Wednesday 20 February 2008
SCOTLAND LEFT HANGING - WITH NO BAN ON SNARES
ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANISATIONS APPALLED AT GOVERNMENT DECISION WHICH SHOWS TOTAL DISREGARD FOR ANIMAL WELFARE AND PUBLIC OPINION
Animal welfare organisations have today condemned the Scottish Government’s decision to continue to legalise the cruel and indiscriminate practice of snaring. In the first test of the SNP Scottish Government’s commitment to animal welfare, Minister for Environment, Michael Russell MSP, today announced to the Scottish Parliament that he does not plan to prohibit snares. He has instead opted to introduce regulations, which animal welfare organisations do not believe will stop the wide scale animal suffering or prevent the capture of non-target animals including protected species.
The decision contradicts overwhelming public support for a total ban and comes almost a year after the close of an official public consultation, which revealed a majority of more than 2:1 in favour of a total ban. In recent weeks alone the Minister has received almost 5,000 letters and emails from concerned individuals who want to see an end to the use of these cruel and unselective traps.
It also comes as new evidence emerges showing widespread abuse of current regulations, which has led to thousands of protected mountain hares being killed in snares. Evidence has come to light that thousands of mountain hares, a protected species, were caught in snares in 2006/2007, showing a culture of complete disregard for the law.
Proposed regulations include compulsory fitting of crimped stops, ID tags on snares and proposals for training. Such regulations are subject to scrutiny by the Scottish Parliament’s Subordinate Legislation and Rural Affairs and Environment Committee and may be voted on by the full Parliament.
Advocates for Animals’ Political Director, Libby Anderson, said: “The Government’s announcement today is hugely disappointing and will not end the terrible suffering snares cause to vast numbers of animals. By not banning snares the Government is failing to advance animal welfare and flying in the face of public opinion which was firmly behind a ban. We will continue to campaign for a ban on these cruel and indiscriminate traps. Scotland is now likely to get left behind the rest of the UK on this important animal welfare issue.”
League Against Cruel Sports’ Scotland Campaigner, Louise Robertson, added: “It beggars belief that the Scottish Government has ignored all the common sense arguments against the use of snares and has chosen to allow this barbaric practice to continue. This is something which the Scottish people feel very strongly about and I am sure the Government will face a backlash from what will prove to be a very unpopular decision. This is not the end - we will continue to campaign for a ban on snares.”
Animal welfare organisations have vowed to continue the campaign for a ban on snares. A petition for a ban on snares with over 5,000 signatures has been submitted to the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee and will be heard on Tuesday 4 March.
The campaign for a ban on the manufacture, possession and use of snares is led by Advocates for Animals and the League Against Cruel Sports and supported by the Hare Preservation Trust, Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Trust, International Otter Survival Fund and Scottish Badgers and sponsored by the Marchig Animal Welfare Trust. A ban on all snares is also supported by the Scottish SPCA.
The campaign has gained backing from a number of high-profile animal advocates including actresses Joanna Lumley OBE and Annette Crosbie, Queen guitarist Brian May CBE and UN Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall DBE.
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Notes to Editors
For further information contact:
Advocates for Animals: Libby Anderson, Political Director – Tel: 0131 225 6039, Mob: 07967 839137.
League Against Cruel Sports: Louise Robertson, Scotland Campaigner - Tel: 01383 873461, Mob: 07980 232287
www.bansnares.com
The Scottish Government Minister’s statement on snaring can be found at: www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/02/20125138
Snares are a primitive means of ‘pest’ control used on some farms and sporting estates in Scotland. Consisting of a thin wire noose, they are both cruel and indiscriminate traps. They are set to catch so-called pests such as foxes and rabbits but in reality any animal is at risk from getting caught in a snare, including protected animals such as badgers, otters and mountain hares, other wild animals such as deer, farmed animals such as sheep, and domestic cats and dogs. Although designed to immobilise their targets, snares can inflict horrendous injury and in many cases cause a painful and lingering death.
Tens or hundreds of thousands of animals will be caught in snares in Scotland each year. Exact figures are unknown as there is no requirement to keep records. Enforcement of the existing law is extremely difficult if not impossible due to the widespread use of snares in remote areas.
A ban on snares is supported by the vast majority of people in Scotland. An opinion poll showed that only 19% of people were aware that snares were still legal, most presuming they had already been banned, and 75% of people think they should be banned.
CommunicateResearch interviewed 1036 Scottish adults 18+ in February 2007 for the League Against Cruel Sports. The questions asked were as follows:
1. Is it legal or illegal to use snares to trap wild animals?
2. It is in fact legal. Do you think they should be banned in Scotland?
CommunicateResearch found that 19 per cent answered ‘legal’ to question one and 75 per cent supported a ban in question two.
A public consultation by the previous Scottish Executive showed an overwhelming 2:1 of respondents favoured a total ban on snares.