AQW 7745/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 28/09/2020
Answered On Date: 12/10/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail his Department's plans to reform the legislation or practices on the use of snares, including any consideration given to the banning of snares.

Answer:

I have no immediate plans to reform the legislation or practises on the use of restraints. I understand that, although not widespread, there is still a need to retain restraints to control pest species in the countryside. For example, some landowners use them to reduce the impact of foxes on new born lambs during the lambing season. Gamekeepers also use them periodically to reduce the destruction of game birds by foxes at certain times of the year. Also for free range poultry restraints can be used on foxes as they can slaughter, at times, over 100 birds in a single incident. A code of practice was introduced for the use of restraints, this appears to have worked well in limiting unnecessary suffering on wildlife.