THE BANNING OF SNARES

FROM PROTECT THE WILD - BANNING SNARES

Wales is set to become the first UK nation to ban snares after a third reading of the Agriculture Bill was heard in the Welsh Senedd last week. It looks to be a tremendous victory for wildlife and a long time coming!

Back in 2020 our friends at HIT investigated the use of snares in Pembrokeshire by David Sneade (pictured below). And what they found was sickening. 

A legal loophole allowed Sneade to snare foxes, kill them and sell their pelts despite fur farms being banned in Britain. He then went on to sell the fur to dealers in Sweden and the US. It was HIT's investigation that exposed this sick operation to the public and put much needed attention on the use of cruel snares. 

In one video which we won't share, he uses multiple brutal blows on a still-breathing fox, before crushing the animal to death with his foot. Fur trappers snare and bludgeon animals rather than shooting them so their pelts are not spoilt by bullet wounds and blood.

Up until now, setting snares in the UK is LEGAL as long as the devices aren't designed to kill. But the new bill which looks set to be passed in Wales could hopefully pave the way for much needed change.

This is why we will always support undercover investigations

Investigations like this one are so important. They create conversations, get people thinking, and they put pressure on decision makers to make change happen.  Covered by The Independent, Daily Mail and BBC News, the issue of snares was finally given the spotlight and ever since the campaign has only grown stronger to ban the use of these cruel devices for good. And it is a great example of why we will always support undercover investigations. They are one of the most effective ways of uncovering what is really going on in the British countryside and the media are always more likely to cover these stories.  It is also a telling indication of the fight we have on our hands when it comes to ending all wildlife persecution. It is going to be a long one that's for sure. And change doesn't happen overnight. But whilst it can be difficult to stay optimistic we must remember that we are on the right side of history.  The evidence is there for all to see. We just need to keep pushing and one day we will see the end of snares and all forms of wildlife persecution.