NRW suspected of "behind closed doors" review on trail hunting as they BAN it in Wales

The Board of Natural Resources Wales (NRW) have voted to ban the lawful activity of trail hunting on land they manage after their executive team undertook an internal review.

The review was undertaken following NRW's suspension of trail hunting in November 2020 yet has failed to engage with members of the public who undertake lawful activity on public land.

During the tense session of the board meeting, whereby one board member cautioned their decision as "a misuse of power to turn unconscious bias in to policy", several members of the board provided a balanced approach to the debate. The majority however, were convinced by the Executive teams' claims that the monetary value of allowing the continuation of trail hunting was not sufficient enough to warrant its continuity, as they did not have the skills or finances to police it.

Rachel Evans, Director for Wales who was present at the Board meeting said: "I am bitterly disappointed that Natural Resources Wales have undertaken an internal review, behind closed doors and have not fully engaged with users. I feel strongly that those who trail hunt have been unfairly dismissed from being able to access public land and have been short-changed by Natural Resources Wales.

There has certainly been a lack of transparency in their process which has only come to light via an online agenda published days before the meeting."

The Alliance has requested that their decision be reviewed at the earliest opportunity to allow for user engagement which they have obviously omitted from the process to date.

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