Letter: It’s hunting groups that farms and livestock need to be protected from
A letter from Christine and William Bailey:
We in the Concerned Residents Ardtanagh Group and the Shanrod/Fedney Concerned Residents Group feel that we have to respond to comments made by Countryside Alliance (Ireland) in your newspaper ('If the Alliance Party want a fight over fox hunting then they have got one' declares pro-hunt group amid renewed push for a ban, December 27).
We refer to the statement: "If he wants to pursue a fight with the countryside over the ability of farmers to protect their livestock and conservationists to protect threatened species he will get one."
The main "thing" that we have to try to protect our livestock from is the hunting groups themselves.
We as farmers, landowners and country folk currently have to endure ongoing hunt damage year after year – with livestock "worried" that is killed, lambs aborted and hounds put into fields of pregnant sheep (dashcam evidence), fences cut, hedges and land damaged, trees removed by a quad, public roads blocked and threatening abuse from hunts people.
We have even had our windows shot in by people out hunting on our property.
We have held confidential ‘hunt resolution meetings’ with our local councillors, representatives of the concerned residents groups, the PSNI, Ulster Farmers’ Union, NI Master of Hounds Association and Countryside Alliance (Ireland).
Unfortunately, showing a clear lack of willingness to engage, none of the local hunt group representatives attended any of these meetings.
We are farmers who are living and working in the countryside, trying to earn a living.
We are suffering ‘collateral damage’ for the hunt groups’ ‘good day out’ and their bloodsport enjoyment.
With the current financial strain on the farming community, this ongoing hunt damage aka ‘hunt havoc’ is one huge burden on the farming community that we can well do without.
Christine and William Bailey, on behalf of the Concerned Residents Ardtanagh Group