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Hunt Saboteurs ready for start of new 'fox-hunting' season

Hunt Saboteurs Association | 28.10.2005 18:44 | Animal Liberation

November 1st sees the start of what would have been a new fox-hunting season. But hunting is banned - hunt saboteurs believe the ban can and will work, are dedicated to tracking down the hunts who are breadking the law, and are ready, as ever, to sabotage hunting if required.

Hunt saboteurs gear up for new season and say
‘Don’t believe the hype – the Hunting Act CAN and WILL work’

29th October 2005

The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) stated today that they were ready for what would traditionally be the start of a new fox-hunting season on November 1st. Despite media reports to the contrary hunt saboteurs, who have over 40 years experience of sabotaging hunting activities, firmly believe that the Hunting Act is a workable piece of legislation, and that the end of hunting as we know it is well on the way. The main change this season for saboteurs sees the replacement of essential kit such as a hunting horn with the new sabotage tools of video camera and mobile phone - pre-programmed with the local Constabulary’s number!

Dawn Preston, a spokesperson for the HSA, stated ‘Hunt saboteurs traditionally use the huntsman’s own tools, such as a hunting horn, against him when sabotaging a hunt. These days our essential kit is more likely to contain a video camera to capture any illegal hunting, and a mobile phone to report it. Police resources never seemed to be lacking when it was us being policed, so we know for a fact that the budgets are there. And we aren’t the sort of people who are afraid to badger the police in order to get them out there - enforcing the law, as they are paid to do. We are perhaps best placed of all people to tell the difference between legal and illegal hunting, and whilst the bloodsports fraternity try and claim it’s ‘business as usual’ we know for a fact it is not. It’s only a matter of time before the first prosecution will be brought under the Act.’

She continued ‘Our years of experience with hunts up and down the country means we know those who really are likely to try and carry on hunting – and rest assured that we already have our cameras trained on them. The general public also seem to be fed up with the outrageous arrogance and attitude of the hunters – as the number of tip-offs we are receiving as to the whereabouts of hunts has reached record levels. The Countryside Alliance would be well advised to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ – hunting is banned, and the ban CAN and WILL be enforced. Deal with it!’.

Notes to Editors
· For more information please contact Dawn Preston on 07904 387559.
· Background information on the HSA and past press releases can be found at www.huntsabs.org.uk
· The HSA has used non-violent direct action to get between the hunters and their quarry since 1963, and will continue to do so as and when required.

ENDS

Hunt Saboteurs Association
- e-mail: info@huntsabs.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.huntsabs.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Fox hunting harms no one!

29.10.2005 12:24

Fox hunting is a peaceful sport which harms and disturbs no one. It is a traditional country sport enjoyed by tens of thousands of peaceful law abiding people. What harm are fox hunters doing to you? Hunt sabotuers are mostly urban people with little or no idea of how the countryside works. Fox hunting far from being damaging actually helps to keep the balance of nature by reducing the fox population. If fox hunting were to stop then the fox population would explode resulting in thousands of foxes every year dying of starvation. Foxes are also a nuisance to farmers, so farmers were probably shoot them to extinction if fox hunts did not control their numbers.

Villager.


Really?

29.10.2005 18:28

"If fox hunting were to stop then the fox population would explode resulting in thousands of foxes every year dying of starvation. "

Well it has stopped in Scotland. Some time ago. Can you give solid figures to back up your claim that the population has exploded there?

Boab


Hunting in Scotland

31.10.2005 09:38

A previous poster writes,

"Well it has stopped in Scotland" In fact no it hasn't. The Scottish legislation was nearly identical to the English one and the experiences of those of us here are the same as our friends in England. Hunting has increased in Scotland since the "ban" with many more foxes now being killed and more people out hunting than ever before. This is why we pushed so hard for alternative legislation in England - the present laws in both countries are not working.

Barry


Actually....

01.11.2005 08:24

Sorry Barry, but I'm going to have to take you to task on this one.

First of all the issue of whether foxes are being killed per se is irrelevent. The objection to hunting with packs of dogs was that it was inhumane, and that there were more appropriate ways to deal with a problem (if it existed).

So the question is, has hunting with packs of hounds been successfully banned by the Scottish legislation. To the best of my knowledge the hunts have been effectively disbanded. Inasmuch as hunt sabateurs perpetually followed the hunts, one would have expected significant publicity had this not been the case. Yet there has been none.

Simple solution, Barry. You provide us with news links and the like - from reliable sources - showing that illegal hunting continues (and indeed grows) per your post.

Boab