The main parties have now launched their manifestos ahead of the General Election on 7th May. We bring you the main points from each one relating to a key part of our own manifesto - wildlife management. Read our own manifesto chapter on wildlife management here.
Conservative
- Implement 25 year strategy to eradicate bovine TB.
- Protect hunting, shooting and fishing.
- Give Parliament the opportunity to repeal the Hunting Act on a free vote with a government bill in government time.
- Spend £3 billion from Common Agricultural Policy to clean up rivers and lakes, protect stonewalls and hedges and help bees.
- Ensure that public forests and woodland are kept in trust for the nation.
Green
- Maintain and strengthen the ban on hunting with dogs to include a ban on all hunting of animals for sport or pleasure.
- End the badger cull.
- End the use of snares.
- End the practice of grouse shooting and other sport shooting.
- Establish a Commission on Animal Protection to review a broad range of animal welfare matters.
Labour
- End the Government's 'cruel and ineffective' badger cull.
- Defend the Hunting ban and deal with 'wildlife crime associated with shooting'.
- End the subsidy of firearms licences.
- Undertake an independent review on how to end the persecution of birds of prey, prevent non-target animals getting trapped in snares and ensure humane treatment of game birds.
- Keep woodland in public ownership.
Lib Dem
- Introduce effective, science-led ways of controlling bovine TB and only support the existing cull pilots if they are shown to be effective, humane and safe.
- Implement the findings of the Independent Panel on Forestry, creating a new public body to manage the national forests.
UKIP
- Nothing specified in manifesto.