The Founder of Conservatives Against Fox Hunting gave a five minute presentation talk for a close season for nursing hares during their breeding season at the Associate Parliamentary Group For Animal Welfare’s meeting in the House of Commons on the 21st February 2012.
Conservatives Against Fox Hunting and Humane Society International UK presented together a presentation for the protection of wild hares in the committee room before animal welfare organisations and MPs .Lorraine Platt sat on the panel table which included the Chairman of APGAW, Neil Parish MP, The RSPCA, the PDSA and Humane Society International UK amongst other animal welfare representatives.The discussion for a close season lasted approximately twenty minutes.
Our 5 minute talk : ANIMAL AGENDA WELFARE EDUCATION
‘Conservatives Against Fox Hunting would like to thank APGAW for including this important issue of protection for hares during their breeding season on the agenda today. We want to also thank APGAW’s Chairman for supporting our proposal since we first approached Neil in May 2011 in an APGAW’s members surgery session to ask for support to help raise awareness of the need for further hare protection amongst MPs in Westminster.
The Brown Hare population has seriously declined by an estimated 80% in the last 100 years.
The government target – a Species Action Plan set up in the mid 1990s to double the hare population numbers was not met by 2010. DEFRA confirmed that the target had not been achieved in June 2011 in response to a Parliamentary question by Neil Parish. Hares are the only species deprived of the protection of a close season during their breeding season and tens of thousands of dependent young hares starve to death when their nursing mothers are killed. Close seasons for hares operate throughout much of Europe .Scotland recently introduced a close season for hares which came into effect on the 1st February this year.
A close season from the 1st February – 30th September would be entirely reasonable. It would bring England in line with much of Europe on a close season for hares, protect dependent leverets and help the UK to meet the Species Action Plan set out in 1995 to double the hare population by 2010 which was not met.
Conservatives Against Fox Hunting urge MPs to support the EDM 2531- a CLOSE SEASON FOR HARES and for the government to confer protection upon nursing hares and their dependent young in the form of a close season.’
http://www.apgaw.org/images/stories/21st_February_2012_minutes_.pdf
MINUTES OF THE MEETING ON ANIMAL WELFARE EDUCATION
