A new badge to show support for hunting has been designed by the Countryside Alliance to show that a decade on from the ban we’re “Still here, still hunting”.
Henrietta Rutgers of the Alliance’s hunting campaign said: “This badge is a celebration of hunting and signifies the strength of this great tradition which continues to survive 10 years on from the introduction of the Hunting Act. All proceeds from the sale of this badge will go directly to the Hunting Campaign, which continues to fight for repeal of this unjust and unworkable law.”
The Hunting Act came into force on 18 February 2005, but 10 years on hunts have not folded and have adapted to find new ways to hunt within the confines of the current legislation. The Alliance expects about a quarter of a million people to support their local hunts on Boxing Day.
At the time, Horse & Hound recorded the anxiety of its readership over the prospective ban and talked to those involved with hunting about how they believed hunting would continue under the new law. Despite the changes, the hunting fraternity remained upbeat and vowed to fight for repeal of the act while working within the law in the meantime.
Since the ban was enforced on 18 February 2005, registered hunts in England and Wales have carried out more than 150,000 days hunting.
Data from the Ministry of Justice from 2005-2013 shows that although 341 people have been convicted of Hunting Act offences, just 21 of those people were involved with registered hunts.
Tim Bonner, of the CA added: “The determination of hunts, and the continued support of the wider rural community, has ensured that hunting is still thriving 10 years after the Hunting Act was passed, but the law has proved just as unworkable, pointless and wasteful as we predicted.
Badges cost £5. Buy yours from https://www.countryside-alliance.org.uk/ca/products.php
Ref: Horse & Hound; 18 December 2014
