Today Labour MP Jim Dowd led a House of Commons debate on banning the manufacture, sale, possession and use of snares. The highlight was new Defra Minister Therese Coffey's robust response and commitment to a new stakeholder-led Code of Practice. Unfortunately, the debate also saw Labour adopt a new position on snaring, with recently appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Rachel Maskell committing Labour to banning snares.
Reasonable, evidence based statements from MPs such as Simon Hart and Jim Shannon highlighted the humaneness of snares when used according to best practice, and pointed to the value of snaring to gamekeepers, farmers and conservationists. Showing a clear understanding of countryside management, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown pointed out that there is "no practical and effective replacement for snaring at crucial times of the year when there is heavy leaf cover", the times of year at which endangered curlew, lapwing and other ground nesting birds are at their most vulnerable.
Unfortunately support for banning snaring came from the few Labour MPs in attendance, with some support from the SNP. Citing statistics derived from highly tenuous extrapolations performed by animal rights organisations, and quoting BBC TV personality Chris Packham, Labour MPs called for a ban on snaring.
Answering for the government, new Defra Minister Therese Coffey said she understood the passion the question of snaring ignited in some people, but confirmed Defra's confidence in the Code of Practice that has been produced by stakeholders and will soon be published. She advised the House to wait for this Code to come into force and expressed her confidence that it would prove to be effective.
Countryside Alliance Head of Shooting Campaigns Liam Stokes said: "We are grateful to those MPs who demonstrated their understanding of wildlife management and the importance of snares in conservation and farming.
"It is sad that the parlous state of the Labour Party is allowing radical positions to be quietly adopted, positions that further distance the Labour Party from the working countryside. However, we are delighted that new Defra Minister Therese Coffey gave such a robust response, maintaining Defra's commitment to a new Code of Practice. A new stakeholder-led, evidence-based Code will be vital in ensuring that snares continue to be available for use and that they are deployed according to best practice."
The full transcript of the snaring debate can be found here.