Labour trail hunting ban consultation branded 'assault on rural life'
The Government’s proposed ban on trail hunting has been called “another assault on rural life” by the Countryside Alliance.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs today launched a consultation on how to take the ban forward.
Labour pledged in its manifesto to ban trail hunting, a practice in which an animal-based scent is laid across the countryside for hounds and riders to follow.
Trail hunting grew in popularity as an alternative to fox hunting, which was banned more than 20 years ago.
Launching the consultation, officials said there was an inherent risk of dogs picking up the scent of live wild mammals such as foxes and hares, and pursuing and killing them instead of following the trail.
Concerns persist that trail hunting can be used as a “smokescreen” to facilitate illegal hunting as it helps obscure any intention to hunt wild mammals with dogs, Defra said.
Under the plans, which would apply to England and Wales, other activities such as drag hunting – in which a non-animal scent is laid – or “clean boot” hunting where the hounds follow the scent of a human runner would remain legal.
Baroness Hayman, animal welfare minister, said the Government was launching the public consultation as a “first step” to delivering the legislation to fulfil Labour’s manifesto commitment to ban trail hunting.
She said: “The nature of trail hunting makes it difficult to ensure wild and domestic animals are not put at risk of being killed or injured – that is clearly unacceptable.
“We understand that this is a complex issue and so we are seeking views from everyone with an interest to help shape how we bring this forward.”
The move comes in the wake of the Government’s conflict with farmers over the introduction of inheritance tax for farm businesses and recent plans to restrict shooting of a number of threatened birds.
The Countryside Alliance said trail hunting contributes £100 million to the rural economy every year.
Mr Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said: “At a time when the countryside is on its knees as a result of misguided government policies and a cost-of-living crisis heightened by war, the Government has again chosen to attack rural communities with another assault on rural life.
“A ban on trail hunting is unnecessary, unjustified and unfair.”
He added: “This is nothing more than the Government attempting to distract from the real problems facing British people.
“Voters care about the countryside, the food on their table and cheaper energy bills; not toxic culture wars.”
But Baroness Hayman said that polling showed the majority of people living in rural communities supported a ban.
She said the consultation was a genuine listening exercise and would look at elements including economy and community impacts.
She said: “We know there are really strong feelings on both sides of this.
“One thing we want to do through the consultation is ensure any legislation is robust, enforceable and workable in practice.”