England: Hobby Hunters Under Pressure
The British government is tightening penalties for illegal hare coursing. For the first time, prison sentences and the confiscation of dogs are being threatened.
The British government wants to impose harsher penalties for illegal hare coursing.
Prison sentences would for the first time be possible for violations of the law, the Department for Environment in London announced. In addition, an unlimited fine is to be made possible.
The so-called hare coursing is causing great concern in some rural areas, the ministry said in justification of its plans. “Hare coursing not only means cruelty to wildlife, but is also associated with a number of other criminal activities, such as theft, criminal damage, violence and intimidation.”
The government now wants to amend the new Police Bill currently being debated in Parliament in London. “The new measures will give the police additional powers to bring charges and to seize dogs from owners involved in hare coursing,” said Environment Secretary George Eustice.
Support from animal welfare advocates and farming
Animal welfare advocates and farming businesses welcomed the plans. “I hope this marks the beginning of a crackdown on these organised criminal gangs who break into fields to release dogs for hare coursing, causing significant damage to crops and agricultural property and intimidating people in rural communities,” said Stuart Roberts, deputy head of the National Farmers‘ Union.
A new animal welfare law is also currently being considered in Parliament. Animal welfare advocates want to extend this legislation to ban hobby hunting on artificially laid trails as well.
This practice, known as “trail hunting”, has remained legal even after the ban on hunting live animals with dogs in 2005. Critics argue that dogs are lured from the artificial trails onto the scent of real foxes. Protests against a hunt in the West English village of Lacock led to brawls between opponents and supporters of the Recreational Hunting.
