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4.2 Scotland
In February of 2002 the devolved Scottish Parliament voted by 83 to 36 to ban hunting with dogs. MSPs decided not to give compensation to those whose livelihoods or businesses might suffer as a result of the ban. An article in the Guardian on 9 September 2004 reports that of the 10 Scottish hunts, 9 have survived the ban, as it is still possible to use hounds to flush foxes to guns. As a result, the total number of foxes killed by hunts has doubled because even the healthy foxes rarely escape the bullets.
5 Controversy over Hunting
5.1 Pro-Hunt Views
Hunt supporters have opposed a ban on the grounds that hunting is not only a sport, but provides a useful service for the countryside. One aspect of this service is controlling fox numbers, which is intended to protect livestock vulnerable to attack by foxes.
5.2 The Middle Way Group
The Parliamentary Middle Way group favours the continuation of hunting under a strict licensing scheme managed by a statutory authority; they argue for this position on both animal welfare and civil liberties grounds.
5.3 Anti-Hunt Views
Those who oppose the hunt counter that fox numbers are primarily controlled by the resources available as with any animal population, and that hunting does not have a significant effect—indeed, many more foxes are killed on the roads than by hunting.
6 External links
- Hunting and pro-hunting organisations
- Anti-hunting organisations
Equestrian sports
Hunting
Blood sports
