FROM PROTECT THE WILD — HUNTERS & KILLERS CARRY-ON THEIR ‘SPORT’ AS GOVERNMENT DELAYS

Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The Govt continues to waste time over ending hunting for good ROB POWNALL FEB 9 READ IN APP For more than a year, ministers have repeatedly promised a public consultation on strengthening the Hunting Act and banning so-called trail hunting. Yet despite these assurances, the consultation has still not appeared. Statements have been made, expectations raised, and commitments restated, but the public is still waiting. Meanwhile, animals continue to suffer. DEFRA ministers have confirmed on multiple occasions that the government intends to act on its manifesto commitment to end trail hunting and strengthen hunting laws. In spring 2025, ministers again said the consultation was being prepared and would come soon. Still, no date has been set and no document published. This is not a minor administrative delay. A consultation is the first essential step towards closing the loopholes that hunts rely on to continue operating. Every week that passes without action allows hunts to carry on chasing, injuring, and killing wild animals under the cover of trail hunting. Foxes, hares, deer, mink, and otters pay the price for political hesitation. What Ministers Are Quietly Saying in Parliament Behind the vague public assurances, a recent parliamentary answer has revealed something far more concerning. In response to a direct question from Neil Duncan-Jordan MP about plans to publish a consultation on amending the Hunting Act 2004, the government stated plainly that the Department has no plans to publish a consultation on amending the Hunting Act. The same minister (Angela Eagle MP) then added that the Department will consult early this year on how to deliver a ban on trail hunting. That distinction matters. By explicitly ruling out a broader consultation on the Hunting Act itself, the government is narrowing the scope of reform before the process has even begun. This raises serious concerns that ministers are opting for limited adjustments rather than the decisive action needed to finally end hunting. National Exposure Has Put Hunting Under the Spotlight In the last week alone, pressure on hunting has reached an unprecedented level. On national television, Channel 4 News broadcast footage of multiple hunts being caught killing foxes. The reporting was stark. When a mainstream national news programme is prepared to describe a hunt (BSV) as behaving like serial killers, it tells you just how indefensible this activity has become. This was not activist rhetoric. It was a sober news report shown to millions of viewers. The footage was graphic, disturbing, and impossible to dismiss. It showed exactly what campaigners have warned about for years. Trail hunting is being used as a cover for illegal and brutal activity. Chris Packham takes on the infamous BSV hunt The pressure has not come from the media alone. In recent days, Chris Packham joined monitors and hunt saboteurs on the ground to observe and document the activities of the Blackmore and Sparkford Vale Hunt. His involvement brought further national attention to what is happening in the countryside and to the lack of meaningful enforcement under the current law. Packham’s presence reflected growing frustration that, twenty years after the Hunting Act was passed, wildlife is still being chased and killed while politicians debate process and timing. Other Animal Welfare Consultations Are Already Moving Forward What makes the delay on hunting even harder to justify is that DEFRA has already launched consultations on other animal welfare issues. The government has progressed work on puppy imports, shock collars, and other animal protection measures. These consultations exist. They have timetables. They have been published. Only hunting remains stuck in limbo, despite being one of the clearest and most popular manifesto commitments. Public support for stronger hunting laws is overwhelming. The evidence of ongoing abuse is undeniable. Yet the consultation continues to be postponed. The Defra Minister Must Set a Date This ongoing delay is no longer acceptable. Every unanswered question and every vague promise allows cruelty to continue. The public deserves transparency. Wildlife deserves protection. The DEFRA Secretary of State must now state clearly when the hunting consultation will be published and commit to meaningful reform that finally ends hunting with dogs. The time for warm words has passed. What is needed now is a date, a consultation, and action. Sign our petition calling on the DEFRA Minister to reveal when the hunting consultation will happen and to end the delays once and for all. Sign the petition Support the fight to end hunting We’ve just released a beautiful limited edition pin badge with profits supporting our campaign to end fox hunting for good. You can pick one up here. Get the Badge SHARE LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2026 Protect the Wild Protect the Wild, 71-75 Shelton Street Covent Garden, London, W2CH 9JQ Unsubscribe Start writing