Hunting with dogs: Fear the bill could criminalise 'standard country sports activities'
Fears have been voiced that the ‘about the scope and potential unintended consequences of the draft bill’.
Giving evidence at the AERA committee on the Hunting with dogs Bill, Ronan Gorman, Chief Executive of Country Sports Ireland said the organisation he represents 11,000 subscribing members.
He went on to present the organisations position on the implications of the proposed Hunting with Dogs Bill and predator management.
He said ‘members of Country Sports Ireland include farmers, game managers, and conservationists’ and their activities have included many ‘strategic government objectives’.
Mr Gorman said these included:
- ‘farm sustainability – controlling foxes and wild mammals to protect farm incomes and business viability
- ‘economic impact – proper predator control is essential for the existence of game shoots
- ‘conservation – managing predators is vital for protecting vulnerable species such as the Irish red grouse, curlew, lapwing and snipe
Mr Gorman added that ‘the social benefits of country sports contributed to the physical and mental health of rural communities’.
However, he raised ‘concerns about the scope and potential unintended consequences of the draft bill’.
He further argued “against limiting the number of dogs used in pursuits, noting that in vast upland areas or thick cover two dogs are insufficient to effectively find or pressure a fox”.
He added that “fox predation threatens the sustainability of free range poultry farming”.
And given “the fear that the broad definition of hunting in the bill could criminalise standard country sports activities”, he asked “if the Bill could be amended to prevent accidental offences during routine activities like bird retrieval?”