Last week, The Irish government dramatically withdrew the license that permits coursing clubs to capture hares for the cruel “sport” coursing…meaning that no hare coursing can take place.
The reason for the decision was an outbreak of a deadly disease that could decimate the hare rabbit populations in Ireland. Hare coursing involves the capture of more than 10,000 hares every year for use as live bait. Prior to coursing the animals are held in cramped conditions, herded together in captivity in a way that would easily facilitate the rapid spread of the disease.
However, coursing clubs are lobbying the Minister who has the power to issue… or not issue… licenses.
They are desperately trying to persuade her to reverse her decision and re-issue the license so they can resume their hare baiting activities. The scale of this lobbying is unprecedented. The coursers are battering on the doors of politicians, pleading with them to restore their “right” to capture hares for baiting, and flooding parliament with emails.
So, those of us who care for the future of the Irish Hare must ensure that the Minister doesn’t capitulate to this pressure from the pro-blood sports fraternity.
Time permitting, perhaps you might send a message (by email or post) to the Minister, asking her NOT to reverse the ban on capture of hares for coursing. We cannot underestimate the power of massively the funded hare coursing lobby and their “hold” over many of our politicians.
You can post your message to Ms. Josepha Madigan, Minister for Arts and Culture, Dail Eireann, Dublin 2
Or email: josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie, ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie, wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie
You can compose you own message or use the following text:
Dear Minister,
I appeal to you to retain the ban on netting of hares by coursing clubs imposed by your Department to prevent the spread of the deadly RHD2 disease. That eventuality, as you have rightly acknowledged, could have horrific consequences for the future of the Irish Hare, a sub-species of the mountain hare that is unique to Ireland and already under threat from loss of habitat resulting from urbanization and modern agriculture.
For the sake of the Irish Hare’s survival, and to protect this gentle creature from the cruelty of live coursing, I appeal to you to reject the calls from coursing clubs for the netting license to be restored.
Thanking you,
* Here’s an example of the “sport” that hare coursers want to resume as soon as possible: