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Welsh Parliament |
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Pwyllgor yr Economi, Masnach a Materion Gwledig |
Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee |
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Bil Amaethyddiaeth (Cymru) |
Agriculture (Wales) Bill |
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AGR-12 |
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Ymateb gan: Kay Oliver a Bill Udpa |
Evidence from: Kay Oliver and Bill Udpa |
Dear Senedd
We wish to record our views on the above Bill with reference to the proposed banning of snares and glue traps.
The Welsh Government's introduction in 2015 of a code of best practice on the use of snares in fox control, while welcome at the time as a possible small step in the right direction, has unfortunately proved to be a failure, as is the case with so many voluntary codes. The intended improvement to the welfare of animals has not been delivered and injury and suffering to both wild and domestic animals has continued.
We are in agreement with a ban but legislation needs to go further and include a ban on the sale, possession and, if possible, the manufacture of such snares in Wales. Both the BVA and the RSPCA, whose inspectors regularly face the horrific realities of a lack of legislation, are calling for an additional sales ban and the RSPCA for the inclusion of a manufacturing ban. It will be harder to police the ban on usage without a possession, sales and manufacturing ban alongside. Of course people will find a way around such legislation if they are really determined but it should be made as difficult as possible for them to find loopholes and businesses should not be able to profit in this country from items that cause such proven suffering. Manufacturers’ claims regarding their snares have been demonstrated to be overblown, inaccurate and misleading.
Wales has the opportunity to be a world leader in this field of animal welfare, please ensure it makes the most of it. Thank you for your attention.
Signed
Kay Oliver and Bill Udpa