Responding To Trail Hunting Consultation Announcement

The Government’s consultation on banning trail hunting is a big step forward. I’ve been calling for this for months, including organising a letter signed by over 60 Parliamentarians calling for urgent action.

The Conservatives sat on their hands for years as hunts flouted the law - using the legal fiction of “trail hunting” as a smokescreen to kill animals for sport.

I’ve been clear: we need a watertight ban. So I welcome that this consultation allows submissions beyond a simple ban on trail hunting. Hunts have repeatedly exploited loopholes to continue killing wildlife. We must remove all exemptions in the Hunting Act that are abused to deliberately hunt mammals with hounds.

I am concerned the consultation presents these killings as rare “accidents”. The evidence tells a different story. Wildlife crime officers, hunt monitors and animal welfare experts have been clear with me: these aren't mistakes - it is the intention.

I saw this first-hand when I observed a hunt. I didn't see any evidence of a trail being followed. And we’ve seen in Scotland that piecemeal reform won't work - hunts adapt and carry on killing. Hunts were given the benefit of the doubt in 2004 and used it to continue their bloodsport for 20 years.

We must not repeat that mistake. We need a truly watertight ban to end the hunting of mammals with hounds. I will shortly publish a Bill to support the Government with a gold-standard proposal.