Labour urged to follow the evidence on hunting

The Countryside Alliance has urged Labour to base its approach to hunting on evidence and the legitimate need for fox control, as the Shadow Defra Secretary confirms that a future Labour government would review the Hunting Act.

Chief Executive, Tim Bonner, and Political Relations Manager, James Somerville-Meikle, met the Shadow Defra Secretary, Sue Hayman MP, last Friday (22 March) to discuss the latest evidence on hunting, including the peer reviewed research which proves that using a pack of hounds is more effective and humane in flushing foxes to guns than using two hounds, and to raise concerns with some of Labour's proposals in this area.

The meeting followed a debate in Westminster Hall on wildlife crime on 20 March, in which Ms Hayman stated that "We [Labour] will consult on: reviewing sentencing to ensure that effective deterrence includes the use of custodial sentencing, in line with other wildlife crimes; strengthening the criteria for issuing research licences; removing the exemption on the use of dogs below ground to protect birds for shooting… and introducing a recklessness clause."

The Countryside Alliance stressed that hunts had worked hard to comply with the law by converting to trail hunting or using the conditions set out in the legislation for exempt hunting, and urged Labour to focus on proven animal welfare issues such as livestock worrying and illegal hare coursing/poaching.

Chief Executive, Tim Bonner, commented: "We would welcome any review of the Hunting Act as an opportunity to make evidence-based changes to improve the legislation. The proposals announced by Labour so far show that the party has not properly considered the evidence, but we will continue to make the arguments in the hope that a future Labour government will avoid making the same mistakes as the last one.

"We have urged Labour to focus on proven animal welfare concerns, and we welcome the commitment from Ms Hayman to consider including livestock worrying and illegal hare coursing/poaching in Labour's revised Animal Welfare Plan. I welcome the opportunity to work with Labour in tackling these problems, which are two of the biggest animal welfare issues in the countryside."