AN INFORMATIVE POST FROM THE HUNT SABOTEURS

View this email in your browser Hi, Twenty years of the Hunting Act On this day in 2005 the Hunting Act came into force. It should have stopped the cruelty of hunting with hounds, but 20 years later hunts across the country are still chasing and killing foxes, hares and deer for fun. And often, hunt sabs are still the only people stopping them. An opportunity missed The law was the result of years of campaigning by anti-hunting activists, a Government inquiry and many hours of debate in Parliament, and should have banned the cruelty of hunting with hounds. But despite initial optimism, it soon became clear that the gaping holes and ambiguity in the new legislation, a determination from the hunters to flout the law, and a lack of police enforcement meant that away from the prying eyes of the public and hunt sabs, hunts were continuing much as they did before and wildlife was still paying the price. Should this be a surprise? Not really. In the run up to the Hunting Act becoming law, around 50,000 hunters signed a pledge saying they would break the law and continue hunting animals, and many have done just that. The invention of a smokescreen The ‘powers that be’ in the hunting world quickly worked out that they needed to do more to reinvent hunting’s damaged public image, and to create a cover for hunting to continue. So-called ‘trail hunting’ was presented as the way to do this, while internally they suggested that this was simply a way to keep hounds fit, infrastructure in place and supporters paying their dues until the ban was repealed. As the Countryside Alliance said in their ‘2005 Hunting Handbook - How to keep hunting’: “Any form of trail, simulated, or mock hunting should be promoted and seen as a measure to provide activity for hounds and their followers during the ‘temporary’ ban.” A conspiracy exposed In recent years, some of the biggest damage has been dealt against hunting. The Hunt Saboteurs Association has released damning and groundbreaking footage into the public domain, some filmed by the hunters themselves, and exposing their consistent law breaking. This included the leak of online webinars attended by hunt masters from across the country in 2020, in which leaders of hunting’s governing body - the Hunting Office - laid out ways that hunts could protect themselves while breaking the law. In particular, ‘trail hunting’ was put in the spotlight after it was described as a ‘smokescreen’ for illegal hunting. As a result, media interest on the issue has grown, with the true, grisly reality of the ‘trail hunt’ lie being broadcast to the front rooms of the nation. And in some places, police forces are finally catching up and taking a more pro-active approach to deal with the issue. Chief Superintendent Matt Longman, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on foxhunting crime, has said that the law on hunting is not working with illegal hunting still commonplace, and that the Hunting Act needs to be revisited. Fox killed by the Bicester Hunt with Whaddon Chase. Image: West Midlands Hunt Sabs “It’s time to make the law fit for purpose” This growing attention has meant this is an issue that politicians can no longer ignore. Ahead of the general election in 2024, the Labour Party made a manifesto pledge to “ban trail hunting, which is being exploited as a smokescreen to cruelly kill foxes and hares.” A spokesperson for the Hunt Saboteurs Association said: “Cruelty, criminality and chaos are rife in the hunting world, and it’s clear to everyone involved that the current law is not working. Where the law has failed, it’s been up to hunt sabs to step up and provide the main line of defence for our hunted wildlife. It’s time to make the law on hunting fit for purpose; a real ban on hunting with real enforcement. “While this can’t come soon enough, the Hunt Saboteurs Association warns that the Government must learn from the mistakes of the past and make sure loopholes that allow animals to be killed are closed.Until this happens, we’ll be in the fields - because as long as they’re still hunting, we’re still sabbing!” The Hunt Saboteurs Association is campaigning for the loopholes to be closed and the law strengthened, to finally protect British wildlife from the cruelty of hunting with hounds as originally intended. Please click the link below for more information, and to see how you can help. https://www.huntsabs.org.uk/ge24-campaign/ Get involved! Find out how you can be part of our campaign to Strengthen The Hunting Act Take Action Spread the word! Please share our news Share via email Facebook icon Instagram icon Twitter icon Quotes Logo Copyright (C) 2025 Hunt Saboteurs Association. All rights reserved. You were subscribed to the newsletter from Hunt Saboteurs Association. Our mailing address is: BM HSA, London, WC1N 3XX, U.K. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe