SCOTTISH Government moves which could lead to a toughening of Scotland’s foxhunting laws, have been welcomed by animal welfare charities.
Yesterday, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham announced plans to open a public consultation on the future of the practice, following on from a review into the current laws by Lord Bonomy in 2016.
With the Protection of Wild Mammals Act, Scotland was the first part of the UK to ban traditional fox hunting and hare coursing.
But there have always been complaints about loopholes in the law which allow “flushing to guns,” where dogs chase foxes out from the cover of woods so they can be shot.
The League Against Cruel Sports alleged that half of Scotland’s hunts were now using this loophole not to shoot but to hunt with dogs.
Launching the call for views, which is open until early next year, Cunningham said: “This consultation seeks to explore recommendations to improve animal welfare legislation and the contributions we receive will be of considerable value in informing our thinking.
“Scotland led the way in 2002 by banning the hunting of wild mammals with dogs and we remain committed to improving animal welfare across the board.”
OneKind’s director Harry Huyton said: “OneKind welcomes this consultation on the future of fox hunting in Scotland. We have long raised concerns that mounted fox hunting continues much as it did thanks to loopholes in the law.
“Today marks an important step towards closing the loopholes and banning hunting in Scotland for good.”
“We particularly welcome the broad scope of the consultation. Lord Bonomy’s review of the was thorough and provides important recommendations that would tighten the regulation around fox hunting, but the Scottish Government will need to go further if we are end to this cruel practice for good.”
In July 2015, David Cameron was forced to shelve the government’s plans to relax the foxhunting ban in England and Wales after Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that the Scottish National party would vote against the move, rather than abstaining as the Conservatives had hoped.
The SNP leader said she had changed her mind about intervening in an English matter partly because of the strength of feeling in England against relaxing the ban, partly because Scotland was thinking about strengthening its own ban and partly as an act of defiance against the way Cameron had treated the SNP and Scotland since the general election.
Two huntsmen convicted of illegal fox hunting in the Borders have dropped their appeals.
John Richardson and Johnny Riley, who were members of the Jedforest hunt, were each fined after being found guilty of deliberately hunting a fox with dogs.
It was the first conviction of its kind since hunting was banned in 2002. Their crime had been caught on camera.
The League Against Cruel Sports has welcomed the decision.
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