Repeal of the Act needed immediately (From Worcester News)

Repeal of the Act needed immediately

1:00pm Monday 27th April 2009 in

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SIR – The latest correspondence (April 15) from B Jones questions hunting and the Hunting Act 2004.

Their inflammatory statement about “the hunting fraternity is probably still breaking the law” is put into perspective after the news that eight huntsmen have had charges against them dropped in the last five weeks alone.

Even the League Against Cruel Sports has abandoned its private prosecuting of four men from the Isle of Wight. This was after LACS spent no less than three years and 1,800 man-hours following and filming them. Hunting of all types continues quite legally using the exemptions allowed within the law.

Unfortunately, the Act has made sound wildlife management almost impossible, a prime example being deer hunting in the West Country. Before the ban one deer at a time was carefully selected as part of planned herd management.

Now, according to the Hunting Act every deer flushed from cover must be shot on sight. Naturally this raises huge questions about animal welfare. Hunting within the law and controlling the deer population has exposed the negative effect the Hunting Act has on the issues of animal welfare and conservation.

The alternative of not hunting at all is even worse, with deer numbers out of control disease and starvation is inevitable. Purely on the grounds of animal welfare repeal of the Act is needed immediately.

Jon Burgess,
Malvern.