"It could wipe out the entire population of the Irish hare and this would be an ecological catastrophe”: The Irish Times has reported on calls to continue the suspension of hare coursing as new cases of deadly RHD disease confirmed in Clare and Leitrim...
Calls to continue suspension of hare coursing over deadly disease
New cases of rabbit haemorrhagic disease confirmed in Clare and Leitrim
Irish Times, 5th September 2019
by Lynn Rusk
Animal welfare activist groups have urged the Government to ban coursing following a further outbreak of a deadly disease found in rabbits and hares.
Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), which is fatal to rabbits and hares but of no risk to humans, was confirmed in the wild in Ireland for the first time in July when cases were found in rabbits in Co Wicklow and Co Clare.
In August, a hare in Co Wexford was also found to be infected with the disease.
The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht confirmed this week that more rabbits have tested positive for the disease in Co Clare and Co Leitrim. It also said several wild rabbits and at least one hare are currently waiting to be examined.
The disease causes death within a few days of infection, with sick animals having swollen eyelids, partial paralysis and bleeding from the eyes and mouth. In the latter stages, animals exhibit unusual behaviour such as emerging from cover into the open and convulsing or fitting before dying.
The disease is highly contagious and can be spread directly between animals and in the faeces and urine of infected animals, as well as by insects and on human clothing. The incubation period may last several days and apparently uninfected animals may in fact be carriers.
As a means to control the spread of the virus, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht suspended the licences issued to the Irish Coursing Club to capture and tag hares for the 2019/20 hare coursing season.
Anti-hare coursing campaigners believe the arrival of this disease strengthens the case for a complete and permanent ban on the activity.
John Fitzgerald from the Campaign for the Abolition of Cruel Sports said: “We are calling on Minister Josepha Madigan to maintain the ban on the capture of hares by coursing clubs. If this disease continues to spread, it could wipe out the entire population of the Irish hare and this would be an ecological catastrophe.”
Aideen Yourell, campaign director of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports said she was concerned that hare coursers may not report cases of infected hares, as it may affect their chances of having the hare netting suspension lifted.
“We strongly contend that live hare coursing is totally incompatible with effective disease prevention and must now be considered a permanent risk to the well-being and future of our unique and much valued hare” she said.
Neil Reid, a conservation biologist at Queen’s University Belfast, said the virus has swept through Europe over the years but there is no evidence that the Irish hare population has declined.
“The disease was first found in domestic rabbits in Ireland in 2018 and this is a possible explanation as to how it spread to the wild rabbit and hare. It is highly contagious and can affect a wide variety of mammals. However there is no evidence of it being a threat to cows and there is absolutely zero threat to humans” he said.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/calls-to-continue-suspension-of-hare-coursing-over-deadly-disease-1.4009273
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ICABS ACTION ALERT
Contact the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, and urge her to permanently stop licensing cruel hare coursing and put in place permanent protection for the Irish Hare.
Email: josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie or
Phone: +353 (0)1 631 3800
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://facebook.com/JosephaMadiganFG
Tweet to: @josephamadigan
Urgently contact An Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar and An Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Simon Coveney. Ask them to ban hare coursing and give permanent protection to hares.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie
Tweet to: @LeoVaradkar
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Simon Coveney TD
Tanaiste/Deputy Prime Minister
Iveagh House
80 St Stephen's Green
Dublin 2
Phone: +353 (0)1 408 2000
Email: simon.coveney@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SimonCoveney
Tweet to: @simoncoveney
Appeal to the Minister for Agriculture to remove an exemption for coursing from the Animal Health and Welfare Act.
Michael Creed TD
Minister for Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: michael.creed@oir.ie
Tel: +353 (0)1-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: +353 (0)1-661 1013.
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaelcreedtd
Tweet to: @creedcnw
Please sign and share petitions
Ireland - Ban cruel hare coursing
www.change.org/p/ireland-ban-cruel-hare-coursing
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