We must ALL use the correct snares

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Following the announcement by the League Against Cruel Sports on 10 May that “Time’s up for snares...” the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation had this to say:

A spokesman for the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation said: “In the view of the NGO, politicians should be sceptical when the LACS talks about snaring. The LACS would, of course, love opinion formers and the public to believe the organisation speaks with real authority on the subject. If that’s the case, why then did the LACS front its promotional anti-snaring literature at a recent event at the Welsh Assembly with a snare that did not comply with the Welsh Government’s own code of best practice on using snares?

“Perhaps the LACS was trying to pull the wool over the eyes of Welsh politicians? Or was it, maybe, because the LACS is full of hot air and has simply little genuine understanding of what constitutes best snaring practice in today’s world with modern kit? Who knows? Whatever the truth, on the basis of this it is clear to the NGO that what the LACS has to say about snaring should be taken by politicians, the media and the public with a very big pinch of salt indeed.

“The reality is that the modern fox snare, correctly set, meets the stringent requirements of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards. What’s more, the modern fox snare is an important environmental management technique, without the use of which some species of wildlife would undoubtedly have gone extinct in parts of the UK. It should also be remembered that the snaring horror stories the media reports revolve invariably around either illegal self-locking snares or snares set illegally by poachers or other rural criminals. The NGO is playing its part in working to stop both.

“The modern high-tech snare, set in accordance with best practice, is an important tool in wildlife conservation that delivers high levels of animal welfare when doing its job. That is why the NGO is determined to promote and defend the latest advances in snare design and use.”

Notes to Editors

The National Gamekeepers' Organisation represents the gamekeepers of England and Wales. It defends and promotes gamekeeping, gamekeepers and ensures high standards throughout the profession. It was founded in 1997 by a group of gamekeepers who felt that their profession was threatened by public misunderstanding and poor representation. The NGO has around 15,000 members.

ENDS