Could hunting begin soon?

Discussions are underway into the possibility of lifting the ban on hunting in some parts of the country

The Countryside Alliance has been in discussion with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) regarding the possibility of lifting the ban on hunting imposed in light of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Hunting was banned in February following the outbreak of foot-and-mouth, but the Campaign for Hunting now hope the government will carry out a veterinary risk assessment, as has already been conducted on shooting and point-to-pointing.

Campaign for Hunting spokesman Simon Hart said: “It may well be that we get permission to hunt in certain counties or we might have to have buffer zones. Whatever happens, hunting can only take place where farmers are happy for it to.”

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