Government
gives green light to shooters & landowners to decide future protection of
hares in England
April 2013. A new code of practice for the management of brown hare populations in
Wildlife organisations have reacted with shock and frustration after guidelines for the management - and shooting - of hares were published without any discussion of a potential ‘close-season'. A Code of Practice for brown hare management in England has been drawn up by the British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC), but a coalition of animal welfare groups claim that it fails to give hares even the minimal protection given to other ‘game' species.
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
Mike Swan, head of education at the GWCT, said: "The GWCT has been at the forefront of research on hares for over 20 years and managed to achieve a ten-fold population increase on its own research farm over three years. We welcome this new code for brown hare management. The hare is a wonderful animal and this advice reconciles the needs of hare conservation and crop protection in a pragmatic, humane and flexible way."
Glynn Evans, BASC's head of game and gamekeeping, said: "Everyone wants to see a thriving hare population but in areas where conservation and conditions favour hares, they can become a threat to the production of food. This code sets out practical advice for humane control."
Unsustainable
hunting
Care for the Wild, the Humane Society International, Blue Hare, and the Hare Preservation Trust are concerned that the current tally of around 350,000 hares hunted each year out of a national population of 750,000 is leading to dangerously reduced numbers in many parts of the country.
Care for the Wild, the Humane Society International, Blue Hare, and the Hare Preservation Trust are concerned that the current tally of around 350,000 hares hunted each year out of a national population of 750,000 is leading to dangerously reduced numbers in many parts of the country.
Philip
Mansbridge, CEO of Care for the Wild, said: "I think people would be
shocked to know that the people who shoot hares are the ones who get to decide
on whether or not there should be a close-season. The government needs to step
in, involve wildlife organisations to get some balance, and give these animals
a break."
Chris Packham
The call for a close-season has been backed by BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham. In a recent interview with Philip Mansbridge, he described the lack of a close-season as: "Disgusting. It's out of date, it's irresponsible and it's immoral.
The call for a close-season has been backed by BBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham. In a recent interview with Philip Mansbridge, he described the lack of a close-season as: "Disgusting. It's out of date, it's irresponsible and it's immoral.
"This is
an embarrassment for the UK
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