(General Interest) British Ban Hunting Update: 4th October 2002

[Guest guest]

Hi,

There was a large pro hunting march in England a while ago.

Here is a report on the march and how to respond (see below).

In Australia, hunting animals with dogs has been supported in parliament in

NSW.

Please support the British effort to stop hunting animals with dogs as

this will help all countries trying to stop hunting with dogs by setting a

precedent.

Scotland has already banned hunting with dogs and British PM Tony Blair is

hesitating

at banning hunting in Britain.

Kind regards, Marguerite

 

From Campaigning to Protect Hunted Animals

Britain

Date 23:16 Oct 9

Subject Ban Hunting Update: 4th October 2002

 

Dear Supporter,

 

The Countryside Alliance’s attempts to present last Sunday’s march as a

protest in

favour of fox hunting appear to have backfired. A MORI poll

http://inv9.com/.l/3X1BF06G8J

of people on the Countryside Alliance march showed that only 27% thought

that the

Alliance should have hunting as its main campaign issue.

 

This is a severe setback for the Alliance. It exposes the obsession with

hunting amongst

a hardcore minority in the face of other varied and more important

countryside issues.

The MORI results http://inv9.com/.l/3X1BF06G8K show that the march was

totally unrepresentative

of the countryside, with 82% voting Conservative and less than half were

truly rural.

 

When Alun Michael MP, Rural Affairs Minister was questioned by Channel Four

News about

the march he responded “I am pretty good at listening but what is the

message?”

 

The march came two weeks after the government held public hearings on

hunting with

dogs, to look at ‘Cruelty and Utility’ and to find ‘common ground’.

 

Campaigning to Protect Hunted Animals (CPHA) took part in the process and

believes

that the case for banning hunting with dogs is stronger than ever.

 

Evidence put forward clearly demonstrated that hunting is cruel and

unnecessary. Two

new scientific studies showed that a ban on hunting - contrary to the hunt

lobby’s

claims - would have no impact on the fox population

http://inv9.com/.l/3X1BF06G8M

and that fox control is uneconomic and unnecessary

http://inv9.com/.l/3X1BF06G8N .

 

The evidence put forward by the pro-hunt lobby was largely anecdotal and

unsubstantiated.

They seemed only concerned to defend fox-hunting and made little attempt to

justify

stag, hare and mink hunting with dogs.

 

Contrary to reports, the hearings established no ‘common ground’. There can

be no

‘compromise’ on cruelty. CPHA is pushing now for the Government to introduce

a bill

to ban hunting with dogs without delay. A MORI poll

http://inv9.com/.l/3X1BF06G8P

published this week revealed that almost three-quarters of the public

believes that

government has already taken too long to resolve the hunting issue.

 

You may have seen comments in the media speculating that a ‘compromise Bill’

may be

introduced. This would not be acceptable - the public wants a ban, MPs want

a ban

and the government must now deliver an outright ban.

 

WE NEED YOUR HELP- Tell the Government " There can be no Compromise on

Cruelty "

 

ACTION NEEDED

 

* Please write to: Rt Hon Alun Michael MP, Minister for Rural Affairs,

Department

of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Noble House, 17 Smith

Square, London

SW1P 3JR or email him at huntingwithdogs (include your name

and address

in email).

 

* Urge him to introduce legislation as soon as possible.

 

* Let him know that you think any ‘compromise’ is unacceptable – there can

be no compromise

on cruelty.

 

* Remind him of the government’s previous promises on this issue.

 

* Keep your correspondence short and polite.

 

* PS. If you haven’t already signed our on-line petition to ban hunting you

can do

so at http://inv9.com/.l/3X1BF06G8Q

 

Many thanks for your continued support for this campaign

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Campaigning to Protect Hunted Animals