ICS&CL Publisher, Albert Titterington’s interview with John Blair, MLA, Chair of the Assembly’s All Party Group on Animal Welfare
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e have worked with John Blair through the Game Fair when he was employed in the Fisheries Division of DAERA. He was responsible for helping with the ‘Put and Take Fishery’ for children and we know he is well respected for his work with angling throughout NI. He was also supportive of the Game Fair as deputy Mayor of Antrim & Newtownabbey Council and he has given public support to country sports. Since John was coopted to the Assembly as an Alliance MLA , we have been impressed by his work ethic, his mastery of social media and his passion for a number of causes including the environment and animal welfare. We congratulated John on being elected to several Assembly committees and to the Chair of the All Party Group on Animal Welfare. Unfortunately the Alliance Party has long had a policy position of wanting to ban hunting with dogs and John both politically and personally supports this policy – hence him proposing a Private Members Bill to ban hunting with dogs. As a magazine that was founded on the principles of promoting and defending all legal country sports and the rural way of life; and one which recognises the interconnectivity amongst all country sports and the important social, economic and conservation role they play in the countryside we obviously take an opposing stance to John on this issue. We extended an invitation to John to answer some probing questions on the proposed Bill.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AND COMMENTS As a graduate biologist, animal lover and practical and academic environmentalist and like the majority of our readers, I would be broadly in support 74
of your work on the environment and animal welfare bur vehemently oppose your attempt to bring forward a Private Members Bill to ban hunting with dogs in NI. We may return to other aspects of your work in future editions of the magazine but the following questions represent many of the points and concerns made about the proposed Bill to me personally, to the magazine and from many observers and interested parties on our websites and social media. QU 1. As animal lovers we consider there are a large number of animal welfare issues affecting a great number of animals with which we have close interaction, including many of the issues raised in intensive farming by the Compassion in World Farming group; the undoubted stress to animals by the halal and kosher slaughter methods (unfortunately now very prevalent in NI and not just for faith communities) and puppy farming. In view of the above, can we ask why you decided to give the welfare of the fox (an animal that, like rats and mice, can be regarded as a pest) priority over the animal welfare of these other animals? Have you plans to consider these other areas and if not why not? A – As a public representative I deal with a variety of issues, both personally and through my constituency office, in any one day. When dealing with one issue it does not necessarily mean that any other issue has been de-prioritised or deescalated. My taking forward of a Private Member’s Bill, on hunting with dogs for the kill, is following on from work done, though not concluded, on this in the past, addresses the fact that legislation has been introduced in other jurisdictions though not Northern Ireland and is also following through on publicly declared Alliance
Spring/Summer 2021 Irish Country Sports and Country Life
Party Policy. The Assembly All Party Group on Animal Welfare, which I chair, has given high priority to the issue of puppy farming and the introduction of a register of animal welfare offenders. I have followed up on this also by working with colleagues to have these matters addressed through local Councils, tabling Assembly Questions relevant to these matters and declaring support for a Private Members Bill, by Robin Newton MLA, calling for the introduction of ‘Lucy’s Law’ in Northern Ireland. QU 2. Do you recognise that foxes do need to be controlled? if so what do you consider to be appropriate means of control? If you do not feel they need population control, why not? A – I think there is a variety of available methods of pest control and a range of options open to farmers, if livestock is threatened, in this regard. I have not, for example, included use of snares in the proposed Bill. A need, if it exists, to control foxes does not always equate to a perceived need to hunt them using dogs to kill them, as has been demonstrated by a ban in other jurisdictions. There are more humane methods of fox control, such as fencing, ultrasonic pest repellers, or artificial scents which deter foxes such as Scoot Fox Repellent. Comment: In supplementary questions sent to John I made the point that his suggestions on fox control (and I understand on rabbit control to someone else) could be regarded as methods recommended ( and not always successful) for keeping pests including foxes, cats and badgers out of gardens and these are not even 100% successful for that purpose. I said I had smiled when I thought of sheep farming friends trying to fox proof thousands of acres of moorland or
