Charity calls for hunting loopholes to be closed
“The hunting bans in the UK must be strengthened.”
The League Against Cruel Sports is calling for loopholes in the UK’s fox hunting bans to be closed.
Speaking at the UK Wildlife Crime Enforcers conference in Warwick, the league’s director Robbie Marsland described the charity’s work with police to prevent hunts acting illegally.
Whilst he said there is “clearly a willingness” to stop illegal hunting, the law “just isn’t up to it”.
“Loopholes like flushing to guns in Scotland and false alibis like ‘trail’ hunting in England and Wales allow those who still want to encourage packs of hounds to chase and kill foxes and other mammals, to run a coach and horses through the legislation.
“The hunting bans in the UK must be strengthened,” he added.
In Scotland, a review of the legislation was recently commissioned by the government. The Green Party has put forward a members’ bill to add two further amendments: to remove flushing to guns for mounted hunts and to reduce the number of dogs that can be used to two.
The league is also recommending four amendments to the Hunting Act in England and Wales:
- prohibit the use of dogs below ground
- insert a ‘reckless provision’ to prevent illegal hunts from using the ‘false alibi’ of trail hunting
- increase sentencing powers
- remove the observation and research exemption.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
