Monday 3 February 2008
CAMPAIGN TO BAN SNARES MOVES TO SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT PUBLIC PETITIONS COMMITTEE
NEARLY 8000 SIGNATURES CALLING FOR SNARE BAN
A petition with nearly 8000 signatures will be presented to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee tomorrow (Tuesday 4 March) calling for a ban on snaring. Representatives from Advocates for Animals and the League Against Cruel Sports will present arguments calling for the Parliament to ban the use of these cruel, non-selective traps. Strong public support for a ban on snares is shown by an opinion poll1 in 2007 in which 75% of people thought they should be banned.
On Wednesday 20th February Michael Russell MSP, Minister for Environment announced that the Government did not intend to ban snares but instead proposed measures to regulate their continued use.
The Ministers’ decision came almost a year after the close of a Scottish Executive consultation on the matter, which revealed that almost 70 per cent of respondents favoured a total ban on the use of snares in Scotland. An opinion poll1 in 2007 showed that only 19% of people were aware that snares were still legal, most presuming they had already been banned, and 75% of people thought they should be banned. Representatives from Advocates and the League and MSPs will tomorrow (Tuesday) burn a copy of the responses to the consultation outside the Parliament to highlight the lack of regard the Government has shown towards public feeling on this major animal welfare issue which has effectively allowed public opinion to go up in smoke.
The League Against Cruel Sports and Advocates for Animals have led a high profile campaign in Scotland to make illegal the manufacture, sale, possession and use of all snares. Snares are thin wire nooses used to trap foxes and rabbits but in reality can catch any animal including protected species such as badgers, otters and mountain hares, domesticated animals such as cats and dogs and other animals including deer and livestock.
The UK is one of a minority of European Member States that still allow snares to be used. If Scotland does not lead the way for the rest of the UK it risks getting left behind on this important animal welfare issue.
Scotland Campaigner for the League Against Cruel Sports, Louise Robertson said, “Unfortunately the Minister has chosen not to listen to what the majority of Scots want and has allowed the use of these vicious traps to continue. The only sure way to stop animals suffering needlessly in snares is to ban their use completely, and I hope the Petitions Committee will listen carefully to the arguments presented to them”.
Advocates for Animals’ Political Director, Libby Anderson said, “It is crucial that we continue to campaign for a ban and the next stage of that campaign is with the Petitions Committee where we have the chance to express the views of a huge number of Scottish people. Tightening of regulations or introducing a licensing system is not going to eradicate the animal welfare problems which come with using these indiscriminate traps”.
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For further information contact:
League Against Cruel Sports: Louise Robertson, Scotland Campaigner - Tel: 01383 873461, Mob: 07980 232287
Advocates for Animals : Libby Anderson, Political Director – Tel: 0131 225 6039, Mob: 07967 839137.
Note to Editors:
A photocall has been arranged for 12 noon on Tuesday 4th March where campaigners will be joined by MSPs as they burn public consultation responses to highlight the lack of regard which has been shown for public opinion on this important animal welfare issue.
1 CommunicateResearch interviewed 1036 Scottish adults 18+ in February 2007 for the League Against Cruel Sports. The questions asked were as follows:
CommunicateResearch found that 19 per cent answered ‘legal’ to question one and 75 per cent supported a ban in question two.