Good Food Ireland has been thanked for removing a page from its website which described cruel foxhunting as a "merry romp through the countryside in pursuit of a fox or two" and told readers where to see a hunt.
The "Hunting On St. Stephen's Day" page described the hunts - in which foxes are chased to exhaustion and brutally killed - as a "grand social occasion in the annual hunting calendar" and provided meal suggestions for those "heading off on a hunt on the days between Christmas and New Year".
In an appeal to Good Food Ireland, ICABS highlighted the cruelty of foxhunting and the fact that a majority want it banned. Also pointed out was the fact that national tourism bodies Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland many years ago removed hunting from their marketing material because of the inherent cruelty and fears that it damages Ireland's international image.
“Fox hunting causes terrible suffering to Irish wildlife,” we told Good Food Ireland. “It typically involves releasing a pack of hounds to chase down and kill foxes in front of hunters on horseback. Foxes caught by the hounds are knocked off their feet, bitten, eviscerated and torn apart. Foxes who attempt to find refuge underground may also be attacked by hunt terriers, dug out with shovels and killed. “We hope that Good Food Ireland will align with Tourism Ireland, show compassion for our persecuted wildlife and remove references to hunting from your website.”
Thumbs up to Good Food Ireland for responding positively and removing the foxhunting page from its site.
ACTION ALERT
The vast majority in Ireland want the government to introduce a long overdue ban on foxhunting. A RED C opinion poll found that 77% are in favour of a ban, while just 12 per cent want the cruel activity to continue. Tell politicians to respect the wishes of the majority and ban foxhunting.
Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour Party to tell them that you want fox hunting and all bloodsports banned.
Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Eamon Ryan
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Alan Kelly TD
Leader, Labour Party
Tel: 067 34190
Email: alan.kelly@oir.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alankellytd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alankellylabour
Contact the Agriculture Minister and demand that an exemption for foxhunting is removed from the Animal Health and Welfare Act. The exemption protects foxhunters from prosecution for their animal cruelty.
Charlie McConalogue
Minister for Agriculture
Tel: 01 618 3199 or 01 607 2000
Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie; charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CharlieMcConalogue
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@McConalogue
Contact all your local TDs and urge them to push for a ban on foxhunting and all bloodsports. Visit the Oireachtas website for names of TDs and their email addresses http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=33&disp=mem
Keep hunters off your land
If you are a landowner, make your land off-limits to hunters. Find out more about how to do this on our Farmers/Landowners Page - http://www.banbloodsports.com/farmers.htm
Witness the cruelty of foxhunting at
http://www.banbloodsports.com/videos.htm
https://youtu.be/cbLKs9pgQno