Northern Ireland moves to protect the Irish hare 14th October, 2003 The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has warmly welcomed the announcement today that Dungannon coursing club has been refused a licence to net hares. The licence was refused by Angela Smith, MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment in Northern Ireland who stated: "The Irish hare is in danger. It is low in numbers and the Department of the Environment (DOE) has published a species action plan, which has among its objectives the doubling of the Irish hare population by 2010." She further went on to express her concern about the cruelty of coursing. Referring to the failure of muzzling to eliminate the injuries and deaths from coursing, she stated: "There is evidence that deaths among the coursed hares can arise from causes other than being bitten. Anything that puts the lives and welfare of the Irish hare at risk is inconsistent with the policy objectives of the species action plan." The Irish Council Against Blood Sports welcomes this move by Angela Smith, MP. In one part of this island at least, hares will be spared the cruelty and terror of coursing, thanks to the fact that Ms Smith recognises that the hare population is in danger and is determined to do something about it by putting a plan in place to halt its decline. Meanwhile, here in the South, it's business as usual for the 90 odd coursing clubs up and down the country. They have recently been licensed by Environment Minister, Martin Cullen, to net approximately 10,000 hares from the wild for use as live lures before greyhounds. Minister Cullen continues to assert that "there is clearly no evidence that hare coursing adversely impacts on hare populations." Yet he has no scientific evidence to prove this. In Northern Ireland, a number of studies in recent years have pointed to the fact that hares are at a low density. Surely, the Northern Ireland situation should set alarm bells ringing down here. We call on Minister Martin Cullen to follow the example of Northern Ireland and immediately withdraw the licence from hare coursers to net timid and defenceless hares from the wild for cruelty, abuse and unnecessary exploitation in what is an outdated and utterly barbaric activity. Angela Smith moves to protect Irish hare Press Release Department of the Environment (DOE), Northern Ireland 14 October 2003 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Angela Smith, MP, today refused to issue a permit to a coursing club to net hares for a coursing meet. The Minister has turned down the application from Dungannon and District Coursing Club. Angela Smith also announced that the DOE will be going to public consultation shortly on a proposal to make a temporary special protection order to prevent the killing or taking of hares. Explaining her reasons for refusing the permit, the Minister said: "The Irish hare is in danger. It is low in number and the DOE has published a species action plan, which has among its objectives the doubling of the Irish hare population by 2010. Although I accept that the dogs are muzzled during coursing, there is evidence that deaths among the coursed hares can arise from causes other than being bitten. Anything that puts the lives and welfare of the Irish hare at risk is inconsistent with the policy objectives of the species action plan." The Minister also expressed her concern about the practice of importing hares, including Irish hares, netted in the Republic of Ireland for coursing events in Northern Ireland. She said: "I understand that the club may have imported sufficient hares from the Republic of Ireland to allow the planned coursing event to proceed. I would be concerned that these could include Irish hares. The Irish hare is a sub-species endemic to the island of Ireland. Both parts of the island share a responsibility for doing what they can to help the Irish hare population to recover. I therefore intend to take up with my Ministerial counterpart in the Irish Government the practice of allowing hares to be netted in the South for export to Northern Ireland for coursing." Dealing with other proposals to give greater protection to the Irish hare, Angela Smith continued: "The DOE has commissioned a review of the Wildlife (NI) Order 1985 which will examine, among other things, the recommendation from a number of sources that the Irish hare should be included in the list of species in Schedule 5 to the Order which are protected at all times from being killed or taken. I expect the review to take about 12 months to complete. In the meantime, I have asked officials to publish for public consultation a proposal for a special protection order under the Game Preservation Act (NI) 1928 to prohibit the killing or taking of hares. I have taken this step, reflecting the precautionary principle, to provide the maximum possible protection for the Irish hare pending the outcome of the review of the Wildlife Order." Concluding, Angela Smith said she hoped that all those with the interests of the Irish hare and its conservation at heart would welcome these steps. NOTES TO EDITORS 1. Dungannon and District Coursing Club's application was received by DOE on 14 August. The Club's intention was to hold a coursing event on 25 October. The application was made under section 7D of the Game Preservation Act (NI) 1928. 2. The Species Action Plan for the Irish hare is available on the website of the Department's Environment and Heritage Service - www.ehsni.gov.uk . 3. Article 10 of the Wildlife (NI) Order 1985 makes it an offence for any person intentionally to kill, injure or take any wild animal listed in Schedule 5, or to have in his possession or control any live or dead wild animal included in the Schedule. 4. Section 7C(1) of the Game Preservation Act (NI) 1928, provides that, where the Minister is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient to provide special protection for any kind of game, he may by order prohibit the killing or taking, or the sale or purchase, of any game prescribed by the order, during such period not exceeding one year as shall be prescribed by the order. 5. For further information please contact Philip Maguire DOE Information Office Tel 028 9054 0013 mobile 07713 652815.

"The Irish hare is in danger. It is low in number and the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland) has published a species action plan, which has among its objectives the doubling of the Irish hare population by 2010...Anything that puts the lives and welfare of the Irish hare at risk is inconsistent with the policy objectives of the species action plan." (Angela Smith, MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment in Northern Ireland).

Coursing Cruelty: Further Information

For more information on hare coursing cruelty in Ireland, please visit our updated Ban Hare Coursing website at www.banbloodsports.com/coursing.

The site includes details for the current season along with a photo gallery, video clips and petitions. Also available to download is the Species Action Plan referred to above.