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November 4, 2001.
News
Release
Angry
Welsh farmers demand publication of hunting risk assessment
Farmers
and hunt supporters turned out in force at a meeting arranged at short
notice at Builth Wells Showgrounds. (Saturday November 3)
Liberal Democrat MP, Lembit Opik,
Welsh Assembly Member, Mick Bates and Janet George, spokesman for the
Countryside Action Network headed the speakers' list with
representatives of the farmers' groups and fox control groups
contributing to a lively debate.
The over-whelming message
was the anger felt at the Government's delay in publishing the
veterinary risk assessment into the resumption of hunting - and farmers
expressed their serious concerns regarding the increase in local fox
populations following the premature end to the last season and the delay
in commencing autumn fox control activities.
Lembit Opik, a member of
the Middle Way Group, accused DEFRA Ministers of "dragging their
heels" because of their personal opposition to hunting and insisted
that the assessment should be published without further delay. Mr.
Opik told the meeting that public opinion had moved considerably against
a hunting ban and the media battle had been won in the broadsheets and
some of the tabloids.
Janet George accused
Government of 'banning hunting through the back door' and reminded the
meeting that DEFRA's delay in introducing movement restrictions and
stopping livestock markets was responsible for the scale of the
disaster. Hunting had stopped immediately - proving hunts were
more aware and more responsible than the Ministers who were now sitting
on the risk assessment. She accused Ministers of misusing their
powers and reminded the meeting of the Political Animal Lobby's £1
Million donation to Labour in 1997 and the funding received over the
years by Elliot Morley, now a DEFRA Minister.
Email: enquiry@countrysideaction.net
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