MSP welcomes new Hunting with Dogs Bill progress
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A BILL aiming to ban hunting with dogs has been welcomed by a north-east MSP.
The proposed Hunting with Dogs Bill, which follows on from a Stage 1 report from the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment (RAINE) Committee, intends to ban using packs of dogs hunting down and killing foxes, hares and other wild mammals.
The Scottish Government consultation on the proposal received over 11,000 responses from a range of organisations, groups, and members of the public.
Banffshire and Buchan Coast MSP Karen Adam, who sits on the RAINE Committee, has voiced her support for the Bill.
She said: “There’s been a profound amount of work on this proposed legislation at committee level.
"Having packs of dogs kill and chase animals, such as foxes, has no place in our modern Scotland. The practice has been illegal for 20 years but there are a number of loopholes that needed to be addressed to end the practice once and for all.
“Scotland is a leading figure when it comes to animal welfare, it’s one aspect as to why our agriculture industry is world renowned. The Bill is about pursuing the highest possible animal welfare standards in Scotland on the understanding that we are largely a rural nation.
“The new Bill does allow for dogs to search for, stalk or flush a wild mammal for specified purposes and must meet a certain criteria, such as preventing serious damage to livestock, timber or crops, protecting human health or preventing the spread of disease.”
A statement from National Farmers' Union Scotland (NFUS) added: “NFU Scotland stresses the need to maintain effective, practical and pragmatic control of wild mammals, including foxes, in a farming and crofting context to prevent damage to livestock, crops, plants and habitats and limit the spread of disease, as well as to reduce predation on protected wildlife species.”
Director of the League Against Cruel Sports Scotland Robbie Marsland commented: “The league fully supports the intention behind the new Bill and we look forward to seeing it in detail and working with the Scottish Government as it progresses through parliament with full scrutiny.
"After 20 years of flawed legislation it is critical that this Bill addresses the need to reduce the pack of hounds to just two, and takes pre-emptive action to prevent trail hunting being established as a new 'sport' in Scotland.”
