhaps be measured by the fact that his petition, which followed his last defeat, gathered only 3,000 signatures. Similarly, after a year of attending every major show in Northern Ireland – some with over 100,000 visitors – the USPCA managed only to collect around 7,000 signatures. We also could not resist asking whether he planned to thank Chris Packham for intervening to boost his consultation.
While many are understandably frustrated by Mr Blair's actions, we encourage our members to focus on engaging with other MLAs, who will ultimately decide on his bill, rather than merely criticising him.
Despite our differences, we appreciated the opportunity to have an open discussion with Mr Blair and acknowledge his interest in our Fishing for Schools programme. Countryside Alliance Ireland will continue to advocate for policies that reflect the needs and values of rural communities, while ensuring responsible and effective wildlife management.