Alliance proposals will 'drastically affect' game hunting by excluding exemptions in Scottish law

The hunting with dogs legislation currently before the assembly does not replicate exemptions passed in Scotland which ban fox-hunting but protect game shooting and deer stalking, a DUP MLA has said.

With MLAs to decide the legislation’s fate on Tuesday, Paul Frew said its author – Alliance MLA John Blair – “needs to be honest with the public and press” about the intent of his proposals.

placeholder image — Robbie Marsland, League Against Cruel Sports and Heather Weir, USPCA. Their joint Together Campaign has dismissed concerns the Hunting With Dogs Bill would have wider implications than fox-hunting with hounds.

However, Mr Blair said it is “disappointing when people use diversions and distractions from the core issue of animal cruelty”.

It comes as a coalition of animal welfare groups urged local politicians to back the bill, saying Northern Ireland has “an important opportunity” to end the “suffering” caused by fox hunting.

The Together Campaign – made up of the USPCA and the League Against Cruel Sports – said claims that it would affect practices such as deer stalking are “false”.

Mr Blair has said the legislation will reflect on the Hunting with Dogs (Scotland) Act 2023, whilst “addressing issues identified in these pieces of legislation”. He has argued that his proposals prevent “the creation of any loopholes”.

The South Antrim MLA has also said that game-shooting “would not be considered within the parameters of the proposed bill”.

However, that Scottish legislation provides exemptions for using dogs to search for, stalk or flush from cover a wild mammal, with the intention of providing quarry for falconry, game shooting or deer stalking. Those exemptions are not included in the proposal before MLAs next week.

When asked previously by the News Letter about the lack of exemptions for hunting for sport or food, Mr Blair did not respond.

Mr Frew, an MLA for North Antrim, told the News Letter: “If this was all about banning the organised fox hunts were large groups ride on horses, wear red coats and blow horns as they ride through the villages and ultimately over the countryside in search of foxes then this bill should be called The Hunting with Horses Bill, it’s not.

“This proposed bill will impact the humble hunter on foot, with their legally held hunting gun and their dogs at their side. It will impact massively on the rural way of life, countryside management and practice and will drastically affect a person’s right to hunt game.

“Interestingly the proposer of the bill seeks to reflect aspects of the Scottish act, but the Scottish act has several exemptions which do not seem to be replicated in the proposer’s Northern Ireland bill.

“The Scottish legislation allows for hunting with a dog with the intention of providing quarry for falconry, game shooting and deer stalking but this does not, on the face of it, seem to be allowed for in John Blair’s bill.

“So does this now mean that for the Alliance Party, and everyone else for that matter whether we like it or not, game is now off the menu?”

John Blair told the News Letter: “The Bill is aimed at fox hunting and other forms of killing wild mammals using dogs. There is no impact on hunting with guns as long as the dogs involved are not actively being used to kill wild mammals”.

“Nor does it apply to ducks or pheasants, as they are not wild mammals. Public opinion in Northern Ireland has consistently shown to be in support of such a ban and I look forward to having the support of other parties in consigning this barbaric practice to the history books.