Irish Extra April 2021
The Northern Ireland hunting community has once again come under attack by the Alliance Party, a Northern Ireland political group with an opposition to country sports. John Blair, an MLA for the Alliance Party is aiming to bring forward a private members bill to ban hunting in Northern Ireland, a bill declared by The League Against Sports as a “Gold Standard” with no exemption for trail hunting and also a ban on Terrier work. This week however, there were some interesting happenings with an email from Mr Blair to a professional rabbit controller stating that his bill would include a ban on hunting rabbits with dogs, but “an exemption for rats and mice”. Mr Blair then suggested (when questioned) that alternatives to rabbit control could be fencing & “scent deterrent rags”. I have struggled and further struggle to find any sense in all of this. As each day passes and I talk with the various groups, stake holders and country people that this bill could effect, Mr Blairs intentions become more and more confusing. His intentions and opinions continually conflict and he appears to have many different faces depending on who or which group he is talking to with the entire thing turning into a ball of conflicting stories and unbacked arguments. What has become abhorrently clear in all of this is that number one, John Blair has absolutely no idea what he is talking about when it comes top animal welfare and the countryside and secondly that his bill has got absolutely nothing to do with animal welfare or the countryside. To suggest that the control of rabbits with dogs is inhumane but suggest “scent deterrent rags” as an alternative is almost laughable was the situation not so serious. He probably is not aware, although my contact made it very clear to him in his correspondence that there is often more wildlife in rabbit warrens than rabbits and the use of “scent deterrent rags” is not only absolutely ludicrous but actually an animal welfare issue in itself. I myself have spoken in depth to the many organisations, stake holders, politicians and individuals involved in this situation and I am confident that Mr Blairs bill will go the way the previous attempts did, and that was straight down the pan. However we must still do what we can and it is no time to sit around. I would urge you to lift your phone, contact your local MLA’s and make it very clear to them that the country sports vote is a significant and change making vote and they would do best to support the rural community as they should.
Rabbiting Continues…
I have been working on an annual rabbit job and working with a couple of shooters, a job I look forward to annually as it is usually mild and pleasant weather. This year was slightly different and we battled against heavy wind, rain & at times sleet in attempt to make some inroads into a rabbit population which seems to have really increased since our last visit. This particular area would normally be quite busy with sports activities going on almost 12 or 14 hours per day, but with the situation over the last year this has been stopped completely. My guess is that a lack of disturbance has caused an increase in population but I could be wrong. What I do know is that this year in particular it was a lot more difficult than normal but we got there in the end. Only last night myself and David rounded off a long week with a couple of dozen rabbits shot which brought the total to well over a hundred in a short space of time, a figure well above what we would normally cull in the same space of time.
NARGC Seek removal of Minister Noonan
The National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) has written to Michael Martin, asking for the removal of Minister Noonan, Minister of State for heritage and electoral reform recently appointed to oversee Ireland National Parks and Wildlife Service as “ Minister Noonan is not a fit or proper person to hold this portfolio”, due to his identifying as an animal rights activist.
The letter to the Taoiseach says: “The minister describes himself as an animal rights activist, which is very different from a person who may love nature and animals.”
The NARGC claimed: “ His views are in the ‘extreme zone’ and would directly conflict with many of the norms and well-established practices which the NPWS would oversee, licence and regulate on a daily basis”.
The letter then goes on to list what the NARGC believes are examples of this “conflict”, which partially relate (among other issues) to a recently adopted plan at EU level for a future ban on lead ammunition in and around wetlands.
The NARGC goes on to say: “Minister Noonan’s role as minister [in charge of] the NPWS places responsibility on him to deal with many wildlife issues that would be the polar opposite of his beliefs as an animal rights activist.
The letter says: “You [the Taoiseach] have the responsibility to ensure that your ministers deal with their portfolios and remits in a fair and impartial way and leave their own personal agendas outside the doors of their ministerial offices.
“Since this minister took up his role, we resolutely believe he has not done this,”
Clubs are the back bone of Country Sports
The late Philip Lawton said to me many years ago, and I paid no heed at the time “Clubs are the back bone of Country Sports” and he was of course correct. Clubs are an ever important way for people to come together, share ideas and of course work to protect, promote and defend our sport on a united front. There is no shortage of clubs in Ireland. At the grass roots we have Gun clubs in every parish and then beyond that we have working dog clubs, such as the German Pointer Club of Ireland, the many Spaniel Clubs, Coursing Clubs, The Irish Hawking Club and formidable organisations like the Irish Working Terrier club with its many, many affiliated terrier clubs right across Ireland. Angling Clubs are probably too many to mention and the list goes on and on. I was myself for many years very “anti club” preferring and seeing the reason to be part of anything but as I have got older and apparently wiser I have realised these clubs are a part of our community and play an important role in holding us all together. Irish Extra is here for each and every club, for your news, your reports and photos, the column is yours.
Until Next Time… Keep Hunting!