Pro Hunting Supporters Warn of Risks for Dog Owners
Supporters of hunting have expressed concerns that a new bill proposed at Stormont to ban hunting with dogs could place thousands of dog owners in Northern Ireland at risk of prosecution. The legislation, which MLAs are set to vote on Tuesday, aims to prohibit the practice of hunting wild animals with dogs across Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland remains the only region in the UK where hunting with dogs is still legally permitted. The private members bill has been introduced by John Blair of the Alliance Party but has faced criticism from the campaign group Countryside Alliance Ireland, which described it as "misguided and divisive." The group organized a protest outside Stormont on Tuesday morning.
Gary McCartney, spokesperson for Countryside Alliance Ireland, cautioned that the bill's scope is so broad it could affect every dog owner in Northern Ireland.
If an elderly person was walking in the park and their dog scampered off and chased a wild mammal - whether that be a shrew or a deer - that could be classed as the act of hunting and the dog owner could be open to prosecution,
With 400,000 households having a dog, you can see how many people could be affected by this legislation.
Alliance Party's Position and Legislative Context
John Blair, the bill's sponsor, maintained that the legislation would not impact all dog owners. He referenced similar laws in Scotland, which have been in place for over 20 years without any prosecutions or attempted prosecutions of dog owners.
Blair emphasized that the bill aims to align Northern Ireland's regulations with the rest of the UK.
Concerns from Hunting Community
Emma Hodge, associated with the East Antrim hounds, expressed significant concern about the bill's potential effects on her pack and her livelihood.
What is going to happen to our hounds if they ban hunting? Hounds are not an animal which can be rehomed, they are a pack animal, and they need to be in a pack,
She also defended fox hunting as a natural form of pest control.
Everybody thinks we are bloodthirsty and we are going out and killing hundreds of foxes, that is not the case,
Fox hunting has been going on for generations and has been used for pest control for all these years.
Sean McAloon, huntsman with the Fermanagh Harriers, who has been involved in hunting since the age of two, voiced his opposition to the ban.
There are a lot of more important issues MLAs should be sorting out, and hunting should not be a priority for them,
He reiterated the role of fox hunting in pest control and its importance to farmers.
There are a lot of farmers out there losing lambs to foxes and they need our services to control the fox population,
This is just the latest attack on the farming community, and we have taken a stand, and it now feels we are fighting a class war.
Legislative History and Outlook
This marks the second occasion MLAs will vote on a hunting bill introduced by John Blair. The previous bill, presented in 2021, was defeated by seven votes.
However, it is anticipated that the current bill will receive sufficient support to advance to the next stage of the legislative process. It is understood that Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party will back the bill, with some members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) also expected to support it.
